Champions' Cup/Champions League Trivia


  • Defending the Trophy
  • Winning the Cup Unbeaten
  • The Champions League Jinx
  • Most Participations
  • Most Participations in Champions League
  • Consecutive Participations
  • Consecutive Participations in Champions League
  • Domestically Worst Winners
  • Domestically Best Winners
  • Domestic Ties
  • Beating the Holders
  • Penalty Shootouts
  • Runners-Up Stuff
  • Champions' Cup Records
  • Unbeaten Series
  • Some Players' Records (link to different file)

  • European Cups (all tournaments) Trivia | Cup Winners' Cup Trivia | Fairs' Cup Trivia | UEFA Cup/Europa League Trivia

    Defending the Trophy

    It has become increasingly difficult to retain the most important European club trophy. Whereas in the first twenty years of its existence a prolonged dominance for one club was the rule, there was no successful defence for a quarter of a century after the Champions League was introduced in the early nineties.

    The following series of consecutive wins have been achieved:

     5 (1955/56-1959/60) Real Madrid
    
     3 (1970/71-1972/73) Ajax
       (1973/74-1975/76) Bayern München
       (2015/16-2017/18) Real Madrid
    
     2 (1960/61-1961/62) Benfica
       (1963/64-1964/65) Internazionale
       (1976/77-1977/78) Liverpool
       (1978/79-1979/80) Nottingham Forest
       (1988/89-1989/90) Milan
    

    Other series: the city of Milano won the trophy in 3 consecutive seasons (1962/63 Milan, then twice Inter), the Netherlands won it 4 seasons in a row (1969/70 Feijenoord, then thrice Ajax), and England brought the Cup home in 6 consecutive years, the longest stretch by one country (the double wins of Liverpool and Forest were followed by Liverpool again in 1980/81 and Aston Villa in 1981/82). Spain managed a second series of five successive wins between 2013/14 and 2017/18 (Barcelona in 2014/15, the other four by Real).

    In 1997/98, Juventus became the first team to lose consecutive finals; Valencia were the second team to do that in 2000/01, which also was the first final to feature both losers of the previous two finals.

    The first (and so far only) time the winners of the previous two finals met in a final was 1961/62 (Benfica beating Real Madrid 5-3 in arguably the best ever Champions' Cup final). Other finals to have included two teams that had been present in the previous two finals: 1989/90 (Milan winners 1989, Benfica losers 1988) and 1993/94 (Milan losers 1993, Barcelona winners 1992).


    Winning the Cup Unbeaten

    While defending the trophy grew more difficult, unbeaten winners became more and more common until the mid-nineties; the changed Champions' League format appears to have made it harder again: in the twenty-first century, unbeaten winners have become almost as seldom as in the first twenty years of the tournament, when it happens only twice. However, in the unusual 2019/20 season, in which the last three knock-out rounds were played over a single leg at a neutral venue, Bayern set a record for eternity by not only remaining unbeaten but winning every single match, scoring nearly four goals per game in the process. All unbeaten winners with their P-W-D-L-F-A records:

    1963/64 Internazionale       9  7  2  0  16- 6
    1971/72 Ajax                 9  7  2  0  14- 3
    1978/79 Nottingham Forest    9  6  3  0  19- 7
    1980/81 Liverpool            9  6  3  0  24- 4 [away]
    1983/84 Liverpool            9  7  2  0  15- 3 [pen]
    1988/89 Milan                9  5  4  0  20- 5 [pen]
    1990/91 Crvena zvezda        9  5  4  0  18- 7 [pen]
    1992/93 Olympique Marseille 11  7  4  0  25- 4
    1993/94 Milan               12  7  5  0  21- 2
    1994/95 Ajax                11  7  4  0  18- 4
    1998/99 Manchester United   13  6  7  0  31-16
    2005/06 Barcelona           13  9  4  0  24- 5
    2007/08 Manchester United   13  9  4  0  20- 6 [pen]
    2019/20 Bayern München      11 11  0  0  43- 8
    

    Note: [away] marks campaigns that involved progressing at least once on the away goals rule; [pen] marks campaigns requiring at least one penalty shoot-out.

    Ajax, Liverpool, Manchester United and Milan are the only teams to have won the trophy unbeaten twice; of those four, only Ajax did not require penalty shoot-outs in either case.


    The Champions League Jinx

    Since the traditional Champions' Cup was transformed into the Champions League, it proved difficult defend the title, a situation reminiscent of the Cup Winners' Cup Jinx: no club ever managed to defend the Cup Winners' Cup. Since the 1991/92 season, when the Champions League was introduced, the holders reached the final on 4 occasions until 2016/17 (when Real Madrid put an end to this jinx) but always ended up on the losing side:

    Milan:            winners in 1993/94, lost 1994/95 final to Ajax;
    Ajax:             winners in 1994/95, lost 1995/96 final to Juventus;
    Juventus:         winners in 1995/96, lost 1996/97 final to Borussia Dortmund;
    Manchester United:winners in 2007/08, lost 2008/09 final to Barcelona.
    
    Milan and Ajax also reached the Cup Winners' Cup final once as holders, in which they faced rank outsiders (1.FC Magdeburg and KV Mechelen respectively), but failed to defend their trophy.


    Most Participations

    Below we list all clubs to have entered the Champions' Cup or Champions League (including qualifiers) on at least 15 occasions.
    Note that seasons in which a club withdrew before playing a single match (such as a number of Eastern European clubs in 1968/69) are not included.
    All numbers up to and including the 2019/20 season.

    50 Real Madrid
    
    39 Benfica
    
    36 Ajax
       Bayern München
       Dynamo Kyiv
    
    34 Anderlecht
       Celtic
       Juventus
       FC Porto
    
    32 Olympiakos (Piraeus)
    
    30 Barcelona 
       Rangers
    
    29 Linfield
    
    28 Manchester United
       Milan
       Panathinaïkos
       PSV (Eindhoven)
    
    27 CSKA (Sofia) (CDNA, Sredets)
       Sparta Praha
    
    26 Fenerbahçe
       Galatasaray
       Steaua Bucuresti
    
    25 Crvena zvezda Beograd
       Rosenborg BK
    
    24 Liverpool
    
    22 Jeunesse d'Esch
       Partizan Beograd
    
    21 Arsenal
       FC Basel
       Dinamo Zagreb
       Internazionale
       Sporting (Lisboa)
    
    20 Club Brugge
       HJK (Helsinski)
       Shakhtar Donetsk
    
    19 APOEL (Lefkosia)
       Austria Wien
       Besiktas
       Spartak Moskva
    
    18 Borussia Dortmund
       Dinamo Bucuresti
       Olympique Lyonnais
       Omonia (Lefkosia)
       Valletta
       
    17 Feyenoord
       Malmö FF
       Sheriff Tiraspol
    
    16 AEK (Athinai)
       Chelsea
       AS Monaco
       Rapid Wien
    
    15 Atlético Madrid
       BATE Barysau
       CSKA Moskva
       F91 Dudelange
       IFK Göteborg
       Grasshoppers
       FC København
       Levski (Sofia) (Levski-Spartak, Vitosha)
       Maribor
       RB Salzburg (includes Austria Salzburg)
    
    See also the section on consecutive participations.


    Most Participations in Champions League

    Below we list all clubs to have entered the Champions League group stage (so not counting the qualifying rounds) at least 5 times since the first edition in 1991/92.
    All numbers up to and including the 2019/20 season (so including 29 editions).
    Note that Dynamo Kyiv's entry in 1995/96, when they were disqualified for attempted bribery and replaced by AaB, is not included.

    25 Barcelona
    
    24 Real Madrid
    
    23 Bayern München
       FC Porto
    
    22 Manchester United
    
    20 Juventus
    
    19 Arsenal   
       Olympiakos (Piraeus)
    
    17 Dynamo Kyiv
       Milan 
    
    16 Benfica
       Chelsea
       Galatasaray
       Olympique Lyonnais
       PSV (Eindhoven)
    
    15 Ajax
    
    14 Borussia Dortmund
       Shakhtar Donetsk
    
    13 Anderlecht
       Internazionale
    
    12 Bayer Leverkusen
       CSKA Moskva
       Liverpool
       Paris Saint-Germain
       Spartak Moskva
       Valencia
    
    11 Roma
       Rosenborg BK
    
    10 Atlético Madrid
       Celtic
       Panathinaïkos
       Rangers
    
     9 Manchester City
       AS Monaco
       Olympique Marseille
    
     8 FC Basel
       Schalke 04
       Sparta Praha
       Sporting (Lisboa)
    
     7 Besiktas
       Club Brugge
       Dinamo Zagreb
       Steaua Bucuresti
       Werder Bremen
       Zenit Sankt Peterburg
    
     6 Fenerbahçe
       Lille OSC
       Napoli
    
     5 AEK (Athinai)
       BATE Barysau
       Deportivo (La Coruña)
       Feyenoord
       Lokomotiv Moskva
       Sevilla
       Tottenham Hotspur
    
    See also the section on consecutive participations.

    Bayer Leverkusen (12) entered most often in spite of never winning the German league since the Champions League was introduced (in fact, they never won it at all).


