By the end he could barely walk. He looked as though he played half-injured from his thigh strain. He was some distance from his best.
And yet, come that final moment, when Real Madrid needed a penalty to be scored to win a record 11th European Cup, it was, of course, inevitably Cristiano Ronaldo who stepped up.
Somehow, he is destined to dominate. He stood opposite Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, his legs astride in that quasi-macho pose he loves so much.
And he struck a simple penalty, almost straight down the middle, as Oblak dived away from the ball.
He grinned, he strutted and he ripped his shirt off. Of course he did: that gym work is not for nothing. Soon he was submerged under a heap of grateful team-mates.
Sergio Ramos lifts the Champions League trophy after Real Madrid came out on top against Atletico Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo was inevitably match winner as he kept his composure to strike home the crucial fifth penalty for Real
Ronaldo celebrates his winning spot kick after a tense penalty shootout resulted an 11th European Cup for Real Madrid
Ronaldo reserved himself for the fifth penalty and after Juanfran had struck the foot of the post he made no mistake
Keylor Navas dives to his right and nearly gets fingertips onto Juanfran's penalty but it mattered not as the shot cannoned off the post
Juanfran trudges back to the centre circle after missing the crucial penalty to give Ronaldo the chance to clinch the victory for Madrid
Real Madrid players celebrate and their joy will spill long into the night after the club clinched their 11th European Cup at the San Siro
Atletico Madrid substitute Yannick Carrasco fires in from close range to bring his side level after 79 minutes of an absorbing encounter
The Belgian wheels away in delight having brought the scores level and the 22-year-old celebrated with his girlfriend on the sidelines
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos celebrates giving his side the lead with a close range finish after 15 minutes at the San Siro
Ramos steers the ball underneath fallen keeper Oblak as Atletico failed to play to their strengths in the first 15 minutes of the encounter
The 30-year-old defender showed once more his appetite for the big occasion by scoring a crucial goal in the Champions League final
MATCH FACTS
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Navas 7; Carvajal 6 (Danilo 51 6), Ramos 7, Pepe 6, Marcelo 6; Casemiro 7, Kroos 7 (Isco 72 6), Modric 8; Bale 8.5, Ronaldo 7, Benzema 7 (Lucas 76 6).
Subs not used: Nacho, Rodriguez, Casilla, Jese
Goal: Ramos 15
Booked: Carvajal, Navas, Casemiro, Ramos, Danilo, Pepe
Manager: Zinedine Zidane 7
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak 7; Juanfran 7, Savic 6, Godin 7, Filipe Luis 6 (Gomez 109); Saul 7, Gabi 7, Augusto 6 (Carrasco 46 8), Koke 7 (Thomas 116); Griezmann 8, Torres 7.
Subs not used: Moya, Mendes, Correa, Gimenez
Goal: Carrasco 79
Booked: Torres, Gabi
Manager: Diego Simeone 7
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Mark Clattenburg 6
Ratings by Pete Jenson
Others had contributed more to the win. Casemiro had held the midfield together through some difficult times; Sergio Ramos’ personality had dominated the game, from the opening goal to his incessant complaining; and Gareth Bale, early on, had been the most significant player in their team.
In the end, though, there is only one leader of this side. For now, at least, Bale will have to wait his turn. A season which has often been chaotic, haphazard and saw Rafa Benitez dismissed and a rookie coach appointed in Zinedine Zidane, ends in historic achievement.
‘I’m very happy,’ said Zidane, a winner as a player for Real Madrid in 2002. ‘I have dreamed of this. But it’s not easy. We’ve worked hard. Physically we suffered. All the players had cramp. And mentally it was a lot of pressure to bear. But in the end you have to fight and we have achieved what we wanted. And when you achieve something as big as this it means a lot for the club.’
As for their cross-city rivals, Atletico, it all ends desperately again. In 1974 they came within seconds; in 2014, against Real Madrid, they were again just moments from getting across the line; last night they came within a penalty kick of winning this trophy.
Juanfran, so excellent for them this season, a man who started his career at Real Madrid was their fall guy. He hit the post with Atletico’s fourth penalty, which allowed Ronaldo his moment. Before that, Lucas Vazquez, Marcelo, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos had all confidently rolled their penalties into the right-hand corner.
