On Saturday 24th May, Real Madrid will face city rivals Atletico Madrid for a chance to lift their 10th Champions League title, in what will be their first final appearance since Zinedine Zidane's sumptuous volley sealed a 2002 victory in Glasgow.
Since that evening, now 12 years ago, Real Madrid have viewed the 10th title, called "La Decima" to Madridistas and Spaniards everywhere as an "obsession", a dream that has formed an identity of its own, fuelling managerial appointments, transfer fees and press conferences almost immediately after the ninth Champions League title was lifted into a dark Glasgow night by then Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez.
For Real Madrid, a team of unparalleled European success, the next title is always the most important and the tenth is of symbolic significance not lost the club's owner Florentino Perez and all those he employs to bring said trophy back to the Bernabeu.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, talisman of this Madrid side since his arrival in the summer of 2009, "La Decima" is more than symbolic significance to his employers but arguably a chance to complete a year of redemption for the Portugese star.
Redemption is an admittedly odd word for a man who has routinely considered one of the top two players on the planet since he lifted the Ballon D'or in 2008 following Manchester United's Champions League win against Chelsea, but it is appropriate.
Because despite Ronaldo's personal achievements, record-breaking goal tallies and irrepressible surge up the all-time scorers lists for Real Madrid and Portugal, the advent of Lionel Messi's greatness has somewhat demeaned those achievements as an afterthought compared to the Barcelona stars personal quest with history.
It is almost unfair to compare Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi, a player of almost universal popularity and praise that as a result, has elevated the Argentine almost beyond normal comprehension. Because of the staggering achievements of Messi from his 2009 Ballon D'or win at 22 to his ascension as Barcelona's greatest ever goalscorer amidst his four consecutive Ballon D'ors during a period as the fulcrum of a side dominating football like few sides before it, Ronaldo's achievements appear secondary.
If Cristiano Ronaldo's CV is put in a vacuum, you're looking at one the greatest players of all time, who would also be unquestionably the greatest in any era in terms of efficiency bar the one he is part of right now. 164 league goals in 142 league games coupled with 51 Champions League goals in 50 appearances since his arrival at the Spanish giants is a return that should only be found on a computer game. His 16 goals in 10 Champions League matches this season is unparalleled in the history of the competition, also providing four assists and hitting the woodwork four times.
The Ballon D'or win was a vindication of sorts, but the Portugese's critics will point to the absence of the injury-hit Lionel Messi as the prevailing factor in his recognition. Even in his finest hour, Messi's shadow looms large.
Similarly, Ronaldo's superb form since arriving at Real Madrid comes with the caveat of an absent space in Madrid's locker room, forever reserved for the 10th Champions League trophy. Regardless of his transfer being considered an undoubted success despite the enormous price, the lack of a tangible, European reward is a blot on an otherwise pristine record, emphasised by the continental achievements of bitter rivals Barcelona and the 2011 Champions League appearance made by former club Manchester United. Should Ronaldo take over Raul Gonzalez as Real Madrid's all-time goalscorer (which grows more and more inevitable every season), his bid at becoming one of the Spanish club's all-time greats will also be diminished should it end without a European title. For a club like Real Madrid, records and trophies must go hand in hand.
Lisbon's hosting of the final takes on a multi-faceted sense of significance for the homecoming forward. It offers the opportunity for Ronaldo to crown a historic season with the European trophy that his arrival sought to ensure, as well as the opportunity to affirm his status as one of Real Madrid's all-time greats.
For once, in almost five years, Cristiano Ronaldo will not be talked about as an antagonist to Lionel Messi, the rival that pushes the more talented player to new heights. It will be a singular achievement for a man that has led his side to the promised land of the Champions League, and will arguably allow him to stand as a player whose career must be evaluated among those who have graced the history books in years gone by.
For Ronaldo, it is more than La Decima. It is the chance at all-time greatness.
