Real Madrid's post-Cristiano transition

May 26, 2018 marked the end of an era for Real Madrid as Los Blancos got their hands on a third straight Champions League title and their fourth in five since 2014.

But that period of success was thrown into instability immediately after the final whistle in Kiev when Cristiano Ronaldo hinted that his future lay elsewhere.

"It's been nice to be at Madrid," he said, all while his teammates were still celebrating their most recent European triumph.

That day began the club's transition.

Five days later, Zinedine Zidane confirmed his departure, telling a visibly disappointed Florentino Perez that "the team needs a change to keep winning", and Cristiano boarded a private jet out of Madrid to Turin shortly after.

Madrid had to reinvent themselves. Now, two years and three months on, they've completed transition but only since Zidane stepped back into his role on the bench after failed spells under Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari.

That Champions League-winning XI in May 2018 was made up of: Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Isco; Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

By August 2020 only four of those starters have changed, though it can also be five on occasion depending on Zidane's choices on a given matchday.

The first came that same summer when Thibaut Courtois landed for 35 million euros from Chelsea as he entered the final year of his contract in London.

At first he was there to compete with Keylor for the No.1 shirt, but the club eventually backed the Belgian and the Costa Rican was sold a year later.

Sergio Reguilon initially threatened Marcelo at left-back in 2018/19, playing 21 times to the Brazilian's 32, but in 2019/20 Ferland Mendy has come in to notch 25 appearances, bettering Marcelo's 21 this past season.

Fede Valverde has stepped up in midfield to give Zidane food for thought in the engine room after first popping up under Solari.

In 2019 the Uruguayan played 44 times, leaving Isco some way behind on 30, while James Rodriguez was left on just 14.

But succeeding Cristiano up top was never an easy task.

?Eden Hazard touched down in the capital in 2019 for 100 million euros, with Madrid again signing a Chelsea player in the last year of his contract, but his debut season was something of a disaster.

The new No.7 played just 22 games, scored just one goal and added seven assists, meaning he'll be starting more or less from scratch in 2020/21.

Their could well be another chapter in Madrid's post-Cristiano story on its way in the not too distant future though, one named Kylian Mbappe.

But for now the front three is Karim Benzema, Hazard and one of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo or Marco Asensio.

Seven players are left standing from Kiev, but Los Blancos are taking positive steps towards a successful transition.