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Almost 60 years since it first started off as the ‘European Champion Clubs' Cup’, the UEFA Champions League is now widely and deservedly considered the pinnacle of club football. Success in it is coveted by all teams who aspire for greatness. As of 2014, 22 clubs have won the title at least once. Many of them are regulars in Europe, consistently appearing on the podium or at least coming close.Here are the 7 most consistent teams in Europe in the last decade (2004-14).
#7 Arsenal
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In seventh place is Arsenal – not a name some of you would expect to read here, and you have good reason too considering that European success has been a faraway dream for the Gunners in recent times.
But they have remained a regular in the knockout stages, getting out of the group stages 10 seasons in a row. Their best appearance came in the 2006 edition, when they were just 15 minutes away from winning their first ever Champions League in the final against Barcelona in Paris. But it was not to be as goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti saw Barca pull off a great escape.
Three years later, they made it to the semi-finals where domestic rivals Manchester United knocked them out.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-06 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | R16 | F | R16 | QF | SF | QF | R16 | R16 | R16 | R16 |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16
#6 AC Milan
AC Milan have a great relationship with the Champions League, winning it a total of 7 times, the last of which came in 2007. The Rossoneri are the last team to have successfully defended the title after winning it in both 1989 and 1990, with a superb team that featured the likes of Van Basten, Rijkaard, Gullit and Baresi. Of their rather unsavoury memories, the most prominent one will undoubtedly be the loss to Liverpool on penalties in Istanbul in the 2005 final, after leading 3-0 at halftime. Milan did take revenge on Liverpool two years later, but have failed to make it to the semi-finals ever since. They will not be featuring at all this season, after finishing 8th in Serie A.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | F | SF | C | R16 | - | R16 | R16 | QF | R16 | R16 |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16
#5 Real Madrid
Winning the Champions League ten times means that Real Madrid are the undisputed kings of Europe.
They nailed the fabled La Decima last season, but it came after many years spent in relative wilderness, reaching the final after a gap of 12 years. After Zinedine Zidane’s wonderful volley won them their ninth title in 2002, club president Florentino Perez brought in a host of superstars to go for the tenth.
But not even the combination of Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Beckham, Raul and Roberto Carlos could not manage to win it. Until the arrival of Jose Mourinho in the hot seat in 2010, Los Blancos had failed to get past the Round of 16 six times in a row. In 2014, and after spending millions of euros, they finally made it. And maybe that’s all that matters for their fans as they hope Carlo Ancelotti will build on that superb triumph.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | R16 | R16 | R16 | R16 | R16 | R16 | SF | SF | SF | C |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16, GS-Eliminated in the Group Stage
#4 Manchester United
They may not be having the best times of now, but Manchester United have been consistent performers in the Champions League during the last decade.
After losing out to Milan in the semi-finals in 2007, Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw a third title in 2008. It was followed by two more final appearances in 2009 and 2011; United finishing runners-up to Barcelona on both occasions.
However, the last decade also saw the Red Devils suffer the humiliation of group stage elimination twice. This season, United will have to watch from home as they failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing 7th in 2013-14. New manager Louis van Gaal will have to wait at least a year before trying his luck in Europe.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | R16 | GS | SF | C | F | QF | F | GS | R16 | QF |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16, GS-Eliminated in the Group Stage
#3 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are yet another team who have a long history in Europe.
In the years after Franz Beckenbauer led Bayern to three consecutive European Cups, the Bavarians struggled to get a fourth title. They came tantalisingly close on a famous night in 1999, when after keeping a 1-0 lead for most of the match, Manchester United scored twice in stoppage time to register a superb turnaround.
Two years later, Die Roten finally got their wish as they beat Valencia on penalties in the final at the San Siro. In the past decade, Bayern have had a pretty good record; they won in 2013, and finished runners-up in 2010 and 2012.
There was also a semi-final appearance in 2013-14, during Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge of the team.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | QF | R16 | QF | - | QF | F | R16 | F | C | SF |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16, GS-Eliminated in the Group Stage
#2 Chelsea
The ‘Roman Revolution’ brought many changes to Chelsea; the most important was the establishment of the Blues as a powerful force in European football.
Abramovich’s arrival would see immediate results as Chelsea would be a regular presence at the semi-finals henceforth. But the Russian billionaire would never be satisfied with a semi-final exit. He wanted the grand prize.
In 2008, it seemed as though Abramovich would see his dream come true in Moscow, of all places. But a John Terry slip in the penalty shooutout meant Chelsea gifted victory to Manchester United in the final. Chelsea fans had to wait four more years to finally put the ghosts of Moscow to rest.
In 2012, another penalty shootout, this time against Bayern Munich, saw the Pensioners become the first team from London to win the Champions League.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | SF | R16 | SF | F | SF | R16 | QF | C | GS | SF |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16, GS-Eliminated in the Group Stage
#1 Barcelona
No prizes for guessing who comes out on top. Barcelona have dominated European football over the last decade in a way not seen since the days of Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan.
The three titles they have won in 2006, 2009 and 2011 speak for themselves. Of course, they haven’t been at their best during the past couple of years, but nothing can deny that for the most part, they were intimidating and unplayable. It is interesting to note that the Blaugrana’s domination happened over two eras and with two different styles.
Frank Rijkaard managed them to the title in 2006 with a team centred around the creative force of Ronaldinho. Then came Pep Guardiola with his tiki-taka brand of football, pioneered by Xavi, Andres Iniesta and the masterful Lionel Messi. It would bring unprecedented success not only to the Catalans but also to Spain on the international stage.
| Season | 2004-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | 13-14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | R16 | C | R16 | SF | C | SF | C | SF | SF | QF |
C-Champions, F-Runners-up, SF-Eliminated in the semifinals, QF-Eliminated in the quarterfinals, R16-Eliminated in the Round of 16, GS-Eliminated in the Group Stage
