‘The best night of my life’: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid players celebrate Champions League win
By Ben Burrows, Dermot Corrigan and more
Jun 2, 2024
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Real Madrid won a record-extending 15th European Cup, beating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior scored the goals as Carlo Ancelotti’s side ran out 2-0 winners in London.
They rode their luck at times with Dortmund the better team for long periods but made the decisive moments count to add a European title to the La Liga crown they won last month.
It is a fifth European Cup of Ancelotti’s career while Carvajal, Luka Modric and the retiring Toni Kroos join club great Paco Gento with a sixth.
It is a first Champions League title of Jude Bellingham’s young career, a fitting end to a spectacular first season at the Santiago Bernabeu following his transfer from Dortmund last summer.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing in these games,” the England international told TNT Sports. “You go through life and there are so many people saying you can’t do things and days like today remind you why.
“When it gets hard at times you start to wonder if it’s all worth it. Nights like tonight make it all worth it.
“I was ok until I saw my mum and dad’s faces. The nights they could have been home at seven o’clock but they are still out at eleven or twelve taking me to football. My little brother there who I am trying to be a role model for too. Hard to put it into words, best night of my life.”
The Champions League is a first of Bellingham’s career (Julian Finney – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Nacho Fernandez, captain since Karim Benzema left the club last summer, was emotional with the game possibly his last for the club with his contract up at the end of the month.
“Tremendous, just tremendous. All my life has been dedicated to this club,” he told Movistar TV in tears. “It takes a lot to achieve these things. Today is one of the happiest days of my life, no doubt.
“We suffered in a very difficult game, Dortmund played great. Madrid DNA is sticking in games which are difficult. Another night, another final, another European Cup to keep making history at this club. I’m going to lift this trophy as high as I can. Dreams do come true.”
Carvajal was proud to join an exclusive club of multiple European Cup winners.
“I’m extremely happy,” he said, “especially because we got this European Cup for the club and scoring is a Champions League final, when the match was particularly, is an amazing feeling. It’s been a dream night and day for me really.
“I’m very happy joining this select club of only six players that have won six European Cups. Every time we get one it’s harder to take it away from us. I’m really happy because I played all six in the starting XI in the team of my life. It’s a dream for me.”
The win at Wembley was Kroos’ final club game of a glittering career following his decision to retire last month.
“The decisive thing was that we didn’t concede in the first half. The first half really wasn’t good from us,” the Germany international told TNT Sports.
“Then we got into the game better and scored the goal. We were fully there and the better team. But it took a long time until we were the better team tonight.”
Asked to explain how Real keep on winning European football’s biggest prize, Ancelotti said: “It is the history and tradition of the club, of course the quality of the players, the club is a family, we work altogether without problems and the atmosphere is really good in the dressing room.
“I need to thank the club and the players, no big egos, really humble, it was not difficult to manage the squad this season.
How will they celebrate? “I don’t know what we are going to do, but for sure we are not going to sleep.”
