Which teams have won all the major UEFA club trophies?
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
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Five sides have a full set of winners' medals from the top four UEFA club competitions: can you name them?
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Only five teams have won the four biggest trophies in UEFA men's club competition, but a sixth side could join their exclusive number this season.
The UEFA Champions League/European Cup, UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup are generally regarded as the most prestigious men's club competitions in European football. Meet the teams that have won them all.
Ajax
UEFA Champions League/European Cup: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup: 1992
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1987
UEFA Super Cup: 1973, 1995
Using the template set by coach Rinus Michels and inspired by Johan Cruyff, Ajax's 'total football' earned them three European Cups in the early 1970s. Cruyff returned as coach and led the Amsterdam side to Cup Winners' Cup glory in 1987, and they clinched a full set of UEFA trophies with UEFA Cup success under Louis van Gaal in 1992. Ajax also lifted the 1972 Super Cup and the 1962 Intertoto Cup, but neither were UEFA competitions at the time.
Bayern München
UEFA Champions League/European Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup: 1996
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1967
UEFA Super Cup: 2013
Bayern started their collection with the 1967 Cup Winners' Cup, and bossed the European Cup in the mid-1970s, but it took a few more decades for them to round off the compilation. Their 1996 UEFA Cup triumph came 20 years after their third European Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup proved even harder to come by. Indeed, there was no 1974 UEFA Super Cup, and they then lost the 1975, 1976 and 2001 editions before finally prevailing in 2013, beating Chelsea on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Prague.
Chelsea
UEFA Champions League/European Cup: 2012
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup: 2013, 2019
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1971, 1998
UEFA Super Cup: 1998
Chelsea entered the 21st century having won two Cup Winners' Cups and one Super Cup, but achieved a full house of trophies in the space of two dramatic seasons. Their 2012 UEFA Champions League success came following a penalty shoot-out at the home of opponents Bayern, albeit the next season they became the first holders to be eliminated in the group stage. No matter: parachuted into the UEFA Europa League, they proceeded to win the competition and complete their set.
Juventus
UEFA Champions League/European Cup: 1985, 1996
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup: 1977, 1990, 1993
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1984
UEFA Super Cup: 1984, 1996
Last out of the starting blocks, Juventus did not capture European silverware until 1977, but then needed just eight years to become the first side to win all of the 'big four' tournaments, accomplishing the feat in the 1985 European Cup. Uniquely, the Bianconeri can also claim to have landed all six UEFA club competitions, having won the European/South American Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup (Ajax won the Intertoto too, in 1962, but before it was a UEFA competition).
Manchester United
UEFA Champions League/European Cup:1968, 1999, 2008
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup: 2017
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1991
UEFA Super Cup: 1991
Man. United first lifted the European Cup under Sir Matt Busby in 1968, but it took another footballing knight to bring them sustained continental success. Sir Alex Ferguson was just Alex Ferguson when he secured the Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the first of his two UEFA Champions League titles – but he was not to win all four UEFA competitions. Instead, it was his one-time rival José Mourinho who oversaw United's maiden UEFA Europa League coronation in 2017.
Who else can join the 'clean sweep' club?
Atlético Madrid could become the sixth members of the band if they win the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League, since they have won all the other trophies on the list. Anderlecht, Parma and Valencia occupy a similar position, having held all the major European trophies – except for the very biggest one.
Tottenham stood within two games of a clean sweep last term: had they beaten Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final, a UEFA Super Cup victory would have completed their haul.
AC Milan and Barcelona must both win the UEFA Europa League to put the seal on their sets. Milan have appeared in the competition regularly, but Barcelona have not played in it since losing to Celtic in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup fourth round.
Because they never won the Cup Winners’ Cup, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Porto and Liverpool will have to accept that this is one exclusive European footballing club they cannot join.
Who has won the most UEFA men's club trophies?
Club | UCL | UEL | CWC | Super Cup | TOTAL |
Real Madrid | 13 | 2 | - | 4 | 19 |
AC Milan | 7 | - | 2 | 5 | 14 |
Barcelona | 5 | - | 4 | 5 | 14 |
Liverpool | 6 | 3 | - | 4 | 13 |
Ajax | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Bayern | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
Juventus | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Atlético | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
Chelsea | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Inter | 3 | 3 | - | - | 6 |
Man. United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Sevilla | - | 5 | - | 1 | 6 |
Anderlecht | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Porto | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | 5 |
Parma | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |