It’s hard to imagine now. Real Madrid, the club that basically breathes the European Cup, once spent thirty-two years looking like they’d forgotten how to win the damn thing. By the time the 1998 Champions League final rolled around, the "Septima"—the seventh title—had become a ghost haunting the Santiago Bernabéu. You had a generation of fans who only knew the black-and-white glory of Alfredo Di Stéfano through their grandfathers' stories.
Juventus were the monsters under the bed back then. Honestly, they were terrifying. They were heading into their third consecutive final under Marcello Lippi. They had Zinedine Zidane in his absolute prime, Alessandro Del Piero scoring for fun, and a midfield that felt like a brick wall. Most people outside of Madrid figured the Spaniards were just there to make up the numbers at the Amsterdam Arena.
Why the 1998 Champions League Final felt like a David vs. Goliath story
Forget the "Los Galacticos" era. That hadn't happened yet. In 1998, Real Madrid was a bit of a mess domestically. They finished fourth in La Liga, a massive eleven points behind Barcelona. Jupp Heynckes, their manager, was basically a dead man walking. Everyone knew he was getting sacked regardless of the result. It’s a weird vibe for a team, right? You’re playing the biggest game of your life for a coach who already has his bags packed.
Juventus, meanwhile, had just bagged another Serie A title. They were the gold standard of European efficiency. When you look at their lineup, it’s a "who’s who" of 90s legends. Peruzzi. Deschamps. Inzaghi. Davids. It felt like a formality. But football is stupidly unpredictable. That’s why we watch it.
The pressure on Madrid was suffocating. Lorenzo Sanz, the president at the time, had gambled heavily on the likes of Predrag Mijatović and Davor Šuker. If they didn't win the 1998 Champions League final, the club was facing a financial and identity crisis. It wasn't just a trophy; it was a rescue mission.
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The Tactical Chess Match in Amsterdam
Lippi’s Juve usually played this suffocating, high-press game. They wanted to turn you over and let Zidane create magic. But Heynckes did something smart. He didn't try to out-football them. He focused on neutralizing the service to Del Piero.
Fernando Hierro and Manuel Sanchís. Man, what a pairing. They were old-school. They didn't care about playing out from the back with pretty passes; they were there to stop people. Hierro, in particular, played like a man possessed. He knew this was likely his last chance to reach the summit.
The first half was... well, it was tense. Not many clear-cut chances. Juventus looked more composed, but Madrid had this frantic energy. Every time Zidane touched the ball, Redondo or Karembeu was there. Christian Karembeu is the unsung hero here. He was a late addition to that squad, but his engine in the midfield was what allowed Seedorf and Raúl to breathe.
That Mijatović Goal: Offside or Not?
Let’s get into the controversy because people still argue about this in Turin bars today. 66th minute. Roberto Carlos—who was basically a winger disguised as a left-back—thrashes a shot toward goal. It gets deflected. It falls to Mijatović.
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He rounds Peruzzi. He tucks it away from a tight angle.
The Juventus players went ballistic. They claimed he was offside when the ball was played. If you watch the grainy footage now, it’s incredibly close. Without VAR, it was a total toss-up. But the linesman’s flag stayed down. 1-0.
Mijatović hadn't scored a single goal in the Champions League that entire season until that moment. Talk about timing. He became an instant immortal in Madrid. He later admitted he was playing with a muscle injury that he hid from the physios because he knew he had to be on that pitch. That’s the kind of desperation Madrid was playing with.
The Final Whistle and the End of the Drought
The last twenty minutes were pure agony for Real fans. Juventus threw everything at them. Edgar Davids was driving forward, Zidane was trying to find an opening, but the Madrid defense held. It was a masterclass in "suffering," as modern coaches like to say.
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When the referee blew the whistle, it wasn't just a celebration. It was an exorcism.
The 1998 Champions League final changed the trajectory of modern football. If Madrid loses that game, do they still have the prestige to lure Figo, Zidane, and Ronaldo a few years later? Maybe not. That win validated the idea of Real Madrid as the "Kings of Europe" again. It moved them from the history books into the present day.
- Final Score: Real Madrid 1 - 0 Juventus
- Venue: Amsterdam Arena
- Attendance: 48,500
- Man of the Match: Predrag Mijatović (unofficially, though Hierro was a beast)
What we can learn from the "Septima" win
Success in the Champions League isn't always about being the best team over a whole season. It’s about being the right team for 90 minutes. Juventus were better on paper. They were better in their domestic league. But Madrid had a singular, desperate focus.
If you're looking to dive deeper into why this game mattered, look at the aftermath. Jupp Heynckes was indeed fired just eight days after winning the biggest trophy in club football. It sounds insane, but it set the standard for Real Madrid: winning isn't enough; you have to be perfect.
Actionable insights for football history buffs:
- Watch the full replay: Don't just watch the highlights. Watch how Fernando Redondo controlled the tempo of the game. He was a defensive midfielder who played with the elegance of a ballet dancer.
- Analyze the "Juventus Curse": This game was the start of a trend. Juventus has lost more finals than almost anyone else. Studying this match helps explain why they often struggle as favorites.
- Check the stats: Look at the shots on goal. Juve actually outshot Madrid, but the quality of Madrid's defensive blocks was statistically an anomaly for that season.
The 1998 Champions League final remains the most important win in Real Madrid's modern history. Without it, the "Decima" and the subsequent hat-trick of titles under Zidane probably don't happen. It was the bridge between the black-and-white era and the high-definition dominance we see today. If you ever find yourself in Madrid, mention Mijatović's name to a fan over the age of 40. You’ll probably get a free drink out of it.