5 bold predictions for 2018

Real Madrid v Sevilla - La Liga — Cristiano Ronaldo won his fifth Ballon d'Or in 2017

#3 English club to win the Champions League

FC Bayern Muenchen v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Final — Chelsea were the last English side to win the Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious tournament for the European clubs. Teams from various countries in Europe compete for this trophy which gives them the right to call themselves the best in the continent.

Since the turn of the century, Spain has got the most number of Champions League winners with Real Madrid lifting the trophy five times and Barcelona doing it four times. Italian and English clubs have won three times each. Bayern Munich from Germany have become champions twice, while Portuguese club Porto won once.

The Premier League is said to be one of the most competitive league in the world and has more than a few big clubs. Despite all those 'biggies' like Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs trying, they could only win it thrice in 17 years.

Liverpool triumphed in 2005 after a historical comeback against AC Milan. Manchester United came out victorious in 2008 after an all English final against Chelsea who won it in 2012.

The round of 16 #UCLdraw has been made ?Backing your team to progress? pic.twitter.com/v7I6dSq7Tc
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 11, 2017

Expand Tweet

Since Chelsea, no English club has even reached the finals of the tournament. However, in 2018 we could see an English club winning the Champions League for the first time in six years. Five clubs from the country have qualified for the round of 16 this term and we could even see an all English finals this term.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

Know More

Edited by Shambhu Ajith