Antoine Griezmann, Gabi and Saul Niguez had done the same, but to the left side, for Atletico. As ever in these contests the tension became unbearable and Juanfran succumbed. It was excruciating to watch them miss out again, having disposed of Bayern and Barcelona en route to this final.
Their commander in chief, Diego Simeone, who has brought them this far on a fraction of the budget of his rivals and all the Premier League giants, attempted to rally the troops at the end. ‘I told the players: “Don’t cry, guys. You’ve made enormous efforts to get here”,’ said the Argentine.
‘Football is destiny and it’s clear today it was against us. I feel most for those fans who travelled here, who paid for their tickets. When I see their disappointment, that’s when I feel it most.’
Antoine Griezmann had the opportunity to restore parity three minutes into the second-half but he could only fire his shot onto the bar
Griezmann watches his shot rebound off the underside of the bar and into the sky as a good chance went begging for Atletico
The Atletico Madrid fans travelled in their numbers to Milan to get behind their team with the banner 'Your Values Make Us Believe'
Opera singer Andrea Bocelli performs prior to the final and the Italian gave an unforgettable version of the Champions League anthem
Real Madrid supporters similarly unfurled a banner at the other end of the ground which translates as, 'Until the End, Come on Real!'
Alicia Keys provided the pre-match entertainment on the pitch during the opening ceremony to the 2016 Champions League final
An impressive fireworks display accompanied Keys' performance in the centre circle on a humid evening in Milan ahead of the game
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson - a winner of this competition on two occasions - was among those in the stands
In the immediate aftermath he said he needed to consider his future. ‘It’s a moment for me to think about things. When you give everything and it’s not enough it’s hard. These have been three wonderful years but I am not happy tonight.’ There will be an undignified scramble among top club if he decides to leave.
Still, it was Real Madrid’s night. They may have spent good parts of this season looking like a mal-adjusted collection of ego-centric multi-millionaires but last night they started and finished like a team; a good one at that. Inbetween, they reverted to type at times, but they held their nerve.
In a physical opening 20 minutes Casimero set the tempo and his team-mates responded, with Bale the busiest of all. Brought crashing down by Gabi on seven minutes, he then swung in a lovely free kick which Casemiro, from around four yards out, somehow managed to miss, though credit to Oblak, who stood strong and parried away.
No matter. On 15 minutes Kroos chipped in another free kick which Bale did well to flick on with a back header. The ball fell to Ramos, three yards out, who just managed to touch the ball home, Oblak helpless this time. Simeone’s ire was rightly directed at referee Mark Clattenburg and his assistants, as Ramos had been offside.
Atletico threatened to be overwhelmed. Simeone gestured from the bench for his team to slow play down, catch their breath and come again, and they did.
Cristiano Ronaldo looks to make early in-roads down the Real Madrid left with Zinedine Zidane's side dominating the early stages
Brazilian full-back Marcelo was part of the Madrid side that beat their cross-town rivals two years ago in Lisbon
Casemiro came very close to breaking the deadlock for Real but his close range shot was superbly blocked by goalkeeper Jan Oblak
Oblak managed to get down low to divert the midfielder's effort away from goal but Real did not have to wait long for their opener
Real Madrid's Spanish defender Dani Carvajal was the first in Mark Clattenburg's book after cynically taking out Antoine Griezmann
Ramos manages to get the all important touch on the ball to divert it beyond Oblak but the Spaniard did appear in an offside position
Ramos made it two goals in as many Champions League final appearances as the defender was once more the scourge of Atletico fans
Ramos pumps his fists in delight after breaking the deadlock at the San Siro much to the delight of his Real Madrid team-mates
The Atletico Madrid players look dejected as they try to pick themselves up following the early setback in the San Siro
Ramos latched on to Bale's flick on after Kroos' delivery but the defender was in an offside position -
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Zidane will have been delighted with the manner in which his side took control of proceedings from the very first minute
Real defender Pepe ensured Fernando Torres struggled to impose himself on the encounter in the first-half as Zidane's side dominated
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale rises above Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke during a fiercely contested Champions League final
Diego Simeone will have been frustrated at failing to break down Real in the opening half and he had to find a different method of playing
Ronaldo lets fly with a speculative effort but the Portuguese forward was unable to find a third goal in Champions League finals
Mark Clattenburg was handed the honour of refereeing the final and he was kept busy by both teams putting in tasty challenges early on
Griezmann was by far the most dangerous player for Atletico in the first half but Luka Modric and his Real team-mates kept him at bay
Atletico Madrid defender Juanfran looks to shield the ball from Real striker Karim Benzema during an improved second-half showing
As soon as the second half started, they revived their hopes, Griezmann playing in Fernando Torres, who drew a foul from Pepe. Griezmann stepped up for the penalty. Keylor Navas was booked for trying to delay it. The Frenchman struck it hard and high and against the underside of the bar. It felt like a crushing blow.
