Legendary Teams: Ronaldo and Zidane help Real Madrid achieve unprecedented Champions League glory with three-peat
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Gregory Caltabanis
3 Yrs Ago
When Florentino Perez regained the Real Madrid presidency in 2009, he did so with a Galacticos policy at the forefront. Delivering on his campaign promise, the Spanish giants promptly targeted football's very best, signing Kaka from Milan and Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for record fees. Real Madrid fell short on the biggest stage despite their star-studded lineup, failing to progress past the Champions League semifinals.
With European glory on the agenda, Perez replaced Jose Mourinho with Carlo Ancelotti in 2013 and broke the transfer record once more, spending 100 million euros on Gareth Bale. Real Madrid later appointed Zinedine Zidane as one of Ancelotti's assistant managers. They did not know it at the time, but, between them, both managers would deliver four Champions League titles over the next five years.
Led by Ronaldo’s relentless goal production, and Zidane’s uncanny ability to manage the egos of a stacked squad, the Real Madrid of the mid 2010s delivered the kind of Champions League dominance not seen in more than three decades.
The seeds for that championship run were first sewn by Ancelotti, who wasted no time adapting to his new surroundings, deploying Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale alongside Karim Benzema. The trio combined to devastating effect in the final third, registering over 100 goals in league play. As chemistry grew between them, the BBC was born.
Ancelotti's system got the most out of his star man, Ronaldo, with the Portuguese superstar netting 51 goals in all competitions. Behind them, Luka Modric pulled the strings in midfield with Ángel Di Maria roaming dangerously between the lines in support of their high-powered frontline. The Argentine midfielder was integral to Ancelotti's system, registering 22 assists on the season.
Real Madrid overpowered every opponent on their way to their first Champions League final in over 10 years. A convincing 5-0 drubbing against Bayern Munich set up a mouth-watering Madrid derby in the final.
Real Madrid got off to a bad start in Lisbon after Diego Godin put Atletico Madrid ahead at the stroke of half-time. Ancelotti's men struggled to break down their rivals and seemed destined for defeat late in the game.
Down a goal deep into stoppage time, Sergio Ramos took matters into his own hands, heading home powerfully past Thibaut Courtois. With La Decima in sight, the Galacticos ran rampant in extra time, with Marcelo, Bale and Ronaldo all finding the back of the net.
The win helped Real Madrid put their European woes behind them once and for all, with the Spanish giants winning their first Champions League trophy since 2002. Ancelotti left the club in 2015 after an indifferent run of form and was replaced by Rafa Benitez.
The former Liverpool tactician only lasted six months at the helm, before being replaced by club legend Zinedine Zidane. Already familiar with the inner workings of the club, Zidane commanded the respect of the locker room and made an impact from the onset.
The French tactician maintained the BBC frontline, but shook things up in the middle of the park, introducing Casemiro as his destroyer. Real Madrid looked a rejuvenated side with the changes and made their way to yet another Madrid derby in the 2016 Champions League final. Extra time was needed once more with Zidane's men emerging 5-3 winners in a penalty shootout.
Zidane did not disappoint in his first full season in charge the following year, leading the side to yet another European triumph, topping Juventus in a dominant 2017 final. With the Frenchman at the helm, Real Madrid made winning the Champions League look easy, becoming the first-ever side to win the competition three consecutive times when Los Blancos defeated Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final.
The chances for a Real Madrid four-peat took a major hit in the summer of 2018 when Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Juventus and Zidane stepped down from his incredible three-year stint in order to take a break from his first managerial appointment. A forgettable stint with Julen Lopetegui soon followed, leading Real Madrid to once again turn to Zidane, the first manager to ever win three consecutive Champions League titles.
Zidane has since returned to Real Madrid after his brief hiatus and is now ready to usher in a new era at the club. The Cristiano Ronaldo era at the Bernabeu is a distant memory now, but the French tactician will be looking to forge a new side of Galacticos built around an impressive collection of young talent, combined with what is sure to be another busy summer transfer window.
Creating another Real Madrid dynasty won’t be easy for Zidane, but then again nobody thought he would do it the first time around either.