    Consecutive Participations

    Until 2016, the record number of consecutive participations in the Champions' Cup was held by Dynamo Kyiv, with 20. Meanwhile, thanks to the almost guaranteed entry for the strongest clubs from the major European leagues, the record is extended annually by Real Madrid; their closest pursuers are Dynamo's compatriots Shakhtar Donetsk. All clubs to play at least 4 times in succession (up to and including the 2019/20 season) in the Champions' Cup (including preliminary rounds for the Champions League):

    23 Real Madrid (1997/98-2019/20)
    
    20 Dynamo Kyiv (1993/94-2012/13)
       Shakhtar Donetsk (2000/01-2019/20)
    
    19 Arsenal (1998/99-2016/17)
    
    18 Manchester United (1996/97-2013/14)
    
    16 Barcelona (2004/05-2019/20)
    
    15 Real Madrid (1955/56-1969/70)
    
    13 Olympiakos (Piraeus) (1997/98-2009/10)
       Olympique Lyonnais (1999/00-2011/12)
       Chelsea (2003/04-2015/16)
       BATE Barysau (2007/08-2019/20)
    
    12 PSV (1997/98-2008/09)
       Bayern München (2008/09-2019/20)
    
    11 Rosenborg BK (1995/96-2005/06)
       Dinamo Zagreb (2006/07-2016/17)
       
    10 Dynamo Berlin (1979/80-1988/89)
       Bayern München (1997/98-2006/07)
       Celtic (2001/02-2010/11)
       Sheriff Tiraspol (2001/02-2010/11)
       Internazionale (2002/03-2011/12)
       Pyunik Yerevan (2002/03-2011/12)
       Ajax (2010/11-2019/20)
       FC Basel (2010/11-2019/20)
       Benfica (2010/11-2019/20)
       
     9 Celtic (1966/67-1974/75)
       Liverpool (1976/77-1984/85)
       Rangers (1989/90-1997/98)
       Skonto Riga (1997/98-2005/06)
       Sparta Praha (1997/98-2005/06)
       Manchester City (2011/12-2019/20)
       FC Porto (2011/12-2019/20)
       
     8 Anderlecht (2003/04-2010/11)
       Partizan Beograd (2008/09-2015/16)
       Celtic (2012/13-2019/20)
       Juventus (2012/13-2019/20)
       Ludogorets Razgrad (2012/13-2019/20)
       Paris Saint-Germain (2012/13-2019/20)
       The New Saints (2012/13-2019/20)
    
     7 CSKA (Sofia) (1956/57-1962/63)
       FC Porto (1995/96-2001/02)
       Galatasaray (1997/98-2003/04)
       Maribor Branik (1997/98-2003/04)
       Ajax (2001/02-2007/08)
       FC Porto (2003/04-2009/10)
       Olympiakos (Piraeus) (2011/12-2017/18)
       APOEL (Lefkosia) (2013/14-2019/20)
       Atlético Madrid (2013/14-2019/20)
    
     6 Benfica (1960/61-1965/66)
       Újpest Dózsa (1970/71-1975/76)
       Linfield (1982/83-1987/88)
       Steaua Bucuresti (1993/94-1998/99)
       Barcelona (1997/98-2002/03)
       Spartak Moskva (1997/98-2002/03)
       Juventus (2000/01-2005/06)              [punished by FIGC after 2005/06]
       FBK Kaunas (2000/01-2005/06)
       Milan (2002/03-2007/08)
       Liverpool (2004/05-2009/10)
       FC København (2009/10-2014/15)
       HJK (Helsinki) (2010/11-2015/16)
       Zenit Sankt Peterburg (2010/11-2015/16)
       CSKA Moskva (2013/14-2018/19)
       Steaua Bucuresti (2013/14-2018/19)
       Qarabagh Agdam (2014/15-2019/20)
       FC Santa Coloma (2014/15-2019/20)
    
     5 Górnik Zabrze (1963/64-1967/68)
       Anderlecht (1964/65-1968/69)
       Bayern München (1972/73-1976/77)
       Jeunesse d'Esch (1973/74-1977/78)
       Omonia Nicosia (1975/76-1978/79)        [withdrew from 1974/75 competition]
       Omonia Nicosia (1981/82-1985/86)
       Steaua Bucuresti (1985/86-1989/90)
       Real Madrid (1986/87-1990/91)
       Sparta Praha (1987/88-1991/92)
       Brøndby IF (1996/97-2000/01)
       Deportivo (La Coruña) (2001/02-2005/06)
       Benfica (2003/04-2007/08)
       Fenerbahçe (2004/05-2008/09)
       Werder Bremen (2004/05-2008/09)
       F91 Dudelange (2005/06-2009/10)
       Sporting (Lisboa) (2005/06-2009/10)
       Olympique Marseille (2007/08-2011/12)
       Rangers (2007/08-2011/12)
       Panathinaikos (2008/09-2012/13)
       Ekranas Panevezys (2009/10-2013/14)
       Milan (2009/10-2013/14)
       Maribor (2011/12-2015/16)
       Skënderbeu Korçë (2011/12-2015/16)
       AS Monaco (2014/15-2018/19)
       Roma (2014/15-2018/19)
       FK Astana (2015/16-2019/20)
       Club Brugge (2015/16-2019/20)
       Dynamo Kyiv (2015/16-2019/20)
       Viktoria Plzen (2015/16-2019/20)
       Young Boys (Bern) (2015/16-2019/20)
    
