UEFA Youth League finals: Chatting to Postecoglou, penalty drama and Benfica's ultras

AlavésAthletic ClubAtlético MadridBarcelonaCelta de VigoElcheEspanyolGetafeGironaLevanteMallorcaOsasunaRayo VallecanoReal BetisReal MadridReal OviedoReal SociedadSevillaValenciaVillarrealPodcastsCopa del ReyAnalysisUEFA Youth League finals: Chatting to Postecoglou, penalty drama and Benfica’s ultrasReal Madrid celebrate beating Club Brugge in the final Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images Share articleThey always find a way, don’t they? You could be forgiven for thinking Real Madrid were not going to win a European trophy this season after their men’s team were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last week. But on Monday in Lausanne, Switzerland, and in front of club president Florentino Perez and their legendary former Brazil defender Roberto Carlos, their under-19 team ensured European silverware is headed to the Bernabeu. Over four days in Lausanne, the city located on Lake Geneva and home to the International Olympic Committee, Real Madrid beat Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in a semi-final and then Club Brugge in Monday’s final. Winning in Europe is seemingly woven into the club’s fabric, and even though it wasn’t pretty against their Belgian opponents, they found a way to get over the line — and again it was down to their goalkeeper, Javier Navarro, and his penalty shootout heroics. He saved three in the shootout against PSG and followed that up with two more on Monday. Javier Navarro saves two penalties in the shootout to help Real Madrid win the 2026 #UYL final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/gZpL3bm6rJ — UEFA Men's Youth (@UEFAMensYouth) April 20, 2026 As Real Madrid danced and celebrated to the backdrop of Gala’s Freed From Desire before lifting the UEFA Youth League trophy, the Club Brugge players headed to the travelling fans in the corner and were applauded for their efforts. It brought an end to a tournament that was not short of drama, on or off the pitch. Whether it was Benfica’s ultras setting off flares inside the stadium, a full-time scuffle, or Elijah Ly’s wonderful goal for PSG against Real Madrid, there was always something to capture your attention. There to witness every kick and flare was Ange Postecoglou — the former Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest manager — who was at the tournament in a technical observer role for UEFA, following on from doing a similar job in the Champions League in recent weeks. “When you’re coaching at senior level, you have always got an eye on the emerging talent, not just on an individual basis but where they come from as well, how differently clubs do things, but you don’t really get the chance to observe it at close quarters,” Postecoglou told The Athletic. “You can see all four clubs have their own way of not just playing and the way they identify players, there is some real synergy there in terms of the DNA of clubs, particularly when you look at Real and PSG and how transferable that is to what you see at senior level.” Postecoglou was particularly impressed by PSG’s midfield three — Aymen Assab, Diyinu Nzinga and Abo El Nay — and also praised the way Club Brugge, arguably the least favoured of the four teams, were set up by Jonas De Roeck, their head coach. A combined 15,000 people attended the three matches and UEFA was undoubtedly after fireworks — but not the kind Benfica’s ultras arrived with. In perhaps the most surreal moment of the three matches, a group of around 40 supporters — predominantly dressed in black — arrived a few minutes after the game between Benfica and Club Brugge had begun. Not long after their arrival, another set of Benfica ultras, the Diabos Vermelhos, turned up. And when Club Brugge’s Laurens Goemaere opened the scoring in front of them, plastic cups were thrown in his direction and onto the pitch. It painted a different picture from the fan park outside the stadium, which was far more welcoming. The matches provided Postecoglou with a rare opportunity to observe youth football up close. “When you’re looking at youth football, and I had seven years as a national youth coach, you do look at it through a different lens,” the Australian said. Asked if he was using it as a scouting opportunity before his next role in senior football, the 60-year-old indicated there are multiple benefits. “It’s not about thinking if I get the next job, it’s more about saying, ‘OK, well, I’ll put a marker there on a couple of young players and see whether they develop’ and whether what I saw in them is something that is tangible in terms of their development,” he added. “And even from a coaching perspective, because I know coaching at this level is different from coaching at senior level, it’s just seeing what the coaches are doing. “You can take bits and pieces for your own stuff, but it also gives you a more well-rounded perspective on where young players are coming from and how they are developing because when you identify a player, you invariably go through their background and that gives you an idea of some cues on what to look for.” Over the two semi-finals and final, there were plenty of players who stood out, as highlighted by The Athletic, and the memories Real Madrid’s players created on Monday will last a lifetime for them. Postecoglou referenced the “tangible” feeling Real Madrid have, no matter the age group, when it comes to getting over the line. “The DNA of the club is to win,” he said. And European football has become accustomed to Real Madrid winning — their men’s team have a record 15 Champions League titles — and as Carlos Diaz, the under-19s captain, was presented with the trophy by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, you were left wondering just how many major prizes some of these players will go on to lift. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms