Real Madrid is undergoing a change of cycle with the arrival of Xabi Alonso, which has Madrid fans excited. The Spanish coach comes in to fill the void left by Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful coach in the club’s 123-year history. The challenge, in his own words, does not scare the Tolosa-born coach, who arrives with a lot of energy, looking to “fire up” the fans with the team’s play and seeking what is almost an obligation: titles.
This enthusiasm is much needed after a more than complicated season in which Real Madrid came away empty-handed, without any of the major titles. A fact that, if we look at history, could be a sign of many successes in the future. There is a curious parallel if we go back 10 years:
2014: Real Madrid wins La Décima
In the 2014 season, Real Madrid experienced a historic final, facing two teams from the same city for the first time. The Whites faced Atlético Madrid in Lisbon and won the Champions League after 120 minutes of suffering and euphoria. Atlético were already celebrating the title and popping champagne when Sergio Ramos rose from Camas to head in a cross from Modric and level the score in the 93rd minute. Extra time belonged to Real Madrid. Bale, Marcelo, and Cristiano sealed a historic victory in the final minutes.
2015: a blank year and Cristiano wins the Golden Boot
After the high of Lisbon came a season in which Real Madrid failed to win any of the major titles, but on an individual level Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot. Ronaldo was the top scorer in European leagues with 48 goals (96 points), ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi (43 goals and 86 points) and Sergio “Kun” Agüero, who finished third with 26 goals (52 points).
2016, 2017 and 2018: Real Madrid wins three consecutive Champions League titles
A blank year was followed by glory. First, in 2016, there was a repeat of the Champions League final against Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid won the 2016 Champions League after beating Atlético on penalties. After an evenly matched game in which Atlético had the upper hand, Ramos put the Whites ahead and Carrasco equalized for Atlético. Juanfran missed the fifth penalty and Cristiano made no mistake, giving Real Madrid their eleventh Champions League title.
The glory continued a year later. Real Madrid were crowned Champions League winners in 2017 after defeating Juventus (1-4) at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The goalscorers were Cristiano Ronaldo with a brace, Casemiro and Asensio, who neutralized Mandzukic’s goal. The twelfth was a reality.
And the thirteenth would come a year later, in 2018. The Whites won their third consecutive European Cup against a Liverpool side hampered by Salah’s injury and their goalkeeper’s blunders. A brace from Bale, one of them a great goal, added to Benzema’s strike to seal a successful cycle for the Whites.
Now… will history repeat itself?
This Sunday, June 1, it will be one year since Real Madrid won the Champions League, claiming their fifteenth European Cup. They did so after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley, with Thibaut Courtois saving the day and Real Madrid coming to life in the second half with a goal from Carvajal from a corner taken by Toni Kroos and Vinicius putting the icing on the cake to seal the victory.
As in 2014, after winning the Champions League, Real Madrid has gone through a 2025 without any titles. The season has been well below expectations and injuries have hampered the team, which lost to its eternal rival, Barcelona, in the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa, and La Liga. In addition, it was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, losing to Arsenal.
As was the case in 2015 with Cristiano Ronaldo, this season Kylian Mbappé has won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in European leagues. His 31 goals have put him 62 points ahead of Gyokeres who, with goals in the Portuguese league worth only 1.5 points, has remained in second place despite his 39 goals.
History repeats itself: Champions League + a year without the Golden Boot + three consecutive Champions League titles? We will have to wait a few months to see if the equation can be repeated and a successful cycle can begin with Xabi Alonso at the helm of Real Madrid.