Yesterday, 28th of May 2022, Real Madrid Football Club clinched its 14th European cup (now Champions League) at Stade de France in Paris. It was a beautiful and justifiable run for Real Madrid as it fought through tough opponents, in the toughest of wins to clinch the title.
With Real Madrid, triumph has been the case since the inception of the competition, especially in the past few years, and It's no wonder that they are called "The Kings of the Champions League" or "The Kings of Europe." Its success in the competition is colossal and it leads other clubs with a huge margin. Real Madrid holds the highest number of Champions League trophies (14), with the club in second place having only half of its numbers (AC Milan; 7).
What then is the reason for this feat? Some have attributed it to Referees, football politics, the low football level of other clubs, great coaches, extraordinary players, etc. But it is none of those. Yes, you need excellent players and coaches; but the major reason for its success is the football culture and mentality that engulfs the club.
Real Madrid is not only iconic for winning in the competition but they are also known as "comeback Kings" in the competition. They've had iconic comebacks—coming back to beat PSG, Chelsea F. C and Manchester City in this year's edition; coming back to beat Atletico Madrid after scoring in the final minutes (92) of the game in 2016; coming back to beat Wolfsburg from 3-0 down, among many others. They are always a tough nut to crack in the competition.
It's all part of the mentality. This success is not only evident in the Champions League, but also its Local league (La Liga), having won the highest (35), with F.C Barcelona coming second (26). Every player who comes into Real Madrid knows he comes to perform and must win. It's in the culture. You feel it in the aura of its legendary status, in its history, its trophy collection, its extraordinary award-winning players and coaches, its organisation, and even the fans.
No player is spared from the backlash and booing of the fans if he doesn't perform—even great players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, etc., were booed by fans when they didn't perform. It is a club known to win at least a trophy every year, and it was spectacular for onlookers in the 2020/2021 season when Real Madrid didn't win a trophy. It's an elite mentality, and it's why every player that is brought into the club plays for the crest (for the club and the fans), having imbibed that mentality, with things such as money and personal ambition only a secondary concern. Coaches have come and gone, the same thing with extraordinary players, but Real Madrid has always maintained its legendary status in the stretch of time.
A major reference is the 2017/2018 season when Real Madrid won its third Champions League trophy in a series of 3 consecutive triumphs. The celebration was immediately followed by the news of the exit of one of its best players ever, Cristiano Ronaldo, who had agreed to join Juventus.
The effect was felt and the season that followed was a disaster for Madrid, as it crashed out in the round of 16 to Ajax and lost the La Liga to F. C Barcelona. But they bounced back the following season, winning the La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, after Coach Zidane and some players were brought in. Some would say it was the work of the coach; yes, extraordinary players and coaches make up a good team, but what matters most is the team's mentality and chemistry, as that is what can propel good players to do exceedingly well. We've had teams with really good players perform woefully and the ones that are not as good do very well.
One would not believe that Real Madrid would come back from the loss of its iconic player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in that timespan (2018-2022), but it did, even though it took about four years. It was a classic example that a team's mentality is what is most important; players will come and go, but clubs will remain.
In this current season (2021-2022), they had Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane leave the club. It was easier for Madrid fans to bear their departure since they had borne that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who they didn't imagine would leave at such time. But, even after, they won the 14th Champions League trophy—thanks to the fans, extraordinary coaches and players, and most importantly, the team's spirit, resilience, and mentality.
The club's culture and mentality is evident in its approach to football. To Real Madrid, aesthetic football is different. Real Madrid sees aesthetic football as the icing on the cake, and not the cake itself. The cake is the title, the icing is their way of getting it. Real Madrid gets the cake first, their aesthetic football is just the icing on top.
They play to win games, to win titles, not minding the style they used to achieve that—this is aesthetic football to them and their fans. Some clubs are known for triangular passes or full attack with a high backline or defensive football, but Madrid is direct. Though they have been popular under Mourinho for counter-attacking which applies to them till date. They might not dominate games, but they make sure to win—this season's triumph is an example.
These things make up Real Madrid's enormous success. We could say Madrid also had a sheer bit of luck, because who knows it all? But this luck also meets Real Madrid's preparation, and this is why till date, it is on a pedestal that is above other clubs in Spain and Europe at large.