Real Madrid beats Atletico to win Champions League
Real Madrid rallied to beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the Champions League final and win Europe's elite soccer club competition a record 10th time.
Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Real in the last 10 minutes of extra time at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz to end a 12-year wait since its last continental title.
Atletico was leading 1-0 on Diego Godin's first-half goal with two minutes of normal time remaining before defender Sergio Ramos leveled with a 93rd minute header from a corner kick.
"All our team are heroes," Ramos told the website of tournament organizer UEFA. "With the way the group work you pick up titles. The goal is not only mine, it is for all Madrid's people, those who came here or those that stayed at home. We were waiting for this a long time. Today we can finally enjoy it."
Bale's header made it 2-1 after 110 minutes when Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois parried Angel Di Maria's shot. Marcelo, a substitute, added a goal before the end of the game with a 15-yard shot. Three minutes later, Ronaldo was brought down in the penalty area and converted the resulting penalty kick to make it 4-1.
Real Madrid, the sport's richest team by sales, has spent more than $1 billion on signing players since it last won the competition.
$1 Billion Signings
Ronaldo, an 80 million-pound ($134.7 million) acquisition from Manchester United in 2009, and Bale, who arrived from Tottenham last year, cost more to sign than the entire Atletico squad put together, according to data on transfermarkt.com, which tracks player trading.
Real was eliminated in the semifinals in the last three seasons under previous coach Jose Mourinho.
Carlo Ancelotti replaced Mourinho after last season. Ancelotti won Europe's elite club competition twice with AC Milan as a coach, and twice as a player.
Atletico Madrid was playing in its first elite European final in 40 years.
"It was a hotly contested final until the last moments," Atletico defender Juanfran told UEFA's website. "The goal from Sergio Ramos really harmed us. Madrid have won so they are deserved champions. We must congratulate them. We will return to play another final in this competition someday so don't worry. When we win and when we lose we do it as a team."