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New York Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Chelsea can become the first club to win all four major UEFA trophies – but who else could complete the set?
On Wednesday evening in Poland, Chelsea have the chance to become the first club to win all four of the major UEFA club competitions that have existed. Those four competitions are: The European Cup/Champions League (which started in 1955-56 and was rebranded with the latter name in 1992-93), the UEFA Cup/Europa League (formed in 1971-72 and revamped in 2009-10), the Cup Winners' Cup (contested from 1960-61 to 1998-99) and the Conference League (introduced in 2021-22). Advertisement Chelsea's first triumph in any of these competitions was the 1971 Cup Winners' Cup, when Dave Sexton's side beat Real Madrid in the final after a replay. They won the European Cup/Champions League for the first time in 2012 under Roberto Di Matteo by defeating Bayern Munich on penalties. They then picked up a maiden UEFA Cup/Europa League title in 2013 (pictured top) under Rafa Benitez, beating Benfica. So, victory over Spanish side Real Betis in the Conference League final this week would make it four different major UEFA trophies in the club's cabinet — a unique feat. Now, of course, the Conference League is UEFA's tertiary competition and Chelsea, like other top clubs, would rather be in the European Cup/Champions League (and the next-best UEFA Cup/Europa League). Nonetheless, they will never have a better chance to make history and become the first side to win all four. Here, The Athletic takes a look at the 61 clubs from 18 different countries (by today's definition) to have won a major UEFA competition, which trophies they are missing, and, given the abolishment of the Cup Winners' Cup, who else could complete the set. (Note: The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which existed from 1955 to 1971, was a European trophy but it was not organised by UEFA.) Won: European Cup/Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League and Cup Winners' Cup Missing: Conference League Clubs: Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United Before the Conference League was introduced four seasons ago, these five European clubs had won every major UEFA competition. Italian side Juventus were the first to achieve the feat, triumphing in the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 1977, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1984 and the European Cup/Champions League a year later. Ajax did it in 1992. Bayern Munich followed in 1996. Then English clubs Chelsea and Manchester United got there in 2013 and 2017 respectively. Advertisement Of these clubs, only Chelsea (this season) and Ajax (knocked out in the round of 16 by Aston Villa in 2023-24) have played in the Conference League. If any of these five sides were to win the Conference League, they would complete the set. Won: European Cup/Champions League and UEFA Cup/Europa League Missing: Cup Winners' Cup and Conference League Clubs: Real Madrid, Porto, Feyenoord, PSV, Liverpool and Inter Real Madrid, whose 15 wins in the European Cup/Champions League is the most any club has triumphed in a single major UEFA competition, Porto and Liverpool all lost in the Cup Winners' Cup final (Madrid doing so twice, the first time being to Chelsea in 1971) and Feyenoord lost the inaugural Conference League final in 2022. Feyenoord and fellow Dutch side PSV are the only two of these six sides to have played in all four major UEFA competitions. None of these six sides can complete the set due to their failure to win the Cup Winners' Cup. Won: European Cup/Champions League and Cup Winners' Cup Missing: UEFA Cup/Europa League and Conference League Clubs: Barcelona, Milan, Hamburg, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund Barcelona and Milan are the only clubs to have won the European Cup/Champions League more than twice but never to have triumphed in the UEFA Cup/Europa League. The Spanish side's best performance in the latter competition is reaching the semi-finals in 1976, 1978, 1996 and 2001. For the Italians, it was also making the last four, in 1972 and 2002. Hamburg's victory in the European Cup/Champions League in 1983, which followed their triumph in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1977, ended English clubs' six-year winning streak in UEFA's top competition. If Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter on Saturday in the European Cup/Champions League final, they will join this section. Advertisement It is worth noting that the Cup Winners' Cup, which as the name suggests was largely for the winners of UEFA nations' domestic cups, was considered Europe's secondary club competition during its existence — ahead of the UEFA Cup/Europa League. These five sides can all still complete the set. Won: UEFA Cup/Europa League and Cup Winners' Cup Missing: European Cup/Champions League and Conference League Clubs: Valencia, Tottenham Hotspur, Parma, Anderlecht and Atletico Madrid Valencia and Atletico Madrid are two of three clubs (Reims are the other) to have played in the European Cup/Champions League final more than once but never won the competition (PSG could join them on Saturday). Atletico have lost three finals in Europe's premier competition, all in agonising