Real Madrid become first team to retain the CL

Luckiest team in the world..they didn't even deserve to be in the final this year. Their wins vs Atletico in 2014, 2016 were down to luck (Atleti's injuries, or Ramos offside goal). With the exception of Juve they have never won against a powerhouse, they always play against a dark horse, like Valencia, Leverkusen and Atletico. Like Barca they are a small team in mentality. I would understand if they had one player with disgusting antics but their full team is like this: Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe etc but it is obvious that it is in their nature. I have seen great teams before, but no team could reach the final either down to luck or down to referees as this Madrid side can.
 
Like the fact that they are always looking to score. Not that they can't defend. But their outlook is always to try to score more goals. We used to be like that, but now our approach is more cautious. Don't think we will be able to reach their level soon. If things go well then we may be able to reach Juve's level in a year or two. Real Madrid is in a league of its own.

Also, Ronaldo keeps on delivering in the big stage. Fully deserved.
 
Luckiest team in the world..they didn't even deserve to be in the final this year. Their wins vs Atletico in 2014, 2016 were down to luck (Atleti's injuries, or Ramos offside goal). With the exception of Juve they have never won against a powerhouse, they always play against a dark horse, like Valencia, Leverkusen and Atletico. Like Barca they are a small team in mentality. I would understand if they had one player with disgusting antics but their full team is like this: Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe etc but it is obvious that it is in their nature. I have seen great teams before, but no team could reach the final either down to luck or down to referees as this Madrid side can.

Dude so much bitterness right there :rolleyes:

17 time winners are small team in mentality?

Not arguing whether or not they're lucky (they are) but that doesnt take away from the fact that they are a top top team and have dominated the CL in the last few years.
 
If you're going to over-analyze these things, Barca wouldn't even be in the 09 CL final if it wasn't for the scandal of Stamford Bridge, or even the 11 CL final if Pepe didn't get sent off for NOT touching Alves. Fine margins indeed...

I'm not over analysing. Of course there are fine margins, even for the best sides in the world - it's a cup competition based on a few knockout games and a 90 minute final. It's not a 38 game slog over 8 months. You won't find anyone claiming Real were the best side in Europe in 2014 and 2016, but many will say Barca were the best side in Europe even when they didn't win the CL. The chips have fallen in their favour more often than not in the last few years, which is what you need to win this thing.

I'm not knocking their achievement, I'd love for United to win 3 in 4 years! Just merely stating the fact that this is probably the only year they are the best in Europe. It just shows how big a part luck plays in cup competitions and not nearly so much in a league.
 
They don't have that effortless control on matches that the truly great teams have but they're still a really high quality set of players who know how to attack with efficiency. I don't think you can really say they're on another level to Barca and Bayern like those two were from everyone else in recent years.
 
I'm not over analysing. Of course there are fine margins, even for the best sides in the world - it's a cup competition based on a few knockout games and a 90 minute final. It's not a 38 game slog over 8 months. You won't find anyone claiming Real were the best side in Europe in 2014 and 2016, but many will say Barca were the best side in Europe even when they didn't win the CL. The chips have fallen in their favour more often than not in the last few years, which is what you need to win this thing.

I'm not knocking their achievement, I'd love for United to win 3 in 4 years! Just merely stating the fact that this is probably the only year they are the best in Europe. It just shows how big a part luck plays in cup competitions and not nearly so much in a league.
Really? I'm sure there are plenty who do think Real were better than Barca in those seasons, Barca had the same number of points as them in 2014 (both finished behind AM) and were a grand ONE point ahead in 2016. Are those margins enough to justify Barca being the better side despite their lesser achievement in the CL?
 
But look behind their cup runs, you have a club that's just won three leagues in a decade and a fanbase full of transfer muppets who regularly boo their greatest ever player.
Our greatest ever player died two years ago
 
Dude so much bitterness right there :rolleyes:

17 time winners are small team in mentality?

Not arguing whether or not they're lucky (they are) but that doesnt take away from the fact that they are a top top team and have dominated the CL in the last few years.

I am referring to the Cl wins, I am too young to have watched the pre 90s victories. Barca for almost a decade were the best team, no once could argue that, but they always used tricks and cheats to progress when they faced difficulties. Being better doesn't mean you can win every game, but then their full grown football players start acting like 2 years old kids so to ensure their victory. United, Bayern, Juve, Atletico, Chelsea etc are among the best teams the last 10 years but they don't try to cheat in every game. Real and Barca have reached another level though, they cheat even if they are winning by a 5 goals difference, that's why I consider them small teams in mentality. Like this year both their teams progressed thanks to referees and Pique and Ramos were acting like small children even outside the pitch.
 
