#2 Their 32-year-old drought in the European Cup
While Real Madrid are today the most decorated club in European continental football with 11 Champions League/European Cup trophies, they haven’t always enjoyed the same amount of success in the competition as in recent times.
After an initial period of tremendous success during the times of Puskas, Gento and Di Stefano when Real won the first five editions of the European Cup, they failed to lift the trophy for six years until 1966, and none after that for a long time.
The quest for the septa caught on real purpose in the 1970s following the retirements of the players who had won the trophy in the past. It remained fruitless, however, as other clubs like Ajax, Milan, Bayern Munich and Liverpool (among others) all had their periods of trophy-filled glory.
It was not that Real did not have players good enough to lift the trophy: they just weren’t always the best team on the continent. They were also prone to big-match failure in this period: the celebrated Quinta del Buitre side came to a cropper at the San Siro in a 5-0 hammering against a Milan side with comparatively less pedigree.
The victory of 1998 helped to erase memories of most of these bitter moments and is probably the most nostalgic moment for long-time fans of the club.