circumstances. In 1974, Bayern Munich equalised in the last minute of extra time to force a replay (the only European Cup/Champions League final to go to a second match). The Bavarian side won 4-0. In 2014, Sergio Ramos scored in stoppage time for city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico lost 4-1 after the additional 30 minutes. Two years later, they again lost to Madrid, this time on penalties. Atletico's victory in the Cup Winners' Cup came in 1962, the second season of the competition (the first edition, won by Fiorentina, was not organised by UEFA but is considered official). Valencia lost consecutive finals in 2000 and 2001 to Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively. The only other instance in the European Cup/Champions League of a team losing back-to-back finals is Juventus in 1997 and 1998. These five sides can all still complete the set. Won: Cup Winners' Cup and Conference League Missing: European Cup/Champions League and UEFA Cup/Europa League Club: West Ham United The London club won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 under Ron Greenwood at Wembley and the second edition of the Conference League in 2023 under David Moyes. That 58-year gap is the longest any side has gone between winning another major UEFA competition. The victory in 1965 over 1860 Munich was the second of three Wembley triumphs in three successive years for West Ham stars Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. The duo also won the FA Cup at the famous stadium in 1964 by beating Preston North End and then the World Cup for England against West Germany in 1966. Their club and international team-mate Martin Peters didn't play in the win over Preston. Advertisement West Ham came 14th in the Premier League in the season they won the Conference League, which before Tottenham in this campaign (17th and won the UEFA Cup/Europa League) was the lowest a team had come in their domestic league while winning a major UEFA trophy. West Ham can still complete the set. Won: European Cup/Champions League Missing: UEFA Cup/Europa League, Cup Winners' Cup and Conference League Clubs: Benfica, Aston Villa, Crvena Zvezda, Celtic, Marseille, Steaua Bucharest and Nottingham Forest Portuguese side Benfica, who are the club from the furthest west to have won a major UEFA competition, became the first side other than Real Madrid to claim the European Cup/Champions League when they won the competition in 1961. They added 19-year-old forward Eusebio and retained their crown in 1962 by beating Madrid in the final. Since then, they have lost five European Cup/Champions League finals and three UEFA Cup/Europa League finals. Only Juventus (also eight) have lost as many overall finals as this. Nottingham Forest are the only other of these clubs to have won the European Cup/Champions League more than once, doing so in 1979 and 1980. Crvena Zvezda are the only Serbian side to pick up major UEFA silverware (though they represented Yugoslavia at the time of their European Cup/Champions League victory in 1991) and Steaua Bucharest are the only Romanian club to do so. Steaua Bucharest's victory in 1986 is the last time a team won the European Cup/Champions League final with a starting XI all from the same country (all Romanian). None of these seven sides can complete the set due to their failure to win the Cup Winners' Cup. Won: UEFA Cup/Europa League Missing: European Cup/Champions League, Cup Winners' Cup and Conference League Clubs: Shakhtar Donetsk, Schalke, Galatasaray, Atalanta, Eintracht Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Zenit, Villarreal, Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Sevilla, CSKA Moscow, Napoli and Ipswich Town Fourteen clubs have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League and nothing else. Borussia Monchengladbach are the earliest first-time winners on the above list (1975) and Atalanta (2024) the most recent. Spanish side Sevilla, the club from the furthest south to have won a major UEFA competition, have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League a record seven times (no other club has won it on more than three occasions). Yet their best performance in any other major UEFA competition is reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup/Champions League in 1958 and 2018. Advertisement Napoli's victory in 1989 is the only international club trophy Diego Maradona won during his career. Gothenburg (1982 and 1987) are the only Swedish club to win a major UEFA competition and Galatasaray (2000) are the only Turkish side to do so. Zenit, from Saint Petersburg in Russia, the northernmost club to secure major UEFA silverware, won the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2008. None of these 14 sides can complete the set due to their failure to win the Cup Winners' Cup. Won: Cup Winners' Cup Missing: European Cup/Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League and Conference League Clubs: Arsenal, Real Zaragoza, Dynamo Kyiv, Fiorentina, PSG, Sampdoria, Sporting CP, Magdeburg, Mechelen, Lazio, Rangers, Everton, Aberdeen, Slovan Bratislava, Werder Bremen and Dinamo Tbilisi A star-studded Lazio side, managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson, picked up the only major continental silverware in their history in 1999 by winning the last Cup Winners' Cup