They have tried since the beginning of the 21st century to create the ultimate winning machine at Real Madrid that might replicate the days when they were the prototype for the super-club, and at last it seems that the dream has been realised in this, the game’s most competitive era.

Their third Champions League in four years, the first time the European Cup has been successfully defended in its new format, a 12th overall title that takes them so far ahead of the pack as to be uncatchable for possibly another generation. The questions still remain as to how they have amassed such wealth and influence, and upon what foundations president Florentino Perez has built the modern club, but there is no question that the team itself is formidable.