Let’s continue remembering Real Madrid’s history. This time, we look back at the journey Real Madrid took to win their ninth Champions League title in the 2001/2002 season. This is the famous campaign featuring Zinedine Zidane’s legendary volley in the final—widely regarded as the greatest goal in Champions League history.
In this video, you can watch all the goals from every match Real Madrid played in that Champions League season:
Real Madrid’s Squad
First, let’s recall the squad from that season. The key players were:
Iker Casillas, César Sánchez, Fernando Hierro, Iván Helguera, Aitor Karanka, Francisco Pavón, Raúl Bravo, Rubén González, Roberto Carlos, Míchel Salgado, Esteban Cambiasso, Iván Campo, Albert Celades, Claude Makélélé, Borja Fernández, Guti, Flávio Conceição, Steve McManaman, Njitap Geremi, Santiago Solari, Zinédine Zidane, Sávio, Elvir Baljic, Luís Figo, Raúl, Pedro Munitis, Fernando Morientes, Javier Portillo.
Vicente del Bosque was the head coach of that Real Madrid squad, having already led the team to their eighth European Cup title two years earlier against Valencia.
Two Group Stages
Interestingly, some may not remember (myself included, haha), but back then, the Champions League had two group stages. There were no Round of 16 matches; instead, teams progressed directly to the quarterfinals. In total, Madrid played 17 matches: six in the first group stage, six in the second, two in the quarterfinals, two in the semifinals, and the final itself.
It was a tough journey. In the first group stage, Madrid faced Francesco Totti’s Roma, along with Lokomotiv Moscow and Anderlecht. Then, in the second group stage, they played against Panathinaikos, Sparta Prague, and Porto, finishing as group leaders in both phases.
Quarterfinals versus Bayern Munich
In the quarterfinals, they faced Bayern Munich, losing 2-1 in the first leg, with a goal from Geremi. However, at the time, away goals counted double in case of a tie, which gave Madrid an advantage. In the return leg, they secured a 2-0 victory with goals from Iván Helguera and Guti, advancing to the semifinals.
El Clásico in Semifinals of the Champions League
There, they faced none other than their arch-rivals, Barcelona. In the first leg at Camp Nou, Madrid pulled off a stunning 2-0 win with goals from Zidane and McManaman. The second leg was all about defending their lead, finishing 1-1 with a goal from Raúl, securing their spot in the grand final.
The Grand Final Against Bayer Leverkusen
This final will always be remembered for Zidane’s incredible goal, but there were many other key moments. Raúl opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a clever goal from a Roberto Carlos throw-in (there is no offside from a throw-in, which caught the defenders off guard).
However, Lucio’s equalizer made things difficult for Madrid. Then came the magical play: Solari to Roberto Carlos, followed by Zidane’s stunning volley. It was Zidane’s first season at Real Madrid, after arriving as the most expensive transfer at the time (€77 million). His first few months were challenging due to pressure and injuries, but over time, he won over the Madrid fans. That volley alone justified his signing and cemented the Galácticos era (though the term became more popular after Ronaldo and Beckham arrived).
Even with the 2-1 lead, another unexpected hero emerged: Iker Casillas. He started the match on the bench but had to come on in the 68th minute after César Sánchez suffered an injury. In the final moments, Bayer Leverkusen pushed hard, creating multiple goal-scoring chances, but Casillas made a series of crucial saves. This was the night “San Iker” was born—a nickname he would carry throughout his career, later winning two European Championships and a World Cup with Spain. That match changed Casillas’ career forever.