Roberto Carlos joins century club

Roberto Carlos has joined Raúl González in an exclusive club of two after making his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League at Olympique Lyonnais this evening.

Nine-year run
The record is based on group stage to final matches only and stretches back to the 33-year-old Brazil left-back's European debut for Real Madrid CF in a 4-1 home victory against Rosenborg BK on 17 September 1997. He has scored 16 goals in his century of games, with his first strike in Europe's premier club competition coming in his third outing, a 5-1 success against Olympiacos CFP on 22 October 1997.

Happy memories
That season in Madrid ended with his team winning the 1997/98 UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 triumph against Juventus. Roberto Carlos has since made it a hat-trick of European Champion Clubs' Cup titles, playing the full 90 minutes in Madrid's 3-0 defeat of Valencia CF in the 2000 final and then again in the 2-1 success against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the 2002 showpiece. Raúl reached 100 matches in last term's 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal FC in the first knockout round.

UEFA Champions League
All-time appearances (group stage to final only)
As at 14 September 2006