“Real have lifted the Champions League but will be disappointed not to have won La Liga, so our fans, and us as a team, should be very proud of the season we have had”.
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Zidane took over from Rafael Benitez in January and a huge reward followed on Saturday as Madrid clinched the Champions League.
The European season-opener will take Madrid to Trondheim, Norway on August 9 to play Europa League victor Sevilla.
Not only were they back in a Champions League final, but they were once again facing crosstown rivals Real Madrid.
Asked after Atletico’s 5-3 penalty shootout defeat in Milan if he would be in the Vicente Calderon dugout next season, the Argentine coach told reporters: “My plan is to think”.
“But we showed that our team had most experience and we showed that we scored all the penalties so it was unbelievable – a fantastic night”.
The players are now posing for pictures with their children and the trophy in the center circle.
His Real counterpart Zinedine Zidane, on the other hand, appears to have cemented his hero status at the Bernabeu and his immediate future in leading the Spanish giants to their 11th European Cup.
The Portugal worldwide hailed Real’s composure and felt their greater familiarity with huge occasions compared to Atletico made the difference when it mattered.
Neither teams could find a victor in the added 30 minutes as players on both sides were exhausted, but the penalties were flawless. I have a lot of minutes in the legs, but I am still there, I am always there.
Just as two years previously, a Champions League final ended with Altetico Madrid’s pain and Cristiano Ronaldo whipping off his shirt in celebration. The Frenchman has now won the CL as a player, assistant and coach with Real.
“So this Champions League is for them, the guys who support me all the time, my fans in Portugal and around the world”, he concluded.
Substitute Yannick Carrasco eventually managed to equalise for Atletico after finishing from close range in the 79th minute.
In the shootout, Real’s Vazquez, Marcelo and Gareth Bale hit the spot for Real.
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Karim Benzema was also denied by Jan Oblak, with Ronaldo unmarked in the center of the penalty area.
