What does that prove you dimwit? 1998 was 16 years ago. I was still 17 years old, and you were probably still a nuclear atom. Real have always been a fickle club. They hire and fire coaches as they please, just as they have no qualms about disposing of quality players and replacing them with new ones.
The facts are, the CL is a lucrative competition. Doing well leads to more money and potential success both on and off the pitch. It is no surprise to see teams that perform well in this competition attracting the attention of the best players on the planet.