GOLF | Page 5 NBA | Page 8 Spieth leads Warriors rally by one stroke to force To Advertise here aft er Round 3 game 7 with Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 at Colonial Thunder Monday, May 30, 2016 FORMULA 1 Sha’baan 23, 1437 AH Hamilton ends his GULF TIMES wait for victory with Monaco win SPORT Page 9 SPOTLIGHT Victorious Real team get heroes’ welcome in Madrid ‘How can I not love you,’ shout the crowd at the Plaza de Cibeles — a traditional meeting point for Real’s trophy celebrations Real Madrid football club supporters celebrate as the team arrives on Plaza Cibeles in Madrid yesterday. Real Madrid’s Nacho kisses the trophy at Cibeles fountain yesterday. AFP spot-kick in a 5-3 penalties victory by the two clubs crests and colours in “They (Atletico) deserved it. They Madrid over Atletico Madrid at Milan’s San a frenzied build-up to the fi nal, which almost played better. I am happy my Siro stadium. was expected to attract a worldwide team won, but it could have been any It is the second time in three years that audience of 180 million people in over of the two teams.” housands of Real Madrid fans Real have defeated Atletico in the fi nal. 200 countries. However, Gonzalez’s boyfriend Jaime chanted and waved supporter The players snapped photos of the de Francisco, an Atletico fan, couldn’t scarves under a rain of con- raucous crowd from a platform spe- ‘UNFORGETTABLE & GRUELLING’ hide his disappointment as once again Tfetti on Sunday in the Spanish cially erected at Cibeles, and team cap- Praise poured in for Real Madrid, in- the red and white half of Madrid was capital as the team returned home after tain Sergio Ramos waved the large sil- cluding from Spain’s acting Prime forced to life in Real’s shadow. an historic 11th European Cup win. ver trophy for the cheering supporters. Minister Mariano Rajoy. Just 500 metres (yards) away from An open top bus emblazoned with the At Real’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium “Epic fi nal in the League of Cham- wild scenes of celebration at Cibeles, word “Campeones” (Champions) car- around 50,000 supporters had fol- pions,” he tweeted.”Congratulations to the Neptuno fountain — where Atleti- ried the team, who showed off the trophy lowed the action from the tense fi nal all... for the 11th.” co fans go to celebrate their triumphs to fans who had spent hours awaiting on four giant television screens. Another public celebration with the — was empty. their heroes in the heart of the city. The Real Madrid players, who ar- team is planned for Sunday night in Spanish daily sports newspaper “How can I not love you!,” shouted rived home from Milan around 6:00am their stadium, which will follow a re- Marca captured the mood, describ- the ecstatic crowd at the Plaza de Ci- (0400 GMT), headed directly for Cibe- ception with city leaders. ing Real as “the king of Europe”, add- beles — a traditional meeting point for les where the fans had been celebrating “I am delighted. Two Champions ing that manager Zinedine Zidane had Real’s trophy celebrations. since midnight. League titles in three years, it is in- been “touched by a magic wand”. Three-time World Player of the Year The football-mad Spanish capital of credible,” said Monica Gonzalez, a “He was born to play for Real Ma- Cristiano Ronaldo struck the winning 3.2 million people had been dominated 25-year-old Real fan. drid... and to lead them.” FOCUS Real cap rollercoaster season with 11th Euro crown AFP formances left the club in disarray. to matching his stellar career that in- by their nearest and dearest rivals with Madrid Manchester United goalkeeper David cluded World Cup, Champions League goals bookended by Ramos and Ron- de Gea’s move to Madrid was botched and European Championships winner’s aldo. due to a paperwork delay and the club medals. Two years ago Atletico were sec- season that promised so little were thrown out the Copa del Rey for Victory in Milan ensured he became onds away from victory before Ramos’s when Zinedine Zidane took fi elding an ineligible player. the fi rst French coach to ever win the header took the game to extra-time charge of a beleaguered Real A 4-0 home defeat to bitter rivals competition and only the seventh man where Real ran riot with further goals A Madrid less than fi ve months Barcelona in November left fans calling to win the European Cup as both a play- from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Ron- ago ended beyond even the richest club for the head of then coach Rafael Beni- er and a manager. aldo. in the world’s wildest dreams with an tez and president Florentino Perez. Moreover, he has now played a key This time Ramos’s early