Richard Buxton: Winds of change blowing in Madrid

The Champions League final comes to Madrid next week, but neither of the footballing powerhouses in the Spanish capital will be involved.

Real Madrid, who lifted the trophy four times in the last five seasons, and Atletico Madrid, who reached the final in 2014 and 2016, will be mere spectators when Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur at Atletico's home, the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, on June 1.

For both coaches Zinedine Zidane and Diego Simeone, it will be a summer of overhaul, and the Argentinian has a less enviable task.

Atletico have routinely endured key departures in successive years - such as Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Thibaut Courtois - but have seen nothing quite of the current magnitude.

Lucas Hernandez is already bound for Bayern Munich, while Juanfran, Diego Godin and Filipe Luis have all declined extended stays in the Spanish capital.

Up front, Antoine Griezmann's departure is a major blow to Simeone's plans.

Once more, the World Cup winner is angling for a move to Barcelona; no doubt underpinned by another tiresome documentary in which he agonises over "The Decision".

This time around, however, Atletico will be virtually powerless to stop him from joining Lionel Messi and company.

Losing Griezmann has become an inevitability for Atletico, but its potential domino effect could be far more damaging.

If the France international is successful in leaving the Wanda at a second time of asking, others could question their future.

Doubts over Saul Niguez and Rodri, two of Atletico's crown jewels, will intensify.

Manchester City have emerged as potential suitors for the pair, with other clubs doubtlessly threatening to test their resolve in the weeks ahead, following the transfer window's reopening.

Simeone's preference to keep Diego Costa is also not matched at board level, due to the Brazil-born striker's continued indiscipline, coupled with just five goals in all competitions in a season where they finished 11 points adrift of Barca in La Liga.

The gulf with the Catalan side is also a driving force in Real's plans to spend their way out of malaise.

GALACTICOS

A more holistic transfer strategy will be abandoned in favour of a third "Galacticos" phase as Zidane looks to bridge a 19-point gap with their arch-rivals.

Zidane's surprise return to the Santiago Bernabeu has not gone according to plan.

A fourth successive Champions League crown never materialised, while Los Blancos suffered 12 domestic defeats - an ignominious feat which was last accomplished during the forgettable 1998/99 campaign.

The Frenchman returns to his former stomping ground with a sense of unfinished business. His refusal to utilise Gareth Bale in Real's final two games of the season left the writing on the wall for the Wales captain, who has often appeared publicly detached from his teammates.

That the former Tottenham Hotspur winger chose not to acknowledge the Madridistas following a last-day defeat by Real Betis reflected a disconnect that has existed for over six years.

It is a bitter and unjust end to a spell which has helped deliver four Champions League crowns.

Bale's place in the Bernabeu's illustrious history has tended to be airbrushed.

He scored in three of those European finals, twice producing winning goals, but was invariably overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo's majesty.

In the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's absence, resentment has grown. Scathing comments by his agent have not helped matters.

A clean break benefits all parties and allows Zidane to finish what he should have started a long time ago.

Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe and Sadio Mane have all been linked to the Bernabeu, while Adrien Rabiot's likely arrival on a free transfer allows Real's ageing midfield to be rejuvenated.

Paul Pogba's prospective switch offers a further and belated succession plan once Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who signed a new three-year deal on Monday, choose to move on.

All-out dominance is what Real now crave. Their recent Champions League track record speaks for itself but Zidane's points-per-game ratio in La Liga is actually worse than predecessor Santiago Solari and only marginally superior to that of Julen Lopetegui.

For both Madrid sides this summer, the winds of change are inescapable.