Milan relives past glory after hosting successful Champions League final

For the first time in more than two years, the Champions League anthem rang out in the San Siro in Milan.

Its many curves covered with those ubiquitous stars that all footballers follow. Andrea Bocelli belted out an epic rendition that set the stage for a dramatic final between Real Madrid and Atletico, a Spanish derby in the old footballing epicentre of Europe.

The sight of top-tier football in Milan - now second to Madrid as the most-decorated city in the game, with Real clinching a record 11th title for the Spanish capital on Saturday night - was a truly breathtaking to see again.

Related: Real Madrid defeats Atletico Madrid on penalties, claims 11th European Cup

Neither AC Milan nor Inter qualified for Europe last year, with Milan being the last Champions League representative in 2014, and the two look a long way from competing for a title anytime soon. Milan's average attendance is dwindling by the year, and Inter's only beginning to reverse the trend after spending big in the transfer market. Only an eighth of the San Siro is full for some games, the result of mass protests and fan unrest, often looking like a sad warehouse of bygone football memories on television.

But this final brought out the best of this city, which some now argue is the real capital of Italy. An estimated 50,000 people flocked from Spain to take part in the showpiece, and it was an overwhelming success. The city of Milan generated a reported €25 million in revenue, and there were few incidents of violence. Both Real and Atletico supporters didn't drift far from their own, but some couples in rival jerseys held hands as the clock approached kick-off.

The San Siro itself looked different. After years of renovations, the stadium saw its UEFA ranking rise to five stars. The pitch, criticized by the likes of Xavi in the past, was perfectly cut, and those obtrusive glass barriers were gone. A subway now takes you directly to the foot of the arena, replacing the fleet of buses that used to schlep fans to and from the nearest stadium.

It has always been a special place, and it still draws big crowds for the Milan derby. But that is now the lone exception, and neither of Milan nor Inter appear eager to even keep the San Siro as their home.

Saturday's final should serve to remind them how successful teams and quality football can draw the best of crowds and produce the best of atmospheres.

"The football world last night watched Milan with admiration, and Italy also won in this regard, showing it's capable of organising such an important event," wrote Andrea Ramazzotti in Sunday's Corriere dello Sport. "San Siro was a fitting backdrop for the Spanish derby between Real and Atletico."

The Atletico supporters created a red wall in Milan's Curva Sud, and although they were outnumbered by fans of Los Blancos, their voices were infinitely louder. When Atleti missed chances in the first and second half, the Colchoneros only chanted more. When the Madridistas on the other end of the pitch sang their songs, they were drowned out by menacing whistles.

Atleti's fans showed pride in a team that ran on effort - something missing in either Milan side to date - even if they didn't end up celebrating a first European crown.

The tifos were so big that they draped over the television studios below them. It felt like a stadium at its 80,000-seat capacity, full of life, energy, and excitement.

Because for the first time in years, the game happening under the lights in Milan meant something.