Another major trophy in Zidane’s young coaching career

And It was Ronaldo’s 600th career goal.

“It’s something special we are doing at the moment and we need to keep going because this moment will not last forever”, the Croatian said.

Buffon had played in two previous Champions League finals and both times went home as a runner-up, against AC Milan on penalties in Manchester in 2003 and against Barcelona in Berlin two years ago.

“I am happy”, he said.

“If our current team is complemented with new players, we’ll be really competitive in the Champions League next year”.

No team collects European trophies as ruthlessly as Real Madrid.

Juve had only conceded three goals en route to Wales, only for their miserly defence to be ruthlessly exposed by the Spanish champions.

Bale said ahead of the final that he was fully fit, but Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane opted to start with Francisco “Isco” Alarcon in his place. I obviously came back way too early from my surgery and I suffered a bit and obviously we were considering having more at one point.

Ronaldo opened the scoring before Mario Mandzukic equalised with a spectacular strike.

The Galaticos took the game by the scruff in the second half, pinning the Old Ladies in their half for most of the opening minutes.

Two goals in four minutes after the hour mark effectively settled the final as Casemiro’s shot from 30 yards beat Gianluigi Buffon via a deflection off Sami Khedira before Ronaldo converted a Luka Modric cross after a flowing move to make it 3-1.

Zidane’s joy was his former club Juve’s despair, Massimiliano Allegri’s side crashing to a fifth successive defeat in Champions League finals and seventh in total, extending their own desperately unwanted record.

Keeping up the historic theme, Marca columnist Jose Felix Diaz wrote that Madrid had won finals in many different ways throughout their history, but the second-half performance at the Principality Stadium was the best since the days of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas in the 1950s.

Amazingly, the four-time Ballon d’Or victor has been BOOED by sections of Los Blancos’ support this season.

“This is one of the best moments of my career – I have the chance to say this every year”.

Leonardo Bonucci’s raking pass was volleyed into the box by Alex Sandro and Gonzalo Higuain kept the ball airborne for Mandzukic to chest it up and send a looping volley over Keylor Navas. [Gianluigi] Buffon will still be the Juventus goalkeeper next year, Andrea Barzagli will still be with us. They still have lots to give this club.