I am referring to the Cl wins, I am too young to have watched the pre 90s victories. Barca for almost a decade were the best team, no once could argue that, but they always used tricks and cheats to progress when they faced difficulties. Being better doesn't mean you can win every game, but then their full grown football players start acting like 2 years old kids so to ensure their victory. United, Bayern, Juve, Atletico, Chelsea etc are among the best teams the last 10 years but they don't try to cheat in every game. Real and Barca have reached another level though, they cheat even if they are winning by a 5 goals difference, that's why I consider them small teams in mentality. Like this year both their teams progressed thanks to referees and Pique and Ramos were acting like small children even outside the pitch.

So thats 6 for (98,02,14,16,17) Madrid 5 for Barcelona (92,06,09,11,15) during that time period and thats still a ridiculous haul thats EIGHT more than United!

They dive, play act and get calls from the refs but you still cant call the two biggest teams in football "small team mentality" you just cant, those teams are full of winners (some assholes like Ramos, Casimero) and two of the greatest players of all time.
 
Its annoying they had to be the first team to win the CL twice in a row. I still don't think they're at Guardiolas Barcelona level.

Not at their level at their absolute peak but not shackled by a philosophy of pure football either.

Zidane has a pragmatic streak that certainly helped.
 
Of course it is the gold standard but what I meant was we are so far behind the clubs like Real, Barca and Bayern in terms of just competing for the damn thing so, it's ridiculous that we're feeling insecure about Real winning. It's basically like West Ham fans feeling insecure about our 20 titles at the moment. If we get to the position where we are getting to the semi finals regularly than we should be upset if Real keep widening the gap. The reason I mentioned Barca, Bayern etc. is because to me it feels like we're just as far behind them.
We're in the same market for players as them, both trying to fend them off when we have talent and competing when a star comes along. We've also got to maintain a serious aspiration to put together a team that has a chance at the trophy whenever we're in it as we have no real excuse not to do that (given our wealth). Every team who believes they're in the CL to compete for it has to be looking at ways to bring them down or elevate themselves to topple them.

The narrative the club wants to push about us being the biggest club yadda yadda, and with what Woodward said specifically about competing with them means we have to raise our own bar and certainly not look at them like they are beyond us.
 
Have to say the second half was exceptionally good, juve were chasing shadows. Zidane deserves credit for adding a pragmatic element to a side which in recent times has been obsessed with trying to outplay the barca model and regularly coming unstuck as a result. They've got a focus on winning at all costs again and it's reaped rewards

Don't think they're as good as peps barca or jupps bayern but 3 in 4 is unbelievable really
 
We're in the same market for players as them, both trying to fend them off when we have talent and competing when a star comes along. We've also got to maintain a serious aspiration to put together a team that has a chance at the trophy whenever we're in it as we have no real excuse not to do that (given our wealth). Every team who believes they're in the CL to compete for it has to be looking at ways to bring them down or elevate themselves to topple them.

The narrative the club wants to push about us being the biggest club yadda yadda, and with what Woodward said specifically about competing with them means we have to raise our own bar and certainly not look at them like they are beyond us.
The problem is that we weren't in the same market for a long time so, they managed to get so far ahead of us. The situation would've been a lot different if we didn't sell Ronaldo to them and instead spent a shitload of money to improve the 2009 team that lost to Barca. Instead we decided to sell Ronaldo and sign dross like Owen, Obertan etc. for the next few transfer windows. I remember fans being absolutely excited that we spent 50 million on Jones, Smalling etc. one transfer window because we had been spending something like 20-25 million per window for a couple of seasons after selling Ronaldo. I know that now we're in the same market as them but so are City, Chelsea and every other english club and having a shitload of money means nothing now because everyone has it but the pool of the players that you can spend it on is the same. Real got ahead of us by spending the money at the correct moment whereas we were busy paying off the f*** debt.
 
Pep's Barcelona were a better team at their very best but this Real seems to be more consistent.
 
This is beautiful. All the salt, the bitterness. Thank you guys, it makes my day every time we win it! :)


And a real friendly thank you to the ones who sincerely congratulated us Madrid fans!
 
They've benefited from Franco.

Newsflash. He died in 1975.

