Last Word on Sport

Champions League Non-Winners by Philip Meese - 14 Jan 2023 12:12

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

Sometimes, no matter how good a player is, they don't quite get the rewards their talents deserve, at least in terms of trophies. This is especially true of the Champions League, which is the tournament everyone wants to play in, let alone win.

This two-part article focuses on twenty such players who were top of the game for most, if not all of, their careers. Despite the fact that these players would probably have walked into any side in the world in their heyday, they never lifted the biggest trophy you can win at club level.

Champions League Non-Winners, part one: The 1990s

Roberto Baggio, George Weah & Gabriel Batistuta are just a few of the amazing names on this list of players who ruled football in the 1990s, yet never lifted “Ol’ Big Ears”.

Champions League Non-Winners, part two: The 21st Century

 Amazingly Gianluigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and the original Ronaldo adorn this list. Despite being household names to fans of European club football, they never got their hands on the big one.