final — beating Spanish club Mallorca 2-1 at Villa Park thanks to goals from Christian Vieri and Pavel Nedved. Slovan Bratislava's victory in 1969 is the only time a club from Slovakia has won a major UEFA competition (though Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia at the time). Dinamo Tbilisi's success in 1981 makes them the only Georgian club to do so, though Georgia was part of the Soviet Union back then — they are also the club from the furthest east to pick up major UEFA silverware. When Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen triumphed over Alfredo Di Stefano's Real Madrid in 1983, it was the first major UEFA trophy the future Manchester United manager had won (he would add another Cup Winners' Cup in 1991 and the European Cup/Champions League in 1999 and 2008). All 16 of these sides can still complete the set. Won: Conference League Missing: European Cup/Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League and Cup Winners' Cup Clubs: Roma and Olympiacos Jose Mourinho's Roma side won the inaugural Conference League in 2022, making it, at the time, five major European finals contested; five victories for the Portuguese manager. Greek side Olympiacos' triumph in 2024 came in Athens, which made them the first club to win a major UEFA trophy in their own country since Dutch side Feyenoord's UEFA Cup/Europa League victory in 2002 in Rotterdam. Advertisement They are also the only Greek club to have picked up major UEFA silverware. If Real Betis were to beat Chelsea on Wednesday, they would join this section. Neither Roma nor Olympiacos can complete the set, due to their failure to win the Cup Winners' Cup. Here are the 32 of the 61 major UEFA trophy-winning clubs who, by virtue of triumphing in the Cup Winners' Cup, can still complete the set:
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'It was an incredibly emotional day'
I had an interesting weekend. On Saturday night I was at my old stomping ground Stamford Bridge, where I was MC for a night celebrating the legacy of Roberto di Matteo – and what a lovely man he is. The Italian scored in three Cup finals for Chelsea and as manager brought the FA Cup to the club before delivering their first Champions League trophy in 2012. It was quite emotional as the fans were able to show their appreciation at hours later I was 200 miles north at another old stomping ground, this time for the last time. Many of us former Everton players were invited back for the final men's game at Goodison Park and it was an incredibly emotional Neville Southall, the finest keeper in the world on his day, to Duncan Ferguson and Wayne Rooney, most of the greatest names in the club's history who are still living, were on the pitch at the end. It was an honour to be among them, but even more of an honour to be in front of those fans one last time.I have rarely if ever heard a noise as loud as the one at the beginning of the game. It was a visceral celebration and outcry that no one who was there will ever forget. Everton won and Iliman Ndiaye scored a couple but the game and the result didn't fans talked to me about their memories - friends made and family moments cherished. They recalled precious moments with other Everton fans who are no longer with us. Fathers and sons hugging on the terraces after a goal, when they could never hug anywhere atmosphere was charged with positive emotions and, yes, plenty of sentiment. It was like so many other places around football at the moment, the end of a season as well as the end of an era can have those effects. Those who do not love the game can never fully understand and share our passions.I feel a little sorry for those people today, they don't know what they are missing.'Goodbye to Goodison' is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, where you can hear from fans, players past and present, and David Moyes on what Goodison Park means to Everton Football up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter
New York Times
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Linkin Park to headline Champions League final pre-match show in Munich
Linkin Park will headline the pre-match show for the 2025 Champions League final in Munich on May 31. The rock band, whose recent From Zero album marked their first release in seven years, said they are 'excited to share some of our favourite songs from the past and present', adding it will be a 'totally new experience for us as a band'. Advertisement The Champions League final is set to take place at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. The 75,024-capacity arena also hosted the final of the competition in 2012, when Chelsea beat Bayern on penalties to lift the trophy under Roberto Di Matteo. Lenny Kravitz, DJ Alesso, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello and Marshmello have previously performed before kick-off at the Champions League final. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona secured their spots in the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday with two-legged victories over Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund respectively. Arsenal hold a 3-0 advantage going into the second leg against holders Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, while Inter have a 2-1 lead against Bayern for their second leg at San Siro.