     4 Young Boys (Bern) (1957/58-1960/61)
       Dukla Praha (1961/62-1964/65)
       Dinamo Bucuresti (1962/63-1965/66)
       Internazionale (1963/64-1966/67)
       Saint Etienne (1967/68-1970/71)
       Ajax (1970/71-1973/74)
       Viking (Stavanger) (1973/74-1976/77)
       Austria (Wien) (1978/79-1981/82)
       CSKA (Sofia) (1980/81-1983/84)
       Olympiakos (Piraeus) (1980/81-1983/84)
       Shamrock Rovers (1984/85-1987/88)
       Górnik Zabrze (1985/86-1988/89)
       PSV (1986/87-1989/90)
       Olympique Marseille (1989/90-1992/93)   [banned from 1993/94 competition]
       Barcelona (1991/92-1994/95)
       Steaua Bucuresti (1993/94-1996/97)
       IFK Göteborg (1994/95-1997/98)
       Juventus (1995/96-1998/99)
       Anorthosis Famagusta (1997/98-2000/01)
       Dinamo Zagreb (1997/98-2000/01)
       Bayer Leverkusen (1999/00-2002/03)
       Club Brugge (2002/03-2005/06)
       Steaua Bucuresti (2005/06-2008/09)
       Levski Sofia (2006/07-2009/10) 
       Levadia Tallinn (2007/08-2010/11)
       Sparta Praha (2007/08-2010/11)
       FC Twente (2008/09-2011/12)
       Borussia Dortmund (2011/12-2014/15)
       Galatasaray (2012/13-2015/16)
       Bayer Leverkusen (2013/14-2016/17)
       Zalgiris Vilnius (2014/15-2017/18)
       Borussia Dortmund (2016/17-2019/20)
       F91 Dudelange (2016/17-2019/20)
       Napoli (2016/17-2019/20)
       Rosenborg BK (2016/17-2019/20)
       Sheriff Tiraspol (2016/17-2019/20)
       Tottenham Hotspur (2016/17-2019/20)
    


    Consecutive Participations in Champions League

    Since 1991/92 the Champions' Cup has included a Champions League group stage, initially with 8 clubs (corresponding to the quarterfinals of the tournament), meanwhile with 32 clubs. The following clubs have reached this league stage of the competition in at least 3 successive seasons (up to and including the 2019/20 season).
    While the current record holders are unsurprising, Rosenborg BK deserve a special mention: in 2002, they became the first club to establish a series of 8 (and earlier 6 and 7) consecutive qualifications for the (first) group stage.

    23 Real Madrid (1997/98-2019/20)
    
    19 Arsenal (1998/99-2016/17)
    
    18 Manchester United (1996/97-2013/14)
    
    16 Barcelona (2004/05-2019/20)
    
    13 Chelsea (2003/04-2015/16)
    
    12 PSV (1997/98-2008/09)
       Olympique Lyonnais (2000/01-2011/12)
       Bayern München (2008/09-2019/20)
    
    11 Olympiakos (Piraeus) (1997/98-2007/08)
    
    10 Bayern München (1997/98-2006/07)
       Internazionale (2002/03-2011/12)
       Benfica (2010/11-2019/20)
    
     9 Manchester City (2011/12-2019/20)
    
     8 Rosenborg BK (1995/96-2002/03)
       Dynamo Kyiv (1997/98-2004/05)
       FC Porto (2011/12-2018/19)
       Juventus (2012/13-2019/20)
       Paris Saint-Germain (2012/13-2019/20)
       
     7 Galatasaray (1997/98-2003/04)
       FC Porto (2003/04-2009/10)
       Atlético Madrid (2013/14-2019/20)
       
     6 Barcelona (1997/98-2002/03)
       Juventus (2000/01-2005/06)              [punished by FIGC after 2005/06]
       Milan (2002/03-2007/08)
       Liverpool (2004/05-2009/10)
       Shakhtar Donetsk (2010/11-2015/16)
       CSKA Moskva (2013/14-2018/19)
    
     5 FC Porto (1995/96-1999/00)
       Spartak Moskva (1998/99-2002/03)
       Deportivo La Coruña (2000/01-2004/05)
       Werder Bremen (2004/05-2008/09)
       Olympique Marseille (2007/08-2011/12)
       Milan (2009/10-2013/14)
       Ajax (2010/11-2014/15)
       Olympiakos (Piraeus) (2011/12-2015/16)
       Zenit Sankt-Peterburg (2011/12-2015/16)
    
