Report by Dr. Talal Osman
Real Madrid of Spain secured at least one title this season after being crowned champions of Europe once again on Monday.
Real Madrid were crowned champions of the UEFA Youth League (U19 Champions League), winning 4–2 on penalties over Belgian side Club Brugge after the match had ended 1–1 in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Javier Navarro played a key role in the penalty shootout, saving two of the four spot‑kicks taken by Club Brugge’s Nael Ammenguy and Tiyan Courtin.
This title marks the second in the 12‑year history of the competition for the Spanish club, arriving just five days after the senior Real Madrid side were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League for senior teams at the quarter‑final stage against Bayern Munich, an occasion on which no academy graduates from Real Madrid’s youth setup appeared during the tie.
Club president Florentino Pérez attended the match at the Lausanne stadium alongside UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, two months after Real Madrid and UEFA reached a settlement over a years‑long dispute regarding the European Super League project, which Pérez had led before the plan collapsed.
Defender Diego Agudo converted the decisive penalty into the net of Club Brugge goalkeeper Argos Vanden Dries, with the two teams going straight to penalties without extra time.
This was Real Madrid’s second consecutive penalty‑shootout victory in three days, following Navarro’s decisive saves in a 4–2 penalty triumph over French side Paris Saint‑Germain in the semi‑finals on Friday, a match that had also finished 1–1 in Lausanne.
Real Madrid opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through forward Jacob Ortega, who scored a superb goal with his right heel inside the penalty area, while the Brugge defense appeared under significant pressure. The Spanish side then had two clear chances within 90 seconds to double their lead.
Club Brugge equalized in the 64th minute when Tiyan Courtin broke forward rapidly and delivered a precise low cross that Tobias Lund Jensen finished into the net.
With this triumph, Real Madrid now equal Chelsea of England in the list of UEFA Youth League titles, with two trophies each, while Barcelona leads with three, including last season’s title.
