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Real Madrid’s incredible Champions League record: ‘Finals are for winning’


“We are the kings of Europe,” the Bernabeu crowd have sung throughout this season’s Champions League as Carlo Ancelotti’s team have achieved ever more thrilling comebacks through the knockout stages against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Now that Madrid have reached Saturday’s final, where they face Liverpool in Paris, there is huge confidence in the Spanish capital that their team can win a 14th European Cup trophy.

This perspective is not based on a rational analysis of the respective strength of the squads managed by Ancelotti or Jurgen Klopp. Instead, it comes from the Spanish club’s incredible record of having won each of their last seven Champions League finals.

Sometimes Madrid were favourites, sometimes not. Some years they had just won La Liga, other years had seen disastrous domestic campaigns. Some teams relied on experienced champions, other finals have seen the most unlikely of heroes emerge. Madrid have dominated finals from the first whistle to the last, in others they have needed very dramatic late interventions.

But each final has finished the same way — with Madrid’s captain lifting the trophy.

The Athletic has spoken to players and coaches who experienced first-hand those seven finals in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 to try and understand just how this tradition has been built and maintained.

“In Madrid, there is always confidence,” says 2002 Champions League winner Santi Solari. “This is football, and in football anything can happen. But if Madrid have anything, it is this faith that they are favourites in finals, and the players take to the pitch knowing they have the weight of history behind them. When you are a Real Madrid player there is this feeling of community, of history, of victories. It is always there, and you feel part of it.”

Juventus 0-1 Real Madrid, 1998

The idea of Madrid being kings of Europe seemed ancient history by the mid-1990s. After winning the first five European Cups and adding the “sexta” in 1966, a long drought began with just one lost final (against Liverpool in Rome in 1981).

“In those years, as Madrid had not won a Champions League for so long, there was not so much talk about it,” says Predrag Mijatovic, who joined Madrid in 1996. “It was a bit of a hidden desire. It was almost seen as impossible to achieve.”

Reaching the 1998 final, eliminating Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in the knockout rounds, was a pleasant surprise. Madrid’s defence of the title in La Liga that season had been shambolic, with a fourth-place finish far behind champions Barcelona after coach Jupp Heynckes replaced John Toshack mid-season.

“We were very happy to be playing the final and enter into the history of the club, after 32 years, but also a bit worried about what happens if we lose, how the fans would react,” Mijatovic recalls. “You fail in La Liga, you lose the final (and it’s) almost better not to return to Madrid.

“We were playing against a very good team who were very powerful in those years. Juventus were in their third consecutive final. But we had confidence in ourselves. The night before the game I could do everything but sleep, but I told my room-mate Davor Suker we were definitely going to win.”

Also in that Madrid squad was 22-year-old midfielder Victor Sanchez del Amo.

“I never saw a team train like we did the day before that final in Amsterdam; everybody was at their very best,” says Victor. “I was convinced we were going to win. Everyone was super ready, super prepared, super motivated. In the tunnel too, just before the game, you could see fear in the Juve players’ faces, and our players looked strong and secure. And you saw that in the game.”

Juventus were on top in the early stages but Madrid gradually got a foothold in a tight game of few chances.

“A final is always tension, pressure — you know you cannot make mistakes, any error can cost you very dearly,” Mijatovic says. “As a forward you think, if a chance comes, you have to take it as you will not get another.”



That chance came with 15 minutes left, when a Roberto Carlos shot span off Juventus defender Mark Iuliano into the path of Mijatovic, who had not scored previously in that season’s competition.

“I did not feel it was that difficult a chance,” Mijatovic says. “I saw a ball being deflected, I dribbled around the keeper, and put it in. You do not have time to think. Later my team-mates said, ‘What a golazo’ but I did not have that feeling. Later, when I saw it on the TV, it did not look so easy, not at all. But thankfully it ended up in the net.”

Watching nervously from the bench was Victor, who remembers the explosion of joy on the final whistle, and also the Madrid fans who lined the route from the airport to the city centre when the team returned.

“The Septima party lasted a long time — so much emotion, we cried so much, laughed so much,” he says. “In the dressing room we were showering each other with champagne. In the hotel, a group of us shaved our heads that night — the typical crazy stuff that you do.

“The next day there was a caravan of convertible cars from the airport to Cibeles (the square in Madrid), with the streets full. It was spectacular, so beautiful. The Septima was a really important turning point in the recent history of Real Madrid, returning so much credibility to the team. Once you pass that barrier, you have that confidence yourself, and that respect and fear from other teams.”

Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia, 2000

Two years later, Madrid were back in the final to play La Liga rivals Valencia in Paris after eliminating both the previous year’s finalists Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Once more, the team had a rocky domestic campaign, finishing fifth, but the mood was relaxed at the team hotel in Versailles the days before the final.

“When we were having our pre-match meal, (coach) Vicente (del Bosque) barely spoke at all,” former Madrid defender Ivan Campo recalls. “Everyone was a bit focused, nervous, wanted to get to the stadium already.

“There is always pressure at Madrid. It does not matter if you are playing the European Cup final or the first round of the Copa del Rey. You have to win — no excuses.

“Vicente told us that this badge, this jersey, helps you with an experience and mentality superior to other teams. We were not favourites but we went out convinced that we were going to beat Valencia. As we were Madrid, we had very good players and very good people.”


Steve McManaman

Del Bosque’s side went ahead just before half-time through Fernando Morientes’ header, then went 2-0 up after Steve McManaman’s fine strike midway through the second half. Raul Gonzalez secured the title late on by running clear to score.

“Morientes’ goal helped us relax,” says Campo. “As the minutes passed, you realise that we are on top due to our emotional stability. Steve had that smile and style, which brought joy on the pitch. When Raul scored, at 3-0, you know they are not coming back, and we were European champions. That is the satisfaction, to have this dream, and for it to come true.”

The final whistle set off a week of celebrations.


Raul, Ivan Campo, Roberto Carlos, Ivan Helguera

“What can I tell you, when you win a European Cup, the party is enormous,” says Campo. “Then there was a full week back in Madrid. We went to see the King.

“Not everyone gets the chance to play a European Cup final. And then to win it? Imagine.”

Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid, 2002


Within another two years Madrid were back in another final, beating Bayern Munich and Barcelona to reach the 2002 decider in Glasgow against Bayer Leverkusen.

There was again domestic failure, in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey final, in which Madrid had planned a special celebration in their own stadium to mark the club’s 100th birthday but were instead shocked by Deportivo La Coruna.

“The pressure doubled,” says Solari. “But we had the players to deal with it, it was part of our routine.”

Del Bosque was still coach but new president Florentino Perez had added expensive galacticos Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo to the team. The goalkeeper was Cesar Sanchez, who had replaced youngster Iker Casillas mid-season.

“Vicente is a very normal guy, made certain that everything was relaxed, even with all the external noise,” Sanchez tells The Athletic. “He gave all the normalcy in the world to things that sometimes are difficult to manage.

“It is very similar to Ancelotti now — people who have an incredible ability to read the game, with their knowledge and experience, to provide the details that the individual players need at each moment.”

Madrid went ahead after just eight minutes through Raul’s opportunistic strike, but Brazilian defender Lucio soon headed an equaliser for Leverkusen. Del Bosque’s side began to take control coming up to half-time, and one of the most memorable goals in European Cup history was about to arrive.

“I began the move, played it out short,” Sanchez says. “It was tremendous. The sensation of surprise and incredulity, you never think you’ll experience a goal like that. But in finals these things tend to happen, historic moments.”

“I had a sensational view of it all,” adds Solari. “When I played in Roberto (Carlos), I stayed behind to cover. So I was like a luxury spectator of Zinedine’s goal, with the perfect view, right in front of me. It was priceless — a finish from another world.



“The ball comes down from on high and he catches it perfectly, such a tremendously difficult thing to do. You realise immediately that it was a ‘golazo’, but then you know that we have to win the game. If we don’t win, it is a great goal, but not a historic moment.”

That historic moment looked in danger when Sanchez was injured in a challenge with Lucio, but Casillas came off the bench to make a string of late saves to ensure Madrid won the trophy.

“I heard a crunch, and felt there was a lot of damage to my left foot,” Sanchez says. “I tried to continue, the medics looked after me, but soon I knew it was impossible. A difficult moment, obviously, in a final, but Iker came in, and it’s what often happens at Madrid. Things happen but it turns out well. You forget about suffering the pain in your foot — you are suffering watching what is happening.”

