It’s Germany calling in London

The venue might be Wembley but it’s definitely Germany not London calling tonight, as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund do battle in the final of the Champions League.

Viewed from the continent’s economic and now footballing powerhouse, there is bound to be considerable appeal, not to mention pride, in the idea of fussball coming home but, for the rest of us, it’s hard to shake off a slight sense of disappointment that a competition originally designed to give an international dimension to European club football has once again resolved itself into something much closer to a national derby.

One thinks of Manchester United and Chelsea in the 2008 final in Moscow. It was not a match short of heart-stopping drama, but leave aside the extra time and the penalty shoot-out, and you could still have been watching another of Sky’s beloved Super Sunday showdowns.