The evolution of the Champions League finalists

In 1897 a group of British academics, who were studying at the Institución Libre de Enseñanza introduced football to the Spanish capital of Madrid through a new club – Sky.

By 1900, the group had fallen out and the club split in two, one of the clubs that was born from this disagreement was the Nueva Sociedad de Football. Just one year later this it would be renamed Madrid Football Club – the club that would one day morph into Real Madrid.

1140 miles to the north-east, just 9 years later, a Christian youth club got into trouble due to using a local pub to meet and drink at.

Unwilling to give up the pub as their meeting room, they would split off from their local parish and form their own club. Thirteen months later the group was playing organised football as Borussia Dortmund.

Since then, both of these clubs have become something that was unimaginable at their conception, with rich histories and loyal fanbases.

Tonight, they face off for the biggest prize of them all, in the Champions League final.

So how did the transformation occur for these two sides? What was it that took them from local amateur clubs to European and global phenoms?

Guardiola’s Barcelona: Complete Dominance and Cruyffian Influence

Guardiola was undoubtedly heavily influenced in his tactical philosophy by Johan Cruyff – whom he served under during his playing days.

As a player, Guardiola’s talent lay in the mental side of the game – he did not have an imposing frame or tremendous speed. What he did possess however, was a deep understanding for the tactical side of the game, impressive spacial awareness, and, outstanding passing vision.

Guardiola lined up as a midfield pivot in Cruyff’s side. He perfectly suited Cruyff’s tactical visions for the game.

Indeed, many of the main tactical ideas seen within Cruyff’s ideology also emerge within Guardiola’s: an obsession with maintaining possession, counter-pressing, ‘sweeper’ keepers, and attacking fluidity.

Brazil in the 1958 World Cup: Jogo Bonito and the International Debut of the 4-2-4

To many, Brazil is the best footballing nation of all time. Their five World Cup wins provides them a strong argument to lay claim to that title.

All this while playing an exciting and highly skilful brand of football – which has come to be known as ‘jogo bonito’.

Jogo bonito literally translates into ‘the beautiful game’.

It is a free, expressive brand of football which has often drawn a likeness to the samba dance – which is also synonymous with the South American nation.

In fact, jogo bonito is often seen to be a perfect fusion of dance and football, drawing likenesses to the Brazilian martial art – Capoeira.

Capoeira – like jogo bonito – finds its roots in the Brazil’s vibrant culture of dance.

In both cases, incredible sporting ability is mixed with the flare, confidence and excitement found in Brazilian samba.

This exciting blend of free-flowing expression with footballing brilliance is why many fans fall in love with the beautiful game. It is why if you ask so many fans from around the world their favourite player, names like Ronaldinho, Neymar and Kaka will so often crop up.

However, jogo bonito alone could not win championships. Football is about more than skill and expression, it also takes defensive ability, balance and tactical acumen.

Brazil had all of these in abundance at the 1958 World Cup, where in the final, they triumphed over hosts Sweden 5-2.