21 October 1933 - The Man With The Record Cup Collection

On 21 October 1933, Real Madrid striker Francisco Gento was born in the Guarnizo district of Cantabria in northern Spain. By the time he retired, he was the club's all-time appearances leader and he remains the only man to win six European Cups.

An outside left forward, he started his professional career in 1952 with Racing Santander, but moved to Real Madrid for the 1953-54 season. He started slowly there, with no goals in 21 appearances that season, but earned his first silverware as Real Madrid won the league for the first time in eleven years.

The honors flowed regularly after that, with another league title in 1955 and the first of five consecutive European Cups in 1956. In 1957, he scored in Real's 2-0 win over Fiorentina (video below), then provided the 107th-minute match-winner against Milan in 1958. After the five-time streak, Real returned to the final on the losing side in 1962 and 1964, then won it for a sixth time in 1966. Gento, who captained the side in 1966, was the only person to play for Real Madrid in all six wins, making him the only person in history with six European Cup titles to his name.

Upon his retirement in 1971, he had made a total of 599 appearances for Real, making him the club's appearances leader at the time, though his tally has since been surpassed by four others. he moved into management briefly--for Castilla, Castellón, Palencia, and Granada--before becoming a European ambassador for Real Madrid.

30 May 1957 - For Fiorentina, It's Close But No Cigar

On 30 May 1957, Real Madrid won their second consecutive European Cup, beating Fiorentina 2-0.

Real Madrid were the defending champions while the Viola earned the right to participate in the tournament by winning their first Serie A title the previous season. That season heralded a rise in Fiorentina's fortunes that saw them finish in Italy's top two for the next four years.

Their success carried over into the European Cup, where they advanced to the Final with wins over IFK Norrköping, Grasshopper, and Red Star Belgrade, but once there, they ran into the European Cup buzzsaw that was Real Madrid. Madrid had won the inaugural European Cup the season before, and--despite needing a playoff against Rapid Wien to get out of the first round--rolled into the Final with victories over Nice and Manchester United.

Playing before a partisan crowd of 124,000 at Madrid's home ground, the Bernabéu, Fiorentina managed to keep the match close. Unlike the previous final, which Madrid won 4-3 over Stade de Reims, the 1957 Final was a defensive battle, with both sides struggling to create scoring chances. Madrid eventually caught a break when the referee awarded a 69th-minute penalty kick that midfielder Alfredo di Stéfano converted with ease. Six minutes later, forward Francisco Gento scored on a breakaway, chipping the ball over Fiorentina keeper Giuliano Sarti.

It was Fiorentina's last appearance in the European Cup/Champions League Final, while Madrid went on to win the next three. In all, they played in ten more and accumulated their current tally of nine titles. Fiorentina eventually won European glory, however, claiming the 1961 Cup Winners' Cup.

4 September 1960 - Champions Of Two Continents

On 4 September 1960, Real Madrid won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup, beating Peñarol 5-1.

UEFA and CONMEBOL established the Intercontinental Cup to pair the reigning European Cup holders against the current Copa Libertadores champions. For the first meeting in 1960, those teams were Real Madrid and Peñarol.

The Cup was played in two legs, with the winner determined by points, as opposed to aggregate goals. In the first leg, played on 3 July in Montevideo, the two sides battled to a scoreless draw, earning a point each. In the event they drew again in the second leg, they would have gone to replays until one side emerged with a win.

Ultimately, however, Real Madrid handled the second leg with ease. Playing at the Bernabeu before a crowd of over 100,000, the hosts rolled to a dominating 5-0 lead with goals from Ferenc Puskás (2', 8'), Alfredo di Stéfano (3'), Herrera (40'), and Francisco Gento (54'). Peñarol received a late consolation goal from striker Alberto Spencer in the 80th minute.

Peñarol won the Cup the following year, then again in 1966 and 1982. Real Madrid won it twice more, in 1998 and 2002.