Colombian World Cup star James Rodriguez joined Spanish giants Real Madrid from Monaco for a fee believed to be in the region of £63 million on Tuesday, making him the fourth most expensive signing in football transfer history.

The Real Madrid supporting press in the Spanish capital were unsurprisingly euphoric yesterday morning, as Blancos fans were reassured that it had not all been a dream – the night before their side really had finally secured the long-awaited tenth European Cup by beating city neighbours Atletico Madrid 4-1 after extra-time.

"Goals change games," as all the best football analysts know. But Sergio Ramos’s 93rd-minute header for Real Madrid in Saturday’s Champions League final changed so much more.

Real Madrid 4 Atletico Madrid 1

Gareth Bale finally helped Real Madrid fulfil the dream of ’La Decima’, securing a memorable 10th Champions League triumph with an extra-time win against neighbours Atletico Madrid.

For one Madrid side tonight in Lisbon, familiarity will breed contentment. For the other, the emotions will go a lot deeper than contempt.

Real Madrid may have been waiting for this moment for 12 years, but it didn’t take them quite that long to get impatient about it. That happened in a matter of minutes.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL:

As Lisbon awaits a Spanish invasion for Saturday’s Champions League decider, Atletico Madrid are slowly coming down from a high, while final opponents Real Madrid try to build themselves back up.

From his first day in Madrid, Gareth Bale knew all about La Decima. He had just become the most expensive player in world football, and a succession of well-wishers stopped by to make it clear to the Welshman that he had been bought for one reason above all others: to help Real Madrid to their tenth European Cup.

Bayern Munich 0 Real Madrid 4 (Real Madrid win 5-0 on aggregate)

Champions League semi-final second-leg

They haven’t come up with a term for it yet. Maybe they’ve developed an aversion for such things in Kilkenny since the ‘Drive for Five’ didn’t work out as they wanted.