Atletico Madrid face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday attempting to put to bed one of the club’s most painful nights.
Atletico missed out on the European Cup by a matter of seconds to what became an all-conquering Bayern Munich side 40 years ago.
Bayern, featuring Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Mueller, went on to win three European Cups in a row, and yet they almost never won the first, as they went into the final minute of extra time 1-0 down.
The goal had been scored by Atletico’s greatest player of all-time, Luis Aragones, just six minutes from the end of extra time, but the Spaniards were denied when Miguel Reina – father of current Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina – let Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck’s hopeful effort slip through his grasp.
In the days before penalty shoot-outs, Bayern went on to win 4-0 in the replay in Brussels just two days later.
On Sunday an estimated 200,000 Atletico Madrid fans crowded round the Neptuno fountain and surrounding streets in the centre of the Spanish capital to celebrate their side’s first La Liga title in 18 years.
However, amongst chorus upon chorus of chanting, it wasn’t inspirational manager Diego Simeone or top scorer Diego Costa who was the most prominent name, but that of Aragones.
The man who also coached Spain to the first of three successive major tournament victories at the European Championship in 2008, died on February 1 this year aged 75.
Since then he has become an inspiration for arguably the most successful season in Atletico’s 111-year history.
A picture of Aragones adorned the plane that took the players to the away leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan.
Once the seven-time European champions had been easily disposed of 5-1 on aggregate, it was one of Aragones’ famous decrees “win, win and win again” that met the players in a spectacular display by the Vicente Calderon crowd as they hosted Barcelona in the last eight.
Even after clinching the title with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Barca on Saturday, Simeone thanked all those at the club who had helped bring about the success.
Among that list he included Aragones, who he said “was surely defending in our box during the second half.”
Defeat to Bayern in the ‘74 final was not just heartbreaking. It helped mould a culture of pessimism around the club that was generally sustained despite the odd trophy for the following four decades.
Yet, under the Simeone revolution, the tide is turning within the Spanish capital.
Since the Argentine’s arrival two and a half years ago, Atletico have won more trophies than Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Far from being the self-confessed “cursed ones”, Atletico beat Real in their own backyard to end a 14-year hoodoo in the Madrid derby and win the Copa del Rey final little more than a year ago.
The day after Aragones’ death, they went top of the league for the first time in 18 years and, despite being briefly knocked off their perch, had the mental fortitude to get back and stay there.
“The capacity to motivate comes from showing them the shirt of this club. The motivation is to play for Atletico Madrid not against whoever is in front us,” says Simeone.
However, the chance to not only win their first Champions League title but also continue Real’s 12-year wait for their treasured 10th European crown would be the strongest signal yet that the balance of power has tipped to the red and white side of Madrid.
Yet, Atletico’s need is also urgent. Any such power shift is likely to be fleeting. The motivation to play for that shirt is complete right now, but unlikely to last long as Europe’s big spenders circle to pluck off their best players and possibly Simeone himself.
Saturday’s date in Lisbon represents their best shot of European glory for 40 years.
Given the harsh financial realities that affect performance at the top level of the Champions League, it could take them 40 years or more to get another chance.
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
