Real Madrid have been forced to abandon a traditional that has helped them win three of the past four Champions League finals.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Liverpool's opponents in Kiev are without their lucky flight crew on their journey to the Ukrainian capital - the same crew who has flown them to the successful final appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

"This year, the trip to Kiev will be made in an Airbus A340, which has a broader fuselage, to enable as smooth as possible a journey to Ukraine and to cater for the number of seats that the club has asked for," the airline Iberia, which operates the LaLiga giants' Champions League final flights, said.

"The crew that has on previous occasions been responsible for their flights to closer destinations are not qualified to work with this type of aeroplane. They fly the Airbus A321, which is smaller (it is a 200-seater aircraft) and has less autonomy. As is required by the [Spanish] State Agency for Air Safety, they would have to take a three-month course [to gain the necessary credentials], which they haven't."

The change has left Real's new flight crew praying that they don't jinx Zinedine Zidane's men.

The new crew is made up of captain Txomin Baztan and first officer José María Ordovás, with chief attendant Manuel Díaz Pachón.

Baztan told El Mundo. "Hopefully, we can bring them good luck like Bonet did. Otherwise, my kids, who are Real fans, will be mad at me."

But, Real Madrid's superstitious president Florentino Perez could look to bring the old flight crew on board the plane anyway, with a Real source quoted as telling El Mundo: "Knowing the president, he's sure to invite them to the final as guests of the club.

"He's very superstitious. It's a shame that Bonet can't pilot the plane again, but this year we needed a bigger aircraft because it's a longer flight and we needed wider seats so that the players can be that bit more comfortable."