The injury did not stop Sanchez dancing on the pitch at the final whistle.

“It is the culmination of when you are small, all that it has cost you to reach this moment,” he says. “I am from a small town called Coria in Extremadura of 12,000 people — you never imagine that you will achieve something like this.”

Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid, 2014

After three Champions Leagues in six years, Madrid’s magic touch in the competition disappeared. Over one billion euros was spent on players, and 11 different coaches were hired and fired. After three consecutive semi-final exits during Jose Mourinho’s intense spell as Madrid coach, Ancelotti arrived in summer 2013, with Englishman Paul Clement as his assistant.

“They took us over to the stadium and that was the first point I realised how big this was going to be,” Clement tells The Athletic about his first day at Madrid. “First thing, to the boardroom where, along one side of the walls, it’s a shrine to the Champions League. There were nine European Cups there, all lined up. It’s as if you can see them out of the corner of your eye whenever you’re in that boardroom. They’re a presence. And they hadn’t even lined up all the other trophies — the domestic leagues or cups — that they’ve won. It was just the Champions Leagues.”

That left everyone very clear about what was expected: European Cup number 10. The whole club was obsessed with winning “La Decima”, which they had now been waiting 12 years to secure. The tension was even bigger as their opponents in the final in Lisbon were Atletico Madrid.

Just before half-time, an error by Casillas was punished by Atletico defender Diego Godin’s looping header. Madrid pushed and pushed after the break but they were still 1-0 down when Luka Modric went to take a 93rd-minute corner. Sergio Ramos rose and guided his header away from Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and into the far corner.



Atletico clung on until the second period of extra time but then Gareth Bale’s 100th-minute close-range header put Madrid ahead. Marcelo soon surged straight through an exhausted defence and fired a low shot to the far corner.

“It was just an explosion of pleasure, really,” Marcelo told The Athletic. “A film goes through your head, everything that has happened since you were small, in just five seconds. Something you cannot explain. It is just a madness.”

After Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty made it 4-1, the celebrations started for everyone involved with Madrid — including Solari, who was in Lisbon with the club where he was now working as a youth coach.

“The Decima was so, so important,” he says. “If Madrid pass a decade without winning a Champions League it is not normal — statistically it is very rare. So the pressure in the club really builds, becomes very big. Then we managed to equalise in the last minute, and went on to win.

“Ancelotti’s character, experience, knowledge — his way of being — was ideal. Not all coaches can come from outside and understand what they must do to succeed at Madrid.”

Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Real Madrid win 5-3 on penalties), 2016

After “only” reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2014-15, Ancelotti was sacked and replaced by Rafa Benitez, who lasted just six months.

January 2016 saw Zidane promoted from the youth team to the senior bench, and the former galactico oversaw progress past Roma, Wolfsburg and Manchester City to yet another European final.

This was a rematch of 2014 against city rivals Atletico, who had beaten Madrid in La Liga soon after Zidane took charge. The Frenchman kept everything very relaxed in the build-up to the game in Milan, says current Madrid player Lucas Vazquez.

“There was no special pre-match message or chat,” says Vazquez. “But the week leading up to the final, the preparation, we lived it in a very special way. The captains and more veteran players transmitted calmness to the other players who were playing their first final. Zidane also communicated that calm, without making a big deal of it — just simply trying to keep doing things the same way we had all season.”

Madrid went ahead on 15 minutes when Bale flicked on Toni Kroos’ free kick, and a possibly-offside Ramos bundled the ball into the net. Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty soon after the break as Atletico fought back but the equaliser came with 10 minutes remaining when substitute Yannick Carrasco arrived at the back post to hammer home. Both teams had half-chances to score during the added period but it went to spot kicks.

“I remember when the penalties came I felt confident,” Vazquez says. “When we were talking about who would take them, I said I wanted to take one. The order was decided by Zidane and his assistant (David) Bettoni. They chose me to take the first one. And I had the good fortune to score it.

“The feeling when the ball goes in is just happiness, joy, satisfaction — being able to play your role in helping the team to win the Champions League. This penalty, during my first season with Real Madrid’s first team, has maybe marked my whole career.”

Vazquez watched as Griezmann, Marcelo, Gabi, Bale, Saul Niguez and Ramos all scored. Then Atletico right-back Juanfran Torres hit the post, setting it up for Ronaldo to convert the decisive kick, rip off his jersey and celebrate with his team-mates.



