Longest title-winning streaks in Europe's top 5 leagues

Winning a league is never a walk in the park. To be at the top of the league come the end of the season after playing at least 18-20 teams twice takes some doing. In order to achieve the title, consistency is key.A team has to make sure they get results day in day out and ensure they don't slip up under pressure because the chasing pack is always there to take a shot at you. But these teams made winning look easy. They dominated the league season after season without breaking a sweat. Here are longest title-winning streaks in Europe’s top leagues

#4 Bayern Munich,Manchester United - 3 years

Bayern Munich have dominated Germany in recent years

We start off with teams who have managed to win their respective leagues for a minimum of three consecutive years.The first ever team to have ever won the league for three seasons in a row are current minnows Huddersfield town in 1924!

But one team have become masters of title hat tricks in Europe and that is Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants have managed to do it on four separate occasions. First between 1971-74 when the club boasted the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller. Next they did between 1984-87, followed by another one in the next decade between 1998 and 2001.

Their most recent one, comes between 2012 and 2015 during which time they even managed to win the UEFA Champions League. The only other German team to achieve the feat is Borussia Mönchengladbach who did it mid 70’ s between 1974 and 1977.

Three other English teams pulled off a three-year defense after Huddersfield town. Arsenal under the great Herbert Champman won the title from 1932 to 1935. Liverpool were the next ones to do it when Bob Paisley’s famous all-conquering team managed to win three titles between 1981-1984.

And finally, we have Manchester United under the great Sir Alex Ferguson who broke a record in England by achieving it twice, between 1998 and 2001 and more recently between 2006 and 2009.

Other teams who have reached the three-year mark are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Sainte Etienne.

#3 Barcelona - 4 years

Will Juventus claim a fifth this year?

Only four teams in the top 5 leagues of Europe have ever won their respective titles four consecutive times. But the first team to do it was Saint Etienne from 1966 to 1970. The French team believe it or not, have won the Ligue 1 title 10 times, a joint highest in France along with Marseille.

Marseille matched that feat when they won the title four times between 1988 and 1992. Players like Chris Waddle, Dragan Stojakovic and a man named Eric Cantona were part of that famous winning streak.

Barcelona are the only Spanish side to won have it four years in a row. They managed it in between 1990 and 1994. They managed to end Real Madrid’s domination of the crown in 1990 and then began a dominant spell of their own which lasted until 1994. The great Romario and Hristo Stoichov were part of that squad along with the likes of Pep Guardiola coached by the famous Yohan Cruyff.

#2 Juventus, Inter, Real Madrid - 5 Years

Inter won the Scudetto in 2005 because of Calciopoli

Winning the League 5 times consecutively is no mean feat. But there still exist five teams who have achieved that landmark. The first of them were Italian giants Juventus. They did it in the early 30s which was during the pre-World War II era.

Juve became the first team across Europe to win the title five teams in a row. The Serie A began in 1930 with Inter being crowned the first champions. But Juve surpassed their rivals and won it for the next five seasons.

The next team to achieve the feat was another Italian club and Juve’s rivals Torino. Thier streak came during the World War II period. They won the first title in 1942 but the league a suspension in 1942-43 season. But after its resumption Torino continued their dominance to win the title four more times.

A Spanish team were the first to replicate the feat but only Real Madrid have managed to win La Liga five times in a row. They managed to achieve it twice. Their fist period of dominance came between 1960 and 1965 and their second spell was more recently between 1986 and 1990.

But probably the most infamous and controversial of them all was the most recent team to do it, which was Inter between 2005-2010. In 2005 Juventus were crowned champions but Calciopoli, the biggest corruption scandal in football resulted in them getting relegated and their crown being awarded to Inter Milan.

The Turin club, however, went on to win 5 consecutive Serie A titles up until this year in 2016. Massimiliano Allegri guided the club to two consecutive titles with his predecessor Antonio Conte winning the previous three. With stars like Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala and Claudio Marchisio, they breezed past many opposition to claim their titles in style.

Though Inter went on to win four more titles the one that started it all off is still a reminder to us of the dark side of football.

#1 Olympique Lyon - 7 years

Will Lyon’s record ever be broken?

Yes, standing alone at the top for the most consecutive years of winning the league title is Lyon! Before PSG became rich after their takeover only one club reigned supreme for the most part of the 2000s and that was Lyon.

The French club managed to win the Ligue 1 seven times in a row which is a record for Europe’s top 5 major leagues. The streak began in 2002. Lyon had never won a top flight title in their history. Nantes had finished as champions last time out with Lyon coming in second finishing four points behind the winners.

But in 2002 they managed to win their first ever Ligue 1 title finishing above Lens by just two points. But no one expected them to win seven in a row. In 2002-03 the league was renamed from French division to Ligue 1. It also saw the increase in the number of teams participating from 18 to 20.

Lyon inaugurated the new format by winning the first Ligue 1 title. In 2003-04, they won the league by just 3 points so everyone thought the competition was getting tougher. But instead of other teams closing the gap on Lyon they instead pulled away during the next three years winning at least by a margin of 12 points.

Lyon’s dominance was ended in 2009 by a talented Bordeaux side with the likes of Gourcuff and Chamakh helping the club to the title. The likes of Benzema, Micheal Essien and Florent Malouda were all part of that Lyon team at some stage in those seven years. The club have never managed to win a title after that.