Real Madrid 2017

Coach: Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane, in only his first full season since taking over as head coach midway through the previous campaign, guided Real Madrid to become the first club to successfully defend the Champions League title in the competition's modern group-stage era, beating Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, continuing an astonishing run of individual dominance that made him the tournament's all-time leading scorer, while Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić had by this point formed one of the most complete and tactically balanced midfield trios in the world, giving Zidane's side a control over matches that had sometimes been missing during the more individually-reliant Galácticos era over a decade earlier. Zidane, a legendary player for the club himself including that iconic 2002 final volley, had taken an unconventional path into top-level management, but proved an immediate success, winning the Champions League in three consecutive seasons across his first spell in charge. This squad represented the mature, well-balanced version of the Ronaldo-era Real Madrid, combining individual brilliance up front with genuine tactical solidity throughout the rest of the team.