And it's been documented now that he wasn't much of a football fan to begin with. He was nominally a fan of Atletico de Aviacion which later became Atletico de Madrid. He began associating his name to Real Madrid because they started being immensely successful at a time when Spain was a pariah state in Europe. For years Real was the only positive, big, winning story coming out of Spain.
 
Newsflash. He died in 1975.

And it's been documented now that he wasn't much of a football fan to begin with. He was nominally a fan of Atletico de Aviacion which later became Atletico de Madrid. He began associating his name to Real Madrid because they started being immensely successful at a time when Spain was a pariah state in Europe. For years Real was the only positive, big, winning story coming out of Spain.

Facts are boring.
 
They are the best as they have the mentality to be the best, they are ruthless in their transfers and if the players are not up to a certain standard they are booted out.

Congratulations to Real, it was going to happen sooner or later, seems fitting that the most successful team in Europe be the first to retain the CL.
 
11>09

Both were probably better than this Madrid team though.
Yep. That Barsa team drained the life out of the opponents as they could not possess the ball to make them suffer. I look at this Madrid and while they are an awesome offensive outfit, their defense can be gotten at.

If Jose prepares well, we can give Real a good fight, I feel
 
Yep. That Barsa team drained the life out of the opponents as they could not possess the ball to make them suffer. I look at this Madrid and while they are an awesome offensive outfit, their defense can be gotten at.

If Jose prepares well, we can give Real a good fight, I feel

It's going to be dreadful. Like City away but we're up against an even better team, so we'll be even more negative (if it's possible).
 
They've benefited from Franco.

:lol:

There is a huge new contract for Zidane on the way. Deserves it too, never got carried away from the success which, for a coaching newbie like him, requires a high level of self-awareness.
 
About 70 euros would be reasonable. Although of course I would like it to be even less but I somehow doubt it. :)
You can barely find a Madrid ticket for that money. Real has over 60k socios, and they all come to a Barcelona game or sell their seat through companies starting with 400 euros or more. I have no clue from where you will be buying those tickets ahead of time.
For example for the last night game, tickets in Spain (from companies) started from 1500 Euro up. I had tickets for two days after RM qualified and then there were gone everywhere. Hit me up if you need help, I have a travel agency in Spain, i can probably find you tickets even with one day before the game, but no way for those prices you want.
 
Congrats to them for the achievement. The new record after CL rebranding is theirs and it will be meaningful until someone else matches it. After that it will become irrelevant. Can't help myself but feel amazed by how jammy all their last 3 final wins actually were. Last gasp goal against completely exhausted Atletico that also had to sub their best player in Costa minutes into the game on the night of the first final, missed penalty by Griezmann in another one and now the first and second goals scored by Real were deflected (Casemiro's was just wicked) and a mad red card shown of course also in their favor. It's top notch witchcraft.

I'm happy for Ronnie. He's became a football colossus. It's interesting if that will be enough to stop the boo boys:rolleyes:
 
Amazing achievement, and congrats to them! I have to be honest though, the CL lost a bit of it's magic now that it has been retained.
 
You can barely find a Madrid ticket for that money. Real has over 60k socios, and they all come to a Barcelona game or sell their seat through companies starting with 400 euros or more. I have no clue from where you will be buying those tickets ahead of time.
For example for the last night game, tickets in Spain (from companies) started from 1500 Euro up. I had tickets for two days after RM qualified and then there were gone everywhere. Hit me up if you need help, I have a travel agency in Spain, i can probably find you tickets even with one day before the game, but no way for those prices you want.
Thanks for the info. :)
What about the tickets for other games, what are the prices for those?
I will certainly hit you up if I'm going to Madrid. It's great if someone can help me so close to the game. :)
 
They're are not the biggest club in the world!

Congratulations to them, though. Most of all, congrats to Zidane, who has done a terrific job since he has taken over. It's not easy managing Madrid, with the amount of big ego's and the pressure from the boards. Brilliant
 
If they win it again next season is it the trecima? The quatro de quintima?
 
Thanks @Mitchell Nicholas
Thanks for the info. :)
What about the tickets for other games, what are the prices for those?
I will certainly hit you up if I'm going to Madrid. It's great if someone can help me so close to the game. :)
In the last clásico there were many culés at Bernabéu because some socios sold the ticket.
After that the club kicked them out so I would be careful buying from some socio.Anyway there are people already selling tickets for spanish Supercopa against Barsa:
https://www.milanuncios.com/entradas-de-futbol/supercopa-bernabeu.htm
Check the club website but less than 150€ each is very difficult.
You could try to buy for another league match from some socio,in that case probably the club wouldn't care.