Atletico Madrid midfielder Saúl described the pain of losing two Champions League finals to city rivals Real Madrid as a "scar that stays with you forever." The 2014 and 2016 defeats remain raw for the Spanish midfielder, despite later winning the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo. In 2014, Sergio Ramos scored a last-minute equaliser in stoppage time, sending the match to extra time where Real Madrid added three more goals. Saúl said the 2016 loss was even more painful due to perceived injustices, citing an offside goal, a missed penalty, and a controversial decision not to send off a Real Madrid player. "What hurt was the way we lost," he said. "It was cruel. Not winning the Champions League is still a deeply painful feeling." Saúl, a former Spain international, acknowledged that while some players might find solace in later successes, his Copa Libertadores triumph did not erase the sting of those European final defeats.
When Saúl says the scar remains, it's not about Real Madrid's dominance but the specific agony of being denied glory in the cruelest moments. His mention of the offside, the missed penalty, and the ungiven red card reveals that it's the sense of injustice, not just defeat, that still defines those nights. For players like Saúl, who have won major trophies elsewhere, the Champions League final pain isn't replaced — it lingers separately, unresolved. That kind of emotional weight changes how legends remember their careers.
