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| | | Champions League facts and figures: Black or grey shirts? | | | | [11.02.] On Tuesday Borussia Dortmund will start the day with a team breakfast to begin their final preparations for the big game on Wednesday. At 12 pm, their plane takes off for Donetsk International Airport. With a distance of 2,195 kilometres, the trip to Donetsk will be the fourth-longest ever made by a BVB team in Europe. | | |  | | Departure is at 12 pm on Tuesday. |
The trip: 150 people on board
Due to take-off-weight limitations at Dortmund airportīs runway "Ruhrgebiet", only 150 of a possible 184 seats will be available aboard Air Berlinīs Boeing 737-800, with approximately 50 of them reserved for BVB, 20 for the media and 80 for Borussiaīs "premium fans". It could actually be the same plane as on the return flight from the German cup final in Berlin. A Boeing with the imprint "Real Love" is still flying around...
The fans: More than 2,000 make the trip
Their loyalty is unbelievable: more than 2,000 BVB supporters will be making the 2,000+ kilometre long trip to Donetsk, with many of them flying in one of the three "fan planes".
The hotel: In the heart of the city
The German champions will be staying in the Donbass Palace Hotel in the heart of Donetsk until their departure on Thursday.
 | | BVB's team hotel |
Final training: Getting a feel for the place
Borussia Dortmund will be holding their final training at Donbass Arena at 8 pm on Tuesday night. There will also be a light training in a small stadium near their team hotel on Wednesday morning, with the final team talk being scheduled at 7.45 pm local time.
The venue: First class!
Donbass Arena, opened in 2009, has a capacity of 52,518, and was designed by the same team responsible for Munichīs Allianz Arena and the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona.
Luggage: Prepared for all eventualities
Packed to the roof, BVBīs team bus steered by Christian Schulz has been on its way to Eastern Ukraine since Saturday. Kit manager Frank Gräfen packed two sets of training clothes and everything you might possibly need for a game into numerous boxes, including medical products, two massage benches, a stack of thick wool blankets for the substitutes and thermal soles for the boots.
The shirts: Black or grey?
UEFA would like to see Borussia Dortmund wearing their all-grey kit on Wednesday, but this suggestion has been objected to by Dr Christian Hockenjos, BVBīs Organisational Director. Borussia Dortmund prefer to play in their black away shirts, yellow shorts and black socks, with referee Howard Webb having the final say in this matter. One thing, however, is for sure: in the first leg BVB will definitely not wear their striped black and yellow kit from the successful group stage of this yearīs Champions League campaign.
Television: Live on ZDF and Sky
The first leg of this Champions League last 16 tie will be shown live on German TV channel ZDF on Wednesday night (2045 CET), with the pre-game show starting at 2025. The game will also be broadcast live on Sky.
Stats: 186th game in Europe
Borussia Dortmund will play their 186th match in Europe on Wednesday. Their record is won 91, drew 38 and lost 56. And their record against teams from the Ukraine reads: played six, won five and drew one.
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