Five clubs which have a history of choking in the Champions League

A clubs entry into Champions league brings huge cash flow, fame, reputation, expectations and lucarative deals. Its a competition which holds significant importance as its a level playing field among Europes elite. Domestically successful teams look at the Champions league as a platform to be the best in Europe. It also remains a competition where clubs, especially the big ones, are known to succumb under the pressure of expectations. There have been very few teams like Real Madrid, A.C.Milan and Liverpool who have had the historyof being consistent in Europe.There have been quite a few teams who have underachieved in Europe and the list includes powerhouses who have been successful domestically but have never really been able to be consistent in Europe. We look at five such clubs who have failed to live up to their reputations and who have choked when it really mattered.

#5 Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon)

Appearances in Champions League era (as of 2013-14): 12

Lyon has been one of the dominant forces in the French Ligue 1 which has resulted in their entry into the Champions League fairly often. Despite failing to win the competition even once, they have fared better than other French teams that have qualified for competition.

They have failed to get out of the group stages only twice over their past 12 complete campaigns, reaching the last 16 five times, the quarter-finals thrice and the semi-finals once. Even on a reasonable budget in terms of player transfers, the team has always featured talented individuals who have ensured that they have fared well in this competition.

However, with their persistent European sojourn, it is perhaps disappointing that they have not made it to more semi-finals. Perhaps that can be attributed to the departure of star players like Karim Benzema and Michael Essien to bigger teams. With competition from uber rich teams like Monaco and PSG, who are dominating the French league, it might become difficult for Lyon to achieve any kind of success on the European stage in the near future.

#4 Juventus

Appearances in Champions League era (as of 2013-14): 14

The surreal scene in 2003 of Shevchenko celebrating wildly after the epic penalty shootout would always haunt the players and fans of Juventus. A victory would have got them a third European title but it remains a story of ‘so near yet so far’ for the Bianconeri.

It has been 10 years since Juventus went past the quarter-finals of a European Cup and for a club of Juventus’ stature, it is kind of an underachievement.

The Calciopoli Scandal in 2006 can be attributed as one of the reasons for their slump domestically as well as in Europe. Yet, for all the efforts of Antonio Conte of assembling a title winning team, they have never really impressed in the Champions League since their return to Europe in 2009.

Winning back to back domestic titles in the last two years and also reaching the quarter finals in 2013, the Bianconeri would be considered as dark horses in this edition of the Champions League.

With an imperious defensive line coupled with the attacking threat of Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Paul Pogba; Juventus would definitely be looking to go beyond the quarter finals. The fact that they have one of the largest fan bases for an Italian club, the Bianconeri would definitely be looking to douse their European disappointment.

#3 Manchester United

Appearances in Champions League era (as of 2013-14): 20

The most successful team in England, the Red Devils have never managed to replicate their domestic successes on the European stage.

A team boasting of world class talents throughout their time in the competition (apart from last year), United have only been able to achieve Champions league glory twice – in 1999 and 2008.

Apart from this they have been able to reach the finals and semi-finals twice and thrice respectively. An 18-year consecutive run was brought to an end last year at the hands of Bayern Munich. That they were able to reach the last four only three times in 20 seasons, shows that they are susceptible against the European power houses.

For all the magic that Sir Alex Ferguson was able conjure in the English Premier League, he was never able to wield his magic wand for their unprecedented success in Europe.

#2 Bayern Munich

Appearances in Champions League era (as of 2013-14): 17

The Bundesliga champions have been a consistent force in Europe, yet they have never been consistent in achieving European glory. They will also be remembered as a team that choked in two huge Champions league finals – once in 1999 and the other as recent as 2012.

Perhaps, in the 1999 final, they were overpowered by an inspired Manchester United side at the death. However, the 2012 final against Chelsea will be remembered as one of the biggest chokes in Europe.

A match where Bayern were in complete control in their home stadium was thrown down the drain, firstly when Drogba equalized with just minutes remaining in normal time and secondly when the cool, composed Arjen Robben missed a penalty in extra time. However, they more than made up for their failure by winning the Champions league the following season.

Munich will always regret the fact that they have never been able to add to their tally of two Champions league titles since 2000 despite having the best crop of players and coaching staff at their disposal. After the humiliation faced at the hands of Real Madrid last season, Guardiola and Munich would definitely be aiming to go the distance this season.

#1 Arsenal

Appearances in Champions League era (as of 2013-14): 16

If there was ever a tag of perennial underachievers then it should definitely be attached to the Gunners.

Every season Arsenal make heavy weather of reaching the group stages of the Champions league by slugging it out in the qualifiers. Yet, once they get past the group stages they are generally knocked out in the Round of 16 or quarter finals.

In the past 14 years the Gunners have played in just one final, memorably losing 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris. Apart from that, they have managed to reach just one semi-final in the 2008-09 season. This is quite an irony for a team that that has featured regularly in Europe since 2000.

What happens or what goes wrong with the Gunners in Europe is something that must be dissected every season and efforts must be taken to avoid those failures. Yet if you are a punter betting money on Arsenal to get knocked out early, you would more or less be making sufficient money, such is their (in)consistency in performances.

The lack of success and the incredibly ability of Arsenal to choke regularly in Europe would always remain a botch in the otherwise impressive career of Professor Arsene Wenger.