goal was 11th European Cup win in Milan. Benitez was the fall guy in early Janu- role in each of Real’s last three Cham- cancelled out by Atletico substitute Cristiano Ronaldo struck the win- ary to make way for Zidane to take his pions League triumphs as he scored a Yannick Carrasco 11 minutes from time. ning penalty in a shootout to cap a re- fi rst senior managerial role after just 18 sensational winning goal in the 2002 However, Real kept their cool from markable turnaround in Real’s fortunes months experience with Real’s youth fi nal and was assistant to Carlo Ance- the spot to score all fi ve penalties as as for the second time in three years team Real Madrid Castilla. lotti in 2014. Juanfran’s solitary miss for Atletico they edged a tense fi nal against local ri- Crucially, though, in contrast to the “I’m so proud to be part of this great teed up Ronaldo to lash home the de- vals Atletico Madrid. dictatorial Benitez, as a former legen- club. It’s the club of my life, the one cisive strike before tearing off his shirt Thousands of delirious Real fans dary player, Zidane instantly had the that made me who I am,” said Zidane. in celebration in another fl ashback to poured into the heart of Madrid city respect of Real’s star-studded squad. “I was given the chance to come to Lisbon two years ago. centre after the match and stayed till “Zizou is very humble but deter- this amazing club, and then to coach it. “What really hurts me is to see the well after sunrise on Sunday morning mined. His arrival was really important “I have a phenomenal team and great hurt of the people who’ve paid to come to welcome their heroes back from Italy for us because he has a great relation- players who are also talented, and it here,” said Atletico coach Diego Sime- around the Plaza de Cibeles fountain – ship with the players,” said Real captain was together we achieved what we did one, who admitted he will take time to a traditional meeting point for Real’s Sergio Ramos. tonight.” consider his future after four-and-a- triumphs. “With Rafael we had some good By contrast, Atletico were left with half glorious years. The contrast in emotions to the fi rst times, but when Zizou came the dress- a horrible sense of deja vu as they were “I feel a bit responsible that I wasn’t half of the season couldn’t be starker as Real Madrid football players arrive to celebrate the team’s win on Plaza Cibeles in ing room was more unifi ed.” once again denied a fi rst ever Euro- able to give them what they wanted. a series of off -fi eld gaff es and poor per- Madrid yesterday after their Champions League final triumph. Zidane has already gone a long way pean Cup in agonising circumstances That’s what really hurts.” Gulf Times 2 Monday, May 30, 2016 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT FUTURE PERFECT Zidane assured place in Real hearts Ronaldo pride as if not a long future Real are crowned kings again ‘To be honest, I was confident I would score, I said to Zidane before the penalties, put me Real players celebrate with coach Zinedine Zidane after the win. the last one because I feel I’m going to score the winning goal, and this is what happened’ Reuters succeeding Benitez on Jan. 4, Milan including victories in the last 12 games, although the football his team played lacked the sparkle n leading Real Madrid to of Luis Enrique’s championship- their 11th European Cup less winning side. than fi ve months after inher- The most graceful of players, iting an unhappy team from Zidane has proved to be a great IRafael Benitez, Zinedine Zidane pragmatist as a coach, stressing on has cemented his heroic status at the eve of the fi nal that his team’s the Bernabeu and appears to have plan was to “run, run and run”. assured his immediate future. Although neither Zidane nor HAPPY ATMOSPHERE Real’s notoriously trigger happy With Cristiano Ronaldo clearly president Florentino Perez have not match fi t, Real’s win owed confi rmed whether the French more to the gutsy determination coach would be remain charge, of defensive midfi elder Casemiro there could be no political capital and man of the match Sergio Ra- gained from axing the coach now. mos than the fl air players Perez The Frenchman has en- loves to recruit. joyed special status since his Zidane never tires of stress- wondrous volley against Bay- ing the value of hard work and er Leverkusen won the 2002 his team selections reflect that, Champions League, although sidelining the likes of James he must know Saturday’s Rodriguez and Isco, players shootout victory over Atletico overflowing with talent but Madrid does not guarantee him reluctant to dig in and help the a long future at the club.