     4 Juventus (1995/96-1998/99)
       Bayer Leverkusen (1999/00-2002/03)
       Ajax (2002/03-2005/06)
       Anderlecht (2003/04-2006/07)
       Dynamo Kyiv (2006/07-2009/10)
       Borussia Dortmund (2011/12-2014/15)
       Galatasaray (2012/13-2015/16)
       Bayer Leverkusen (2013/14-2016/17)
       Borussia Dortmund (2016/17-2019/20)
       Napoli (2016/17-2019/20)
       Tottenham Hotspur (2016/17-2019/20)
       
     3 Milan (1992/93-1994/95)
       Spartak Moskva (1993/94-1995/96)
       Ajax (1994/95-1996/97)
       Steaua Bucuresti (1994/95-1996/97)
       Borussia Dortmund (1995/96-1997/98)
       Sturm Graz (1998/99-2000/01)
       Lazio (1999/00-2001/02)
       Sparta Praha (1999/00-2001/02)
       Lokomotiv Moskva (2001/02-2003/04)
       Panathinaikos (2003/04-2005/06)
       Sparta Praha (2003/04-2005/06)
       Benfica (2005/06-2007/08)
       Celtic (2006/07-2008/09)
       AS Roma (2006/07-2008/09)
       Shahtar Donetsk (2006/07-2008/09)
       Sporting (Lisboa) (2006/07-2008/09)
       Steaua Bucuresti (2006/07-2008/09)
       Valencia (2010/11-2012/13)
       Anderlecht (2012/13-2014/15)
       Schalke 04 (2012/13-2014/15)
       AS Monaco (2016/17-2018/19)
       Liverpool (2017/18-2019/20)
       Shakhtar Donetsk (2017/18-2019/20)
    


    Domestically Worst Winners

    The worst finish a European Champions' Cup winner ever achieved in their domestic league in their winning season was 11th, by Aston Villa in 1981/82:

    English First Division 1981/82
          11.Aston Villa        42 15 12 15  55-53 42
    
    The second-worst finish, and the only one with a record under 50%, and the only one in which the continental champions finished in the bottom half of their domestic league, is the 10th place (of 18) of Bayern München in 1974/75:
    German 1.Bundesliga 1974/75
          10.Bayern München     34 14  6 14  57-63 34
    
    The worst finish of a Champions League winner was fifth, which happened twice, in Spain 1999/00 and England 2004/05:
    Spanish La Liga 1999/00
           5.Real Madrid        38 16 14  8  58-48 62
    
    English Premier League 2004/05
           5.Liverpool          38 17  7 14  52-41 58 
    
    As a result, neither Madrid nor Liverpool qualified directly for the next edition but whereas in Spain Real Zaragoza (4th in the league 1999/00) were relegated to the UEFA Cup so that Real Madrid could defend their trophy, the English FA pressurised UEFA into admitting both Everton (4th in the league 2004/05) and Liverpool (on a wild card).


    Domestically Best Winners

    All Champions' Cup winners bar Bayern 1974/75 and Villa 1981/82 finished among the first 3 of their national championship with the exception of Nottingham Forest (5th in 1979/80), Liverpool (5th in 1980/81 and in 2004/05), Juventus (6th in 1984/85), Real Madrid (4th in 1997/98 and 5th in 1999/2000) and Milan (4th in 2006/07).

    Among the multiple winners, Barcelona are the only one to have won all their Cups as domestic champions; Ajax were Dutch champions in 3 of their 4 Champions' Cup winning campaigns (2nd in 1970/71, their first win).

    In all, the double of Champions' Cup and domestic league has been won on 29 occasions by 16 different teams:

    Barcelona (5 times, 1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11 and 2014/15), Bayern München (4 times, 1973/74, 2000/01, 2012/13 and 2019/20), Ajax (3 times, 1971/72, 1972/73 and 1994/95), Real Madrid (3 times, 1956/57, 1957/58 and 2016/17), Liverpool (twice, 1976/77 and 1983/84), Manchester United (twice, 1998/99 and 2007/08), Internazionale (twice, 1964/65 and 2009/10), Benfica (1960/61), Celtic (1966/67), Hamburger SV (1982/83), Steaua Bucuresti (1985/86), PSV (1987/88), Crvena zvezda Beograd (1990/91), Milan (1993/94) and FC Porto (2003/04).

    Seven of the above made the double of Champions' Cup and domestic league into a treble, adding the domestic cup; Barcelona (2008/09 and 2014/15) and Bayern München (2012/13 and 2019/20) did so twice; the other five: Celtic (1966/67), Ajax (1971/72), PSV (1987/88), Manchester United (1998/99) and Internazionale (2009/10). Celtic, Ajax, PSV, Barcelona, Internazionale and Bayern München thereby won all competitions they entered in the relevant seasons; Celtic also won the Scottish League Cup 1966/67 (as well as the Glasgow Cup), for which there is no Dutch, German, Spanish or Italian equivalent; Manchester United did not win the English League Cup 1998/99.

