Paris (AFP)
Real Madrid, after winning a record fourteenth European Champions League title in football, by beating Liverpool 1-0, strengthened its position as the most successful club in Europe, distinguished by periods of dominance of the diversity of its champions between Di Stefano and Zidane, through the superstars “Galacticos”.
Argentinian Alfredo Di Stefano joined Real Madrid in 1953. Under the historic president of the Santiago Bernabeu, the capital club experienced its first European golden era.
In the first final of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup “The Champions League at present” against French Rennes in Paris on June 13, 1956, “Merengi” trailed 0-2. But under the leadership of Di Stefano, the “Royal” turned the table on Raymond Koba and his companions and came out winning 4-3, to win his first five consecutive titles.
After the arrival of Raymond Kopa in August 1956, and then Hungarian Ferenc Puskas in 1958, the attacking trio dominated the “old continent” for several seasons, and contributed to creating a legendary squad that made Real Madrid “the team of the twentieth century” according to the International Federation “FIFA”.
After Reims in 1956, Real added to the list of its victims in the final matches until 1960, both Fiorentina and Milan, the Italians, Reims again and Eintracht Frankfurt after the departure of Cuba in 1959, which made way for Di Stefano (3 goals) and Puskas (4) to inflict a historic defeat on the German team 7. -3!
Real completed his first golden era with a sixth title in 1966, when his left winger Francisco Gento (who died in January 2022), the record holder for the number of titles “6”, was the joint sign.
After a 32-year fast and several disappointments in the final (1962, 1964 and 1981), Real Madrid returned to the fore with Raul, Brazilian Roberto Carlos and French Christian Karmbo to win the 1998 Champions League title with his new name led by German coach Jupp Heynckes, at the expense of Italian Juventus and his French star Zain. Al-Din Zidane “1-0”.
With its seventh title, the White House ushered in a new era before the advent of the Galacticos.
After he was a player in the losing squad in the 1981 final against Liverpool, Vicente del Bosque played the role of the successful coach and led him to the 2000 title against his compatriot Valencia “3-0” before the arrival of a new president.
The arrival of Florentino Perez marked the beginning of the era of players coming from a different “galaxy” “Tagalacticos”, big stars who came with imaginary deals, and Real Madrid became a global brand as a result of resonant transfers: Portuguese Luis Figo for 58 million euros in 2000, Zidane for 77 million euros in 2001 , Brazilian Ronaldo for 43 million euros in 2002, and Englishman David Beckham for 35 million euros in 2003.
Stars who added only one continental title in Glasgow in 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen, when Zidane scored from a superb volley.
Italian Carlo Ancelotti, the current coach of Real, succeeded in his first pass at the head of Real and led him to “La Desima” (10th title), after an exciting final against his neighbor Atletico Madrid 4-1 after the extension in 2014.
His assistant at the time, Zidane, was at the beginning of his coaching career, he took over the main task in 2016, and completed the journey with Portuguese stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Welshman Gareth Bale and French Karim Benzema.
From his first attempt, Zizou led Real to the 2016 final and again beat Atletico on penalties.
A new title in the following season against his former team Juventus “4-1”, and then the treble against Liverpool “3-1” in 2018, Zidane became the first coach in history to win the title three times in a row.
The relationship between Real Madrid and the big-eared cup almost stopped last year, and President Florentino Perez was one of the promoters of the “Super League” closed between the giant clubs, before it was thwarted due to a public-political objection.
But Real remained faithful to the first competition, so Ancelotti led him to his fourteenth title in 2022 at the expense of Liverpool “1-0”, with veteran Benzema “15 goals before the final”, the competition’s top scorer.