There was a sign of inevitability even before German club Borussia Dortmund hit the post and missed a few presentable opportunities in the first half. After all, they were playing Real Madrid—a club steeped in history and eternally blessed with luck, especially in big finals, even when they look shoddy. In the second half, Real emerged with clearer minds and won 2-0 to lift another Champions League title. To gauge the enormity of their achievement, one has to go through numbers. Six Champions League titles in 10 years and 15 in all in Europe’s most prestigious club competition. The current Spanish league champions have not lost a final since 1981—they have played and won nine. They may look tattered and listless at times, yet they find a way to win. No one in Europe has done that. Just by numbers, they could be considered the greatest club in Europe. This victory will only cement their place at the top.
Luka Modric, Nacho Fernández, Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal are a select few who have lifted the trophy six times. Together with the prodigious Vinicius Jr, great young conjurors like Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and the sublime Fede Valverde, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ acrobatic saves, they resembled a well-assembled orchestra, with coach Carlo Ancelotti holding the conductor’s wand. If Dortmund were wondering what else they could have done, they were not alone. Manchester City, another well-oiled ensemble, and Bayern Munich also tasted defeat this season.
Kylian Mbappe, one of the greatest footballers of this generation along with Vinicius, could not have asked for a better backdrop to announce his arrival in the Spanish capital. His much-talked-about free transfer is almost a done deal, with Real hoping to announce it later this week. If Mbappe’s joining will be celebrated, Kroos’s exit will be considered a tough pill to swallow. Modric, too, is biding his time. Carvajal and Nacho are on their last leg. It’s perhaps natural that the baton would be passed to the next generation to play more masterpieces.
With the Euro 2024 set to begin in less than two weeks’ time, players now need to focus on their national duties. Two countries with the richest club structures—England and Spain—would be hoping for the fortunes to rub off on their national teams.