And yet Atletico pushed on, Greizmann shining despite his miss. They dominated possession for the next 15 minutes. Yannick Carrasco, on as a sub, broke down the right, pulled in a cross for Saul Niguez to produce an acrobatic flick which almost beat Navas.
Benzema might have finished it but for the excellent Oblak just past the hour. Ronaldo, likewise, over-elaborating on 78 minutes allowing Oblak to save and Bale’s return being cleared off the line. Countering immediately, Atletico broke with a lovely lofted ball releasing Juanfran. He fired it across goal and Carrasco raced in to slide it home from a few yards out. Hope was restored.
Torres - who failed to complete a single pass in the first half - earned his side a penalty early in the second period after Pepe's foul
But France international Griezmann was unable to capitalise after he slammed his spot-kick against the cross-bar as Real escaped
Navas was booked in the build-up to the penalty and the Costa Rican antics worked as Griezmann failed to keep his composure
Saul Niguez shoots at goal as Atletico made a good response to the setback of missing the penalty early on in the second half
Real Madrid soaked up the pressure at the start of the second period and Griezmann's miss from 12 yards would prove costly to his team
Ronaldo arrived at the San Siro with his fitness questioned and the Portuguese had a quiet game suggesting he was not fully match fit
Bale impressed on the counter-attack for Real and the Welshman also tracked back to make decisive contributions throughout
In extra time, Real Madrid were falling: Ronaldo succumbing to fatigue and reduced to occasional bursts.
At times he looked ready to surrender, but Real Madrid had used all their subs.
Bale went down with cramp, though he attempted an overhead kick nonetheless and seized up midway.
Atletico seemed stronger, fitter. It seemed their moment had come.
As before, it was not to be.
Karim Benzema ought to have put the game to bed when he shot straight at Oblak when put through by Luka Modric after 70 minutes
First Ronaldo and then Bale had chances to score a second for Zidane's side and they were made to pay as 50 seconds later it was 1-1
Carrasco got in front of substitute Lucas Vazquez to fire home the equaliser as Real were made to pay for those missed opportunities
The midfielder joined his girlfriend Noemie Happart on the sidelines to celebrate his goal with a kiss as Atletico showed their resilience
Ramos was booked for a cynical challenge on Carrasco as the midfielder broke clear with options both sides of him late in the second half
Referee Clattenburg was hounded by the Atletico players after Ramos' foul which resulted in captain Gabi being cautioned himself
Bale suffered from a severe bout of cramp and could hardly run during the closing stages in very humid conditions during extra time
The Atletico Madrid players look despondent on the centre circle after Juanfran's miss and there was no way back for Simeone's side
Zidane congratulates Ronaldo on his winning spotkick after the Portuguese kept his nerve to strike the crucial blow for his side
The Real Madrid supporters let off a flare in the stands at the San Siro after sealing the 11th European Cup of their history on Saturday
Zidane has been in the job for just five months but he has won Champions League in 27th game in charge after a dramatic shootout victory
A tearful Juanfran apologises to the Atletico Madrid supporters after he was unable to convert his penalty in an emotional Spanish derby
Ronaldo has now won the Champions League twice with Real Madrid adding to the solitary time he did so with Manchester United
