The UEFA Champions League is one of the most fiercely contested events in world football, from the qualifying rounds to the group stage and knockout rounds. This is due to the fact that only the greatest teams from around Europe compete in the competition.In most rounds of the competition, quality is on display, and only the best are awarded the prize. Being a beaten finalist is one of the most difficult pills to take, but some people have been through it more than others.
Without further ado, here is a list of the top five clubs in terms of Champions League finals defeats.
Manchester United is ranked #5 in the world (2 defeats)
In the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United is one of the most successful English teams. They frequently reached the latter stages of the competition in the 2000s and early 2010s, ending in two final defeats for the club.
The same club and manager, Pep Guardiola, defeated Manchester United in both finals. Sir Alex Ferguson and his team were unable to defeat Guardiola's squad when it meant most.
The first setback came in the 2008-09 final, when the Spanish team won 2-0 thanks to goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi. Their second setback occurred at Wembley two years later, when Messi spurred his team to a 3-1 victory. In the game, David Villa and Pedro both scored goals.The Red Devils have won the competition three times, more than any other English club, with the exception of Liverpool. They haven't won the competition in a long time, with their previous win coming in 2008.
Liverpool is ranked number four (3 defeats)
Liverpool would have been devastated to lose to Real Madrid in the final days of the season after dominating the game. The final of the Champions League is always a game of razor-thin margins. Their loss against Real Madrid was their third in the competition, more than any other English team.When Liverpool lost their first final to AC Milan by a score of 2-1 in 2007, they were coached by Rafael Benitez. Liverpool had defeated the same opponents in the final two years prior.
In 2018 and 2022, they suffered their second and third defeats at the hands of the same opponents, Real Madrid. Both games ended with scores of 3-1 and 1-0, respectively. Jurgen Klopp was in charge of the team for both matches.Despite losing more finals than any other English team, Liverpool has won the competition the most times. In fact, the Reds have won twice as many titles as their closest competitors in the competition.
AC Milan is ranked third (3 defeats)
In that epic Champions League final in 2005, AC Milan committed one of the greatest capitulations ever seen in the competition. This was the third time the Rossoneri had lost in the competition finals, a feat achieved by only a few teams in Europe.
AC Milan's first Champions League final defeat came in 1993, when they were defeated 1-0 by Olympique Marseille of France. Their next final defeat followed two years later, by the same scoreline, to Dutch powerhouse Ajax. Their third final defeat came in 2005 when Liverpool came from three goals down to tie the game against the Rossoneri and eventually won on penalties
AC Milan has won the competition seven times, putting them second only to Real Madrid in terms of wins. In the 2010s, they had a very lean spell, and their last title came in 2007. In the 2021-22 season, they earned their first Scudetto since 2011.
Bayern Munich is ranked second in the Bundesliga. (3 setbacks)
Despite being one of the most successful teams in the league, Bayern Munich has also suffered defeat in the Champions League. The German champions have lost three finals in the competition, with English teams posing the greatest threat.Bayern Munich last lost a Champions League final in 1999, when Manchester United won their first and only triple with a 2-1 victory thanks to a late goal from Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer. Their second defeat came at the hands of Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, who completed their treble with a 2-0 victory thanks to a Diego Milito brace. In 2012, they suffered their third defeat as Chelsea beat them on penalties at home.
Since their last final setback, Bayern Munich has won the competition twice. In their history, they have won the competition six times.
Juventus is the best team in Italy (5 defeats)
Juventus are the undisputed kings of losing Champions League finals, having lost three in a row. They have lost five finals in the tournament's history, the most of any team.
Juventus suffered their first defeat in the 1997 final, losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund. They reached the final the next season, but lost 1-0 to Real Madrid. In 2003, they were defeated on penalties by AC Milan, a team from the same country.
Their fourth and fifth losses both came against Spanish teams, with Barcelona winning 3-1 