The great soccer stars who have not won the Champions League | Relief

The Champions League is, without a doubt, one of the trophies most coveted in the world of <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/see-live-match-barcelona-vs-real-madrid-free-online-without-ads-spanish-super-cup-spanish-league/" title="See LIVE match Barcelona vs Real Madrid, free, online, without ads, Spanish Super Cup | Spanish League”>football Year after year, the best players on the planet dream of lifting this iconic trophy in a final that captures the attention of all fans of this popular sport. However, there are many with very successful careers who have never managed to celebrate the conquest of the famous “Orejona”.

Winning the Champions League is important because it is a tournament that brings together the best teams in Europe, where the most powerful and competitive leagues in the world are located. For a footballer, being on that stage and contributing to his team’s victory symbolizes having achieved a pinnacle in his career.

Great stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have consolidated their careers largely thanks to their successes in this tournament. Others like Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić have gone down in history thanks to Real Madrid’s impressive succession of successes in the competition.

On the contrary, the lack of a Champions League in the record of an elite footballer can be perceived as a major setbackeven for extremely successful players. Winning this trophy can make the difference between being remembered as a sporting legend or “just” an exceptional player.

The Champions League, in addition, has a massive global audience. Winning it grants incomparable global visibility. Footballers who achieve this title become international media figures and obtain sponsorship opportunities and advertising contracts, since the competition’s matches are followed in all corners of the world.

Players like Zinedine Zidane, who scored an iconic goal in the 2002 final for Real Madrid, or Steven Gerrard, who led Liverpool’s historic comeback in 2005, are remembered as legends not only for their individual abilities, but for what they achieved. in the most prestigious tournament in club football.

But there have been many extraordinary footballers what They have not been lucky enough to add a Champions League to their individual record.. Perhaps that fact, by contrast, raises the value of the achievement of those who were proud to have achieved it.

Here we present a list of 10 soccer stars who retired with that pending account.

Diego Maradona

Considered one of the best footballers of all time, Diego Armando Maradona never had the opportunity to lift the Champions League. Although he shone at Naples, where he won Serie A and the UEFA Cup (current Europa League), the Champions League eluded him. In its time, the tournament was not as accessible, as only the league champions qualified. Even so, his genius on the field indisputably marked an era in world football.

Ronaldo Nazario

The Brazilian, one of the most feared and talented forwards in history, had a career marked by his time at giant clubs such as Barcelona, ​​Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Despite his success in leagues and with the Brazilian national team (including two World Cups), he was never able to add the Champions League to his record. His career at Madrid was brilliant, but he arrived at the club just the season after winning the ninth title in the competition (Vicente del Bosque’s team that won the final of the 2001/02 edition against Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow) and he left for Milan in January 2007. Just that same year the Italian team won the Champions League, but he could not compete because he had played in the same season with Madrid, a rule that changed in the 18/19 season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swedish striker, famous for his charisma, explosive statements and acrobatic skills on the field, has played for many of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, ​​AC Milan, PSG and Manchester United. Despite having won titles in almost all the leagues he has been through, the Champions League has been the title that has always eluded him. His departure from teams has often coincided with those clubs’ subsequent success in Europe, as was the case with Inter Milan in 2010 and Barcelona in 2011.

Gianluigi Buffon

Rightly considered one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Buffon has had an excellent career, especially with Juventus. Despite having won countless national and international titles, the Champions League is the big gap in his resume. Buffon reached three finals with Juventus (2003, 2015 and 2017), but suffered defeats in all of them. His longevity (he retired at the age of 45) and his consistency transformed him into a football legend, but the Champions League was a pending issue.

Francesco Totti

The eternal captain of Roma, an emblem of loyalty in modern football, rejected a few offers from powerful teams throughout his career and chose to stay at his hometown club. Although he won a Serie A title and a World Cup with Italy, he was never able to celebrate a Champions League. Roma has not historically been one of the most powerful clubs in Europe and had some outstanding participations in this competition (they reached runners-up in the 1983/84 edition), but with Totti they were never able to turn the corner.

Roberto Baggio

Another great of Italian football, Roberto Baggio, is remembered both for his amazing technique and for the misfortune of the penalty he missed in the definition of the 1994 World Cup final that Brazil ended up winning. Despite shining at clubs like Fiorentina, Juventus and AC Milan, Baggio never lifted the Champions League. In 1993, he came close with Juventus, but his team lost to Borussia Dortmund in the final.

Fabio Cannavaro

One of the few defenders who were able to win the Ballon d’Or in recent decades, the Neapolitan is one of the legends of Italian football. He led his country to victory in the 2006 World Cup, but at the club level, despite playing for teams like Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid, the Champions League always eluded him.

Lothar Matthäus

The extraordinary German footballer, who had a successful career with Bayern Munich and the German national team, won almost everything, including the Ballon d’Or and a World Cup. However, despite reaching three Champions League finals, they were never able to celebrate that title. It came close in 1999, when Bayern lost dramatically to Manchester United in the final minutes.

Pavel Nedved

The elegant Czech midfielder was a fundamental piece for Juventus for many years. Despite his talent, the Champions League never came into his hands. In 2003, he came close, but a suspension prevented him from playing in the final, in which Juventus lost to AC Milan on penalties. Nedvěd also won the Ballon d’Or in 2003, standing out as one of the best players of his generation.

Michael Ballack

German Michael Ballack had a successful career at clubs such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen, in addition to being a key figure in the German national team. Despite coming close to glory on several occasions, Ballack failed to win the Champions League. He was in two finals: the one in 2002 when Leverkusen lost to Real Madrid and the one in 2008 in which Chelsea lost to Manchester United in the penalty shootout.

The great active footballers who still do not have a Champions League

There are also several active footballers who, despite already having an important career that places them among the best of their time, have not yet won a Champions League. They have time to remove that thorn, it’s clear. The most notable, ordered by age, are these: