Posts
#5 Michael Ballack
If there was ever a player who accumulated more runners-up medals than winners’ medals, it was probably Michael Ballack.
The Germany international is arguably the most unlucky player in football. A world renowned central midfielder who has won the German Footballer of the Year award thrice, he has come second best with both club and country a number of times; be it the Bundesliga, the Premier League, the World Cup or the Euro Championship.
And the list does not stop there. Ballack has reached the Champions League final twice and lost on both occasions.
The first time was with Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 when Raul and Zidane ensured Real Madrid would get a ninth Champions League trophy. The second time was with Chelsea in Moscow when Manchester United beat them in a penalty shootout.
Ballack took Chelsea’s first penalty and converted it but John Terry’s slip and Nicolas Anelka’s miss meant he would go home empty handed yet again.
#4 Eric Cantona
The driving force of Manchester United in the 1990s, Eric Cantona was the forward you did not mess with and a goal scorer you could not let out of your sight!
When the Premier League was born in 1992, he was instrumental in Manchester United winning it in four of the first five seasons. The Frenchman who made the number 7 shirt and the captain’s armband his own was truly a cult figure in England; in spite of many bans, suspensions and one arrest.
But when it came to the Champions League, he was never able to establish himself or the club as an elite power. The closest he ever got was when he led Manchester United to the semi-finals in 1997, where they lost to Borussia Dortmund (who would go on to win the trophy) in both legs.
He has received a number of honours since then, the biggest of which was being inducted into the inaugural English Football Hall of Fame (the first player from outside the United Kingdom) in 2002. But a Champions League trophy was one trophy he would have loved to lift
#3 Dennis Bergkamp
One of the finest strikers to have come from the goldmine of talent that is the Netherlands, he too has never won the Champions League.
Having played for Ajax, Inter Milan and Arsenal, his biggest achievement in European competition was winning the UEFA Cup twice (with Ajax and Inter). In 11 seasons with Arsenal, he has won the Premier League thrice and the FA Cup four times.
He was also an integral part of the Invincibles team that went an entire season unbeaten (2003-04) in a run that stretched to 49 games.
But when it came to the Champions League, the Gunners were never a real threat and always fell in the knockout stages of the competition. The closest he came to winning it was in 2006 when they lost in the final to Barcelona. But he was on the bench in what was to be his final game for Arsenal.
A Champions League trophy would have been the best way to sign off for the Non-Flying Dutchman.
#2 Roberto Baggio
Arguably one of the best players and one of the top scoring Italian strikers of all time, it is almost heartbreaking that Il Divin’ Codino (The Divine Ponytail) has never won the Champions League.
Having spent five seasons at Juventus, where he was at his most prolific in front of goal, Baggio left the Turin club in 1995. And the very next season, Juventus won the Champions League when they defeated Ajax in the final after a penalty shootout.
But Baggio didn’t leave Juventus empty handed as he did lead the club to a UEFA Cup triumph over Borussia Dortmund in 1993, scoring two and setting up a third. But it’s almost tragic that every time Baggio’s name is mentioned, the first memory that comes to mind is that missed penalty in the 1994 World Cup final.
A Champions League trophy might have changed that perception.
#1 Ronaldo
Only three players have won the FIFA Player of the Year thrice and Ronaldo is the only one who hasn’t won the Champions League (Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi being the other two).
Between 1993 and 2008, Il Fenomeno played for various European clubs like Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Perhaps the most complete striker in the recent past, Ronaldo has also won the World Cup twice with Brazil. He is also the second highest goal scorer in the history of the World Cup with 15 goals (behind Miroslav Klose).
But in spite of scoring 49 goals in European competitions, Ronaldo never got to win the Champions League. Perhaps his biggest opportunity to win the trophy was with the Galacticos at Real Madrid when he partnered Luis Figo, Zidane, Raul, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham.
Even though he scored 104 goals for Real Madrid, the club failed in their attempts to win an unprecedented tenth title – which they finally won largely thanks to the next Ronaldo, Cristiano.
His only European triumph was a UEFA Cup with Inter Milan in 1998 and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with Barcelona in 1997.
0 comments:
Post a Comment