“I remember many moments, but maybe not all the details — or at least there are details I cannot tell you,” says Vazquez with a smile. “They are lovely moments with your team-mates, congratulating each other, giving hugs of companionship, of satisfaction.

“We are a team of 25 players, who share our lives together every day for the whole year. So when you have success, win trophies, to celebrate with them is something incredible. To be working together all year and be able to end the season like that is an enormous satisfaction.”

Juventus 1-4 Real Madrid, 2017

Twelve months later, Madrid were back in yet another final, as Zidane’s team beat Napoli and familiar rivals Bayern Munich and Atletico in the knockout rounds. This time, Madrid had won the domestic title, setting them up for a league and European Cup double they had not managed since the 1950s.

Zidane had the ability to manage a squad that was full of superstar players but also lesser heralded squad players like Nacho, Mateo Kovacic and Alvaro Morata, according to Kroos.

“(Zidane) owned the dressing room thanks to his natural authority,” says Kroos. “There’s nothing forced, no act. That’s extremely important — especially at a team like Real Madrid, you need to get the players behind you… When you realise you get rewarded for your collective work and see results, it starts becoming fun.”

Kroos says that while Madrid’s supporters are often on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the season, the players can remain on a more even keel.

“Madrid have very demanding and emotional supporters,” he says. “They’re either on cloud nine or feel lower than low. I’m not like that.

“The president (Perez) has always been very relaxed in his dealings with us. It wouldn’t make much sense to get carried away. The key is to work hard and stay calm. It’s easier said than done when the house is on fire, but I’m blessed with the gift of not getting nervous — ever.”

In the 2017 final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, Madrid were able to show such emotional control and calm. Ronaldo’s crisp strike put them ahead but then Juve striker Mario Mandzukic’s acrobatic volley dropped perfectly into the far top corner for 1-1.

After the break, Zidane’s side shifted up another gear to put in maybe their best performance in any of their recent finals. Casemiro’s deflected effort put them ahead, Ronaldo finished Modric’s cut-back, and young substitute Marco Asensio capped the night late on by converting Marcelo’s cross.



“All the finals we have won have been very hard,” says Marcelo. “Just having won some before does not help you — you have to almost die out there on the pitch, put your entire soul out there on the pitch. This is the biggest club game there is. There is always pressure to win it. The demands are always huge.”

Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool, 2018

Zidane’s side again had some tricky moments in the last 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, quarter-finals versus Juventus and semis against Bayern Munich. But the team used its experience and its quality to find a way to progress.

“When a group of players who have been playing together for so many years and have so much quality and have a leader who they love and respect, the finals start to repeat,” Solari says. “Players like Modric, Casemiro, Marcelo, Bale, Benzema, Cristiano, with all their talent, and all their experience, they make the difference.”

Ahead of that 2018 final against Liverpool in Kyiv, Madrid were widely acknowledged in Spain as heavy favourites. But Klopp’s team had the better of the opening stages, until they appeared to lose confidence after top scorer Mohamed Salah suffered a shoulder injury in a clash with Ramos.



Karim Benzema then took advantage of a mistake by Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius to open the scoring early in the second half. But Sadio Mane flicked in an equaliser after Ramos was beaten in the air by Dejan Lovren.

Bale came on for Isco on the hour mark, and just two minutes later he threw himself acrobatically into the air to meet Marcelo’s cross, with the ball flying unstoppably past Karius. The Wales international then wrapped it up with eight minutes left when his long-range effort went straight through the unfortunate Liverpool keeper.

“In a Champions League final, every mistake — and every great save — can be decisive,” says former Madrid keeper Sanchez. “In games at this level, which are so even, any detail can be. Everything is magnified. You do very well for the whole competition, then one or two mistakes and everything else is forgotten.”



Madrid did not spend too long looking back.

“Always when you lose you complain, and when you win you do not look back,” says Casemiro. “That is the past — we won that game. And I hope we win this year too.”

Asked how Madrid had such an enviable record in finals, Casemiro pointed to a winning mentality.

“Finals are not for playing, finals are for winning, however you can,” the Brazilian said. “Finals are the most difficult games. Our thinking is always the same — to win, to lift the trophy.“

History says Madrid will keep that run going on Saturday night in Paris.