Real set to make history in CL chase

PARIS - Real Madrid begins its quest for a fourth consecutive Champions League crown this week when the group stage begins in a competition that is more lucrative and more glamorous than ever - but also more of a closed shop than ever.

This has been a glorious European era for Real, which is seeking to become the first club to win four in a row since it won the trophy in each of its first five seasons, from 1956-60.

The men who marked that era have gone, with Zinedine Zidane resigning and Cristiano Ronaldo moving to Juventus, but Madrid remains a formidable force.