All of The Winners of The European Champions League

The Spanish giants are the most successful club in the history of Europe’s elite competition, having won it an incredible 13 times. Los Blancos’ last triumph came in 2018.

The Rossoneri enjoyed glory years in the late ’80s and early 90’s, having first won the trophy back in 1963 during the European Cup era. Milan haven’t enjoyed much success in the last decade. However, in the last years, the men Milan have undergone something of a renaissance.

The Bavarians have become heavyweights in the Champions League in the last five decades. Bayern won three straight European Cups in 1974,1975 and 1976. The reigning champions were outstanding in their latest victory in 2020. Bayern have also finished as runners up on five occasions.

The team from Merseyside have almost become synonymous with the competition, largely due to the electric atmosphere in their home games at Anfield. The Reds most recent victory in the Champions League was in 2019 when they defeated Tottenham 2-0 in an all-English final.

The Catalan giants surprisingly did not win their first European Cup until 1992. However, they enjoyed their most successful spell in the competition from 2006 until 2015, when they won the trophy five times.

The Dutch giants enjoyed a brilliant period in the European Cup in the early 1970s, as a team containing the great Johan Cruyff swept their opponents away with the now famous ‘Total Football’ style of the beautiful. Ajax have only lifted the trophy on one further occasion, which was in 1995 under Louis van Gaal.

The Nerazzurri first won the trophy in back-to-back campaigns from seasons 1963/64 to 1964-65 under the highly respected Argentinian coach Helenio Herrera. However, it took the team from Milan until 2010 under another highly-rated boss Jose Mourinho to claim their third European Cup.

The English giants first won the European Cup in 1968 under legendary Scottish boss Matt Busby, who survived the Munich air crash in 1958. The Red Devils have won the competition on two further occasions in 1999 and 2008, this time under Sir Matt’s compatriot Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Blues European Cup titles have both been achieved in the last nine years. Their most recent triumph was of course in last season’s competition. Thomas Tuchel’s team defeated English champions Manchester City 1-0 in the final to become European champions.

The Portuguese team first won the European Cup in 1987. However, their most recent European Cup title in 2004 is arguably the most famous, due to the fact that it was achieved under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho before his first spell at Chelsea.

Despite the Bianconeri’s status as one of the giants of European football, their only European Cup titles came in 1985 and 1996. The Old Lady of Italian has incredibly finished runners-up on seven occasions, with their latest final appearance in 2017, when they were beaten 4-1 by Real Madrid.

Managed by the charismatic boss Brian Clough, the team from the Midlands lifted the trophy in 1979 and 1980. The victories have been put down to Clough’s ability to man-manage his players. The Tricky Trees have spent much of the last few decades outside the top-tier of the English game.

The Eagles enjoyed some stellar seasons in the early 1960s, lifting the European Cup in 1961 and 1962. The Portuguese giants have failed to win the trophy since, but have finished as runners-up on five occasions in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990.

BVB have had many good teams down the years, but their only Champions League title came in 1997. The German outfit defeated holders Juventus 3-1 in the final of the competition. Dortmund’s only other final appearance was in 2013 when they suffered a late 2-1 defeat against arch-rivals Bayern Munich.

OM lifted the trophy for the only time in their history in 1993, beating Milan 1-0 in the final courtesy of a goal from Basile Boli. A year later their president Bernard Tapie was investigated for match-fixing. However, OM were allowed to keep their crown as European champions.

The only time the Villans won the European Cup was in 1982 when Tony Barton’s team recorded a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich. The victory was even more impressive considering that title-winning coach Ron Saunders had quit his role halfway through the campaign.

Red Star Belgrade became the first Yugoslavian team to win the European Cup in 1991. The final against Marseille finished 0-0 after normal and extra-time, but Red Star won the penalty shootout 5-3.

PSV became the third Dutch team to claim the title in 1988, as they defeated two-time winners Benfica in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw in normal and extra-time. The win ended a 15 year-wait for a team from the Netherlands to lift the trophy.

In arguably the biggest shock in the history of the European Cup, the Romanian team defeated Catalan giants Barcelona in a penalty shootout in the final of the competition in 1986 after a goalless draw in normal and extra-time.

The German outfit’s only European Cup title came back in 1983 when Ernst Happel’s team defeated Juventus 4-1 in the final of the competition. Hamburg also claimed the domestic league title in the same campaign. They are now in the second tier of the German game.

Before compatriots Ajax dominated the European Cup in the early 1970s, Feyenoord became the first Dutch club to lift the trophy in 1970. They defeated Scottish giants Celtic to become European champions.

Guided by the great Jock Stein, the Hoops became the first British club to win the European Cup. The achievement was even greater considering that the majority of the team grew up in the local area.