There was a full week of rest between the final round of La Liga and the Champions League Final.
Over the past nine seasons, Madrid had reached the Champions League Final eight times and won the title every time. When it came to preparing for the Champions League Final, they possessed an experience advantage no one else could match. They knew exactly what needed to be done and when.
After playing the final round of La Liga and collecting the league trophy, Madrid trained in Madrid for two more days. The team quickly organized another trip, with the players bringing their families as usual and heading to the Canary Islands for a vacation.
The team stayed in the Canary Islands for three days. The club covered all the expenses, and the players held only one training session each day to maintain their form. They spent most of the remaining time playing and relaxing.
Three days later, the team returned to Madrid from the Canary Islands.
On May 24, after holding two training sessions at Valdebebas, the team boarded a flight to Kyiv, Ukraine, in the evening. All members of the First Team traveled with them.
This was also one of Madrid's longstanding traditions. Although only eighteen players would make the matchday squad, every First Team player would be present.
In Kyiv, Madrid chose the five-star Central Opera House Hotel.
The hotel stood on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, in the heart of Kyiv. It was close to the National Opera House and Saint Sophia Cathedral, and less than three kilometers from the match venue, Olympic Stadium. By car, it took only ten minutes to get there.
The hotel had excellent facilities, including a spa, gym, solarium, sauna, massage services, and everything else one could need.
As usual,