Will Real finally break the curse and bring home ‘La Décima’?

It has been more than a decade since that glorious night in Hampden Park, when, courtesy of that goal from Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid clinched the European Cup for the ninth time in their illustrious history. It seemed back then that it would only be a matter of time before they clinched ‘La Décima’. But it has eluded them ever since, and has become an obsession.

The UEFA Super Cup trophy (L-R), UEFA Champions League trophy and UEFA Europa League trophy are seen displayed at a press conference prior the UEFA Trophy Display Event on August 2, 2013 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Eduard Erben/isifa/Getty Images)

A decade has passed and after 10 managers tried in vain to bring the European Cup home to Madrid; over the summer, Carlo Ancelotti became the latest to be entrusted with the responsibility of bringing home what Los Blancos claim to be rightfully theirs. After all, Real Madrid is the most successful European club of all time with nine titles. Their reign of European domination in the late fifties led by Alfredo Di Stefano, when they won five straight European Cups, is unparalleled and a feat which nobody has even come close to matching.

But ever since that night in Hampden Park, Real haven’t reached a final since. The closest they have come was the semi-finals. Los Blancos reached the semis in the subsequent year, before losing out to Juventus, and lost to the same side in the quarter-finals during the 03/04 season. After that, the club went on a spell of six straight seasons in which they were eliminated in the Round of 16. There were those who began to think that a curse had been put on them to ensure that they don’t clinch that elusive title.

To lift that curse, the club brought in a man whose every move was blessed by the Roman goddess Fortuna herself. Success followed him everywhere, and many believed that the “Special One” would help break that curse and bring the Madrid faithful what they have been clamouring for. And whilst he did break the curse, as he guided the club to the semis in his very first season with the club, he couldn’t quite give the fans what they were looking for.

Each of Mourinho’s three seasons at the club ended with a semi-final defeat in the Champions League. Many suspected that last season was going to be his last chance to bring home ‘La Décima’ as the supporters were starting to grow weary of the eccentric Portuguese virtuoso’s ways. The semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund felt like the beginning of the end for the manager, whose famed powers of persuasion couldn’t buy him a little more time. But that semi-final appearance meant that Real Madrid topped the table of most appearances in the semis with 22.

But for a club with the history and heritage of Madrid, that was never going to be enough, and the Portuguese duly left the club by mutual consent over the summer. He was replaced by the man who many see as the one to lead them to that title, which everyone is waiting for. And whilst Ancelotti doesn’t have the greatest domestic record, two European Cup wins as both player and manager speaks volumes for a man whose pedigree in Europe is unquestionable.

With the arrival of Gareth Bale for a world record transfer fee, along with a host of young and promising Spanish players, Madrid look stronger already. With Juventus, Galatasaray and Copenhagen for company in the group stage, it looks like getting past the group shouldn’t be too much of an issue. And the stage is set for Los Blancos, as they face off against Galatasaray in their first game as they go in search of ‘La Décima’ yet again. And with destiny dealing them Juventus in the same group, Real Madrid will surely be looking to exact revenge for their quarter-final and semi-final defeats almost a decade back.

And maybe, just maybe, under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, with the help of an attack containing the world’s most expensive and most paid players in Bale and Ronaldo, Real might yet break the curse and finally bring home ‘La Décima’.