The Real Madrid club has made the Champions League (CL) their own, at least for the last few years. Resultantly, it has won the championship the most number of times than any other fancied club in the league’s history. On March 28, Carlo Ancelotti’s boys secured the precious title for the 14th time by beating Liverpool 1-0 in front of a packed Stade De France and proved that their reign is not going to end anytime soon.
After winning the inaugural edition of the then European Cup in 1956, the Madrid team took home the cup four times in the next four seasons, making it five in a row since the start of the tournament. So, today let us take a peep into the record and achievements of the highly successful club in the CL.
The Barren Run Ends In 2014
Prior to 2014, the current reigning champions endured a dry spell of 12 years without a single title. What makes the rough patch even worse is the fact that Real failed to reach the final even once in these 12 years. But in a reversal of fortunes, from the 2013-14 season onwards, their dominance and success were on an ascendancy. Apart from the 2014 triumph, they went on to claim another hat-trick of titles from 2016 to 2018 in a clinical manner. No amount of credit would suffice for the likes of Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo etc for establishing the supremacy of the club in the European circuit, especially for the last 7-8 years.
Stand Out Players For The Real
Real Madrid have always had some decorated strikers in their mix. In the good old days, it used to be Alfredo Di Stefano, who took the club to greater heights by scoring 49 goals from 58 matches, helping the Real win five times on the trot. Then after a few decades, there were Ronaldo (Brazil), who scored 15 goals in the competition for the Madrid team, and Raul, who scored the most number of Champions League goals (71), which was eventually overhauled by Lionel Messi.
However, when Cristiano Ronaldo joined the club in 2009 he left everyone behind by scoring 105 for the Madrid team. Also, in the knockouts, it was the Portuguese who ruled the roost with 67 goals for the Los Blancos, another name for Real Madrid. Now, it is Karim Benzema, who is delivering for the Real in a big way. This season alone, the French striker has scored 15 goals in the Champions League, including the four he netted against Chelsea in the Quarters.
Real’s Love Story With The CL
The romance between Real Madrid and the Champions League started from 1956 onwards before encountering a 12-year itch at the start of the millennium with things finally getting back on track in the last 7 years or so. If they have not been successful in the CL, the Real have been extremely competent. Also, they have been near-invincible in Europe and if any team has beaten them in the continent, then that means the other team has indeed played out of its skin. Their never-say-die-attitude has helped them wriggle out of crises several times in the past, and the brand of soccer they have been playing all along makes it plain why they are the most successful team in the European circuit.