    Barcelona managed a unique feat by also winning all three bonus competitions in the next season: the Spanish Super Cup 2009 (for which they qualified as league champions) and the European Super Cup 2009 and FIFA World Club Cup 2009 (for which they qualified as Champions League winners 2008/09). Ajax performed a comparable feat by winning both the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup (the predecessor of the FIFA World Club Cup) in 1972 (the Super Cup matches were played in January 1973); there was no Dutch Super Cup tournament at the time. Manchester United won the Intercontinental Club Cup 1999 but not the European Super Cup (losing to Lazio) while both Celtic and PSV failed to win the intercontinental trophy.

    As an aside, Bayer Leverkusen managed to finish runners-up in all three competitions (Champions League, German League and German Cup) they entered in 2001/02. Bayern München emulated that feat in 2011/12 (one season later they won all three competitions).


    Domestic Ties

    Before the Champions League was introduced (and for half a decade afterwards), a country could (normally) only have two entrants in the Champions' Cup if one of its clubs won the competition but failed to win the domestic league. This occasionally led to meetings between clubs from the same country. It should be remarked that in the first two cases, Real Madrid had also won the Spanish league in 1956/57 and 1957/58, but UEFA admitted the runners-up, Sevilla and Atlético de Madrid respectively, to the Champions' Cup regardless.

    From the 1997/98 season, league runners-up of the eight countries highest in the UEFA Coefficient Rankings could also qualify for the Champions League, and domestic ties became much more likely (cf. the section Runners-Up Stuff below); since the 1999/2000 season, six countries can enter three or four participants in the reformed Champions League. Spain managed to get three teams in the semifinals and for the first time ever, a 'domestic final' was played. Italy emulated this feat in 2002/03, and England in 2006/07 (but the fourth team, Milan, won the trophy) and 2007/08 (in which season no English club was eliminated by a non-English one). It would appear to be only a matter of time before one country manages to field all semifinalists (as already happened once in the UEFA Cup, in 1980), which then surely should be considered the final nail in the coffin of the original idea to have "champions" compete against each other.

    Chelsea and Liverpool set a record for domestic meetings by playing each other in five consecutive seasons from 2004/05 to 2008/09 (implying that for half a decade they met as often in a European competition 'for champions' as in the domestic league, and that in spite of the fact that between them the two clubs only managed two English championships in the relevant period of time). The two Madrid rivals, Real and Atlético, also met five times in the Champions' Cup or League, in 1958/59 and the four consecutive seasons from 2013/14 to 2016/17, while Real Madrid and Barcelona met on four occasions (1959/60, 1960/61, 2001/02 and 2010/11).

    All "domestic meetings" in the Champions' Cup or League:

    1957/58 Spain         Real Madrid v Sevilla [quarterf., 8-0 and 2-2]
    1958/59 Spain         Real Madrid v Atlético de Madrid [semif., 2-1, 0-1 and 2-1]
    1959/60 Spain         Real Madrid v Barcelona [semif., 3-1 and 3-1]
    1960/61 Spain         Real Madrid v Barcelona [2nd round, 2-2 and 1-2]
    1978/79 England       Nottingham Forest v Liverpool [1st round, 2-0 and 0-0]
    1985/86 Italy         Hellas Verona v Juventus [2nd round, 0-0 and 0-2]
    1997/98 Germany       Bayern München v Borussia Dortmund [quarterf., 0-0 and 0-1 aet]
    1998/99 Germany       Bayern München v 1.FC Kaiserslautern [quarterf., 2-0 and 4-0]
    1999/00 Spain         Valencia v Barcelona [semif., 4-1 and 1-2]
    1999/00 Spain         Real Madrid v Valencia [final, 3-0]
    2001/02 Spain         Barcelona v Real Madrid [semif., 0-2 and 1-1]
    2002/03 Italy         Internazionale v Milan [semif., 1-1 and 0-0]
    2002/03 Italy         Milan v Juventus [final, 0-0, 3-2pen]
    2003/04 England       Chelsea v Arsenal [quarterf., 1-1 and 2-1]
    2004/05 Italy         Milan v Internazionale [quarterf., 2-0 and 3-0 (awarded)]
    2004/05 England       Chelsea v Liverpool [semif., 0-0 and 0-1]
    2005/06 England       Liverpool v Chelsea [group stage, 0-0 and 0-0]
    2006/07 England       Chelsea v Liverpool [semif., 1-0 and 0-1 aet, 1-4 pen]
    2007/08 England       Arsenal v Liverpool [quarterf., 1-1 and 2-4]
    2007/08 England       Liverpool v Chelsea [semif., 1-1 and 2-3 aet]
    2007/08 England       Manchester United v Chelsea [final, 1-1 aet, 6-5 pen]
    2008/09 England       Chelsea v Liverpool [quarterf., 3-1 and 4-4]
    2008/09 England       Manchester United v Arsenal [semif., 1-0 and 3-1]
    2009/10 France        Olympique Lyon v Bordeaux [quarterf., 3-1 and 0-1]
    2010/11 England       Chelsea v Manchester United [quarterf., 0-1 and 1-2]
    2010/11 Spain         Real Madrid v Barcelona [semif., 0-2 and 1-1]
    2012/13 Germany       Bayern München v Borussia Dortmund [final, 2-1]
    2013/14 Spain         Barcelona v Atlético de Madrid [quarterf., 1-1 and 0-1]
    2013/14 Spain         Real Madrid v Atlético de Madrid [final, 4-1 aet]
    2014/15 Spain         Atlético de Madrid v Real Madrid [quarterf., 0-0 and 0-1]
    2015/16 Spain         Barcelona v Atlético de Madrid [quarterf., 2-1 and 0-2]
    2015/16 Spain         Real Madrid v Atlético de Madrid [final, 1-1 aet, 5-3 pen]
    2016/17 Spain         Real Madrid v Atlético de Madrid [semif., 3-0 and 1-2]
    2017/18 England       Liverpool v Manchester City [quarterf., 3-0 and 2-1]
    2018/19 England       Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City [quarterf., 1-0 and 3-4]
    2018/19 England       Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur [final, 2-0]
    
