Paul Fennessy

FOOTBALL IS a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, Real Madrid always win. 

Gary Lineker famously said the above about Germany but it might as well be stated about the Spanish giants in a modern context.

Madrid have won six of the last 11 Champions League finals.

It is an astonishing achievement in what is essentially a cup competition.

Overall, it is the 15th time they have been crowned champions of Europe — more than twice as many as the next most successful team (Milan have a comparatively paltry seven trophies).

Incoming superstar Kylian Mbappe must be feeling the pressure as it’s hard to conceive next year can surpass 2024′s La Liga and Champions League double.

The victory was achieved in a manner typical of the club’s recent performances.

As was the case against Man City, Bayern Munich and countless other instances, Madrid were outplayed for significant portions of the contest this evening.

Dortmund excelled in the first half and dominated the midfield.

Yet resilience has been a defining characteristic of Carlo Ancelotti’s side and Dortmund fans would have feared the worst when an exceptional 45 minutes of football failed to yield a deserved reward and the teams went in scoreless at the break.

And the outcome never felt in doubt once Dani Carvajal’s bullet header put the Spanish outfit ahead in the 74th minute before Vinicius Junior made victory certain with a cool finish in the dying stages.

It was a special moment for a special team. Madrid may have won the competition 14 times previously, but it is the first occasion they have gone through an entire European campaign unbeaten.

Even Pep Guardiola’s Man City, whose players won a historic treble last season, could find no way past Carlo Ancelotti’s men over two legs.

And while there was a sense of inevitability about the victory, the identity of the man who unlocked it was a surprise.

Before tonight, Madrid-born Carvajal’s last goal in the Champions League came in November 2015 in the group stages.

In 520 career appearances overall, he has 17 goals.

Yet it felt fitting that the hometown hero got the crucial goal.

Except for a single season at Bayer Leverkusen in the 2012-13 campaign, he has spent his entire career in the Spanish capital.

For the last 11 years, the ultra-professional full-back has invariably been one of the first names on the teamsheet when fit.

Youngsters like Jude Bellingham and Vinicius tend to grab most of the headlines, but players such as Carvajal are just as pivotal to the club’s success.

Madrid might not be the most talented team in Europe but no outfit is stronger psychologically or more proficient at getting over the line at vital moments.

It is experienced dressing room leaders like Carvajal (32), the retiring Toni Kroos (34), and Luka Modric (38) who ensure high standards are maintained.

Moreover, in a world where young coaches like newly appointed Bayern boss Vincent Kompany (38) and indeed Dortmund’s Edin Terzić (41) seem more in vogue than ever, 64-year-old Carlo Ancelotti continues to show why older managers can be invaluable and should not be discarded or overlooked.

The ex-Italy international, who also was a European champion twice as a player, is the most successful manager in Champions League history with five wins — two with Milan and now three at Madrid.

The Italian is also the only manager to have won titles in all of Europe’s big five leagues.

Most managerial greats like Alex Ferguson, Bill Shankly and Arrigo Sacchi tend to experience historic success at one or two clubs. Ancelotti has thrived at almost all of the 10 teams he has managed.

While an undoubtedly astute tactician, the emotional intelligence and inveterate calmness of the legendary manager are the traits that stand out above all else, as well as having been able to foster a positive environment in a team of giant egos like Madrid, with significant help from leaders like Carvajal.