The city of Madrid will travel to Lisbon on May 24, when the two most expensive football teams, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, will compete for an exciting Champions League final. This will be the first European Cup final in which teams from the same city will be represented.
As the years go by, the intensity of Real’s passion with finally moving on to a double Champions League title increases, and they have only one thing in mind, “la por la Decima”, to aim for 10th place in the World Cup.
For many true fans, local bragging rights are secondary to the dream of ending their 12-year wait for the coveted 10th title. However, Atletico approach the final with the opposite intention, fully aware that they can achieve unprecedented glory, finishing the cherished dreams of their bitter local rivals.
Although geographically they are similar, the history of these two clubs is still very different. The second club from Madrid, Atletico, has won the Europa League twice in the last five seasons, and the trip to Lisbon will be only the club’s second appearance in the final of Europe’s main tournament.
Their only previous final was against BaernErn Monaco in 1974, when legendary striker Luis Aragones, who after coached Spain to the 2008 European Championship, won the trophy with a goal six minutes before the end of extra time. But the Ba parErn equalized a few seconds before the final whistle and beat the second half for 4-0, leaving Atletico a painful memory “if only”.
The after Aragones will surely be cited as an inspiration for Atletico until the final. Best goalscorer in the club’s history, he consolidated his status by returning four times as coach, winning the League in 1977 and three Spanish Cups.
Aragones has described his management philosophy, in simple terms, “” Ganar y ganar y ganar Y volver a ganar y ganar – – win and win and win and come back to win and win again, a motto that describes what the attitude of the club should really be.
Although Real were presented as a clear favorite by bookmakers, Atletico offered them fair competition last year. Simeone’s men scored a 2-1 win over Real in the Copa del Rey final at the Bernabeu last May, earning a win and a draw in both league games this season.
At the time of the final, Atletico could have won an unlikely league title if they had won all six points from their next two games against Levante and Malaga.
Marca, the country’s best-selling sports newspaper, praised Atletico’s performance against Chelsea as ” a memorable lesson in football.Although Atletico have already exceeded all expectations to lead the league and reach the Champions League final, Real are sure to offer tough competition.
Their performance against Ba Monaco Real dominated the game from start to finish to secure their place in the final.
Since the Second World War, Real has been the club par excellence in Spain and throughout Europe. Their large trophy cabinet is the envy of clubs around the world.
It contains a record 32 Spanish championships, including five consecutive between 1961 and 1965, 19 Spanish Cups, nine European Cups, including the top five, and two UEFA Cups.
As Real prepare for their first European final in almost a decade and Atletico continue to exceed expectations, Spanish fans are benefiting from their country’s dominance on the European football scene. Football fans will spend the next few weeks predicting the score, but one thing is certain: Spanish football is already the winner of the Champions League.