    overview domestic ties in Europe
    


    Beating the Holders

    Real Madrid do not only hold the record of most wins; they are also the club who most often eliminated the defending champions: on no fewer than 8 occasions they managed to do this, in 5 of which they went on to win themselves. Together with CSKA (Sofia) they hold the distinction of performing this feat in consecutive seasons.

    All clubs to eliminate the defending champions more than once (seasons in which they won themselves in bold):

     8 Real Madrid          (1963/64, 1965/66, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1997/98, 1999/00, 2001/02, 2013/14)
      
     6 Juventus             (1982/83, 1984/85, 1995/96, 2002/03, 2012/13, 2014/15)
    
     3 Barcelona            (1960/61, 1985/86, 2008/09)
       CSKA Sofia           (1973/74, 1980/81, 1981/82)
       Dynamo Kyiv          (1967/68, 1976/77, 1998/99)
       Internazionale       (1966/67, 2004/05, 2009/10)
    
     2 Ajax                 (1994/95, 2018/19)
       Atlético de Madrid   (2015/16, 2019/20)
       Milan                (1962/63, 1968/69)
    

    Most successful countries against the holders:

       Spain        14 eliminations (Real Madrid 8, Barcelona 3, Atlético 2, Deportivo 1)
       Italy        12              (Juventus 6, Internazionale 3, Milan 2, Sampdoria 1)
       England       4              (Arsenal 1, Chelsea 1, Liverpool 1, Nottingham Forest 1)
       Bulgaria      3              (CSKA Sofia 3)
       Germany       3              (Bayern München 1, Borussia Dortmund 1, Schalke 04 1)
       Netherlands   3              (Ajax 2, Feijenoord 1)
       Ukraine       3              (Dynamo Kyiv 3)
       Romania       2              (Dinamo Bucuresti 1, UT Arad 1)
    

    No other country boasts more than one such elimination.


    Penalty Shootouts

    There have been quite a few penalty shootouts to decide the winners of the Champions' Cup in recent years. Here you'll find some records concerning them.


    Runners-Up Stuff

    From the season 1997/98 on, runners-up from the 8 strongest leagues were allowed into the Champions' Cup. This led to a record of 3 German teams participating in the Cup, Borussia Dortmund as defending champions, Bayern München as German champions, and Bayer Leverkusen as German runners-up. This was emulated by Spain in 1998/99 as well as by England, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain in 1999/2000; however, Germany set a new record by entering 4 teams in the Champions' League group stage (the same three as in 1997/98 plus Hertha BSC). In fact Italy and Spain also entered four teams but saw one losing out in the last qualifying round. In 2000/01, Spain was the only country to enter four teams in the group stage, with Italy, Germany, France and England settling for three. It has since become common for two or three of the top-5 countries to enter 4 clubs in the group stage; England had a change to enter 5 in 2005/06 when Liverpool got a 'wild card' as holders but Everton (who had entered as fourth team in the 2004/05 league) failed to negotiate the final qualifying round.

    In 1997/98, all three German teams reached the quarterfinal stage, which was a record. It was bettered in 1999/00, when Spain managed to field three semifinalists (a feat repeated in 2002/03 by Italy and in 2006/07 by England).

    However, Bayer Leverkusen were not the first domestic runners-up to reach the quarterfinal stage. If we exclude the first competition 1955/56, in which many non-champions participated, that honour goes to Sevilla, who were admitted as Spanish runners-up in the 1957/58 edition and were only eliminated by champions and holders Real Madrid in the quarterfinal.

