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| Real Madrid |
For the tenth time in club history, Real Madrid is the champion of Europe.
Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid 4-1 in extra time in Lisbon Saturday, in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate.
When Godin looped the ball toward the goal, Casillas was unable to retreat in time.
Despite the goal, Real Madrid looked to be the stronger team for the majority of the second half, but Los Blancos simply couldn’t beat Atlético goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale terrorized Atletico on the counter attack at times, but the final ball never found the target. Bale, meanwhile, squandered countless opportunities.
Real Madrid had five minutes of stoppage time to find an equalizer, and Sergio Ramos emerged as the hero. Ramos headed a corner to the far post in the 93rd to send the game to extra time.
Looking to avoid penalties, Real Madrid pushed for a winner, and Ángel di María’s tremendous run in the 110th set up Bale.
The Atlético implosion continued in the 120th. When Sergio Ramos leaped to head the goal three minutes into added time that saved the Champions League final for Real Madrid, a bespectacled man in a suit leaped in front of his king in a V.I.P. suite of Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz.
The moment passed. Pérez, the president who spent a billion euros of his club’s cash to buy players in pursuit of winning back the most cherished club trophy in the world, wiped his glasses, smoothed down his jacket, and sat back with the manner he has always deemed appropriate.
Gareth Bale's header in the 110th minute put Real Madrid ahead against a resolute but tired Atlético Madrid team, and goals from Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the win.
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Fans of Atlético Madrid.
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So Real Madrid moved heaven and earth to hire the grandest players, culminating in the most memorable of all European Cup finals as Real Madrid won the last of those five straight titles in 1960. The artists, known in the Pérez era as los Galácticos, won out in extra time when the artisans ran out of energy.
“Thank you for waiting,” Iker Casillas, the club’s goalkeeper and captain, told the supporters. Casillas, one of the few Real Madrid players who was born in Madrid, then said the blindingly obvious.
“After today, it’s time to think about the Eleventh.” Hala Madrid!”
Again, that conversation with Pérez in Madrid 12 years ago springs to mind.
For many years, Real Madrid had the best players in the world; we have to do that again. But not only players. "Working for Real Madrid is a fantastic experience and I'm very happy here at the moment," said Clement.
"I do have ambitions to make that step up to management at some point in the near future, and if the right club comes along at the right time then I'd like to do it.
"But at the moment I'm just going to enjoy my time here.
"I'm working at a fantastic club every day, we've great players here and we're competing for big trophies.
"Next year we'll play in the game against the Europa League winners (the UEFA Super Cup); we'll be in the World Club Championship as well as competing for the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Champions League. It's exciting times for Real Madrid."
Real Madrid assistant coach Paul Clement has ruled himself out of the running to become the new West Brom manager.
Clement's reputation has been greatly enhanced by his achievements working under Carlo Ancelotti in recent years, winning the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain and the Copa del Rey and Champions League with Real Madrid.
"I'm working at a fantastic club every day, we've great players here and we're competing for big trophies.
"Next year we'll play in the game against the Europa League winners (the UEFA Super Cup); we'll be in the World Club Championship as well as competing for the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Champions League.
"It's exciting times for Real Madrid."