    As for 1955/56, four clubs reached the quarterfinals who had not been champions in the previous domestic season, and one reached the semifinals, Hibernian, who had only finished 5th in the Scottish league 1954/55. The other three were Vörös Lobogo (Hungarian runners-up), Rapid Wien (third in Austria) and Partizan Beograd (5th in the previous Yugoslav season).

    In 1958/59, Atlético de Madrid, runners-up in the Spanish league the previous season, even went one stage further, reaching the semifinals and forcing Spanish champions and holders Real Madrid to a play-off before bowing out of the competition.

    The second team to reach the semifinals of the Champions' Cup without having won the domestic title or the Champions' Cup in the previous season was AS Monaco, who did so in 1993/94 in spite of having finished third in the French league in 1992/93 behind Olympique de Marseille, who had also won the Champions' Cup in 1992/93 but were banned in the wake of a bribery scandal, and Paris Saint-Germain, who declined taking Olympique's place in the Champions' Cup, preferring to play in the Cup Winners' Cup instead.

    In 1998/99, both finalists of the Champions' League had qualified as runners-up of their domestic league 1997/98; Manchester United became the first team to win the Champions' Cup having entered as runners-up, taking that distinction from Bayern München by two goals in injury time.

    Likewise, in 1999/00 neither finalist would have qualified for the tournament under the traditional rules: Real Madrid had finished 2nd in Spain in 1998/99, Valencia only fourth.

    Monaco's record of reaching the semifinals as third placed team from their country was bettered by Valencia, who reached the final in 1999/2000 having entered as Spain's 4th placed team the season before and reached it again as 3rd placed team in 2000/01. In 2001/02, Bayer Leverkusen equalled Valencia's record by reaching the final after entering as Germany's 4th placed team. Milan improved on this by becoming the first team to win the Champions League 2003 following qualification as 4th place team in their domestic championship in the previous season, a feat emulated by Liverpool in 2004/05.

    Atlético de Madrid hold another record: they are the only club who have won the Intercontinental Cup against the winners of the Copa Libertadores, in spite of not (and indeed never) having won the European Champions' Cup in the previous season, when they beat Independiente as stand-ins for Bayern München in 1974.

    While Atlético are the only team with more intercontinental than continental titles, Nottingham Forest have more continental wins (2 Champions' Cups in 1979 and 1980) than domestic league titles (1, in 1977/78, directly following promotion from the second division).


    Champions' Cup Records

    Highest win in one leg:

    1973/74, 1st round: Dinamo Bucuresti 11-0 Crusaders
    
    

    Highest aggregate win:

    1965/66, 1st round: Stade Dudelange 0-8 Benfica
                        Benfica 10-0 Stade Dudelange
                 Benfica win 18-0 on aggregate
    
    

    Most goals in game:

    1969/70, 1st round: Feijenoord 12-2 KR (Reykjavik), total 14 goals
    
    

    Most goals in tie:

    1965/66, 1st round: Stade Dudelange 0-8 Benfica
                        Benfica 10-0 Stade Dudelange
                 Benfica win 18-0 on aggregate, total 18 goals
    
    1968/69, 2nd round: Reipas (Lahti) 1-9 Spartak Trnava
                        Spartak Trnava 7-1 Reipas (Lahti)
                 Spartak Trnava win 16-2 on aggregate, total 18 goals
    
    1969/70, 1st round: Feijenoord 12-2 KR (Reykjavik)
                        KR (Reykjavik) 0-4 Feijenoord (in Rotterdam)
                 Feijenoord win 16-2 on aggregate, total 18 goals
    
    1979/80, 1st round: HJK (Helsinki) 1-8 Ajax
                        Ajax 8-1 HJK (Helsinki)
                 Ajax win 16-2 on aggregate, total 18 goals
    
    
    

    Best come-backs:

    1968/69, quarterf.: Ajax 1-3 Benfica
                        Benfica 1-3 Ajax
             playoff:   Ajax 3-0 Benfica (aet, in Paris)
    
    2016/17, 1/8 final: Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Barcelona
                        Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain
                 Barcelona win 6-5 on aggregate
                        
    2018/19, 1/8 final: Manchester United 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain
                        Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Manchester United
                 3-3 on aggregate, Manchester United win on away goals
    

    Unbeaten Series

  • Manchester United hold the record of 25 consecutive matches unbeaten in the Champions' Cup.

  • European Cups (all tournaments) Trivia | Cup Winners' Cup Trivia | Fairs' Cup Trivia | UEFA Cup/Europa League Trivia

    About this document

    Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

    Author: Karel Stokkermans
    Last updated: 17 Sep 2020

    (C) Copyright Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 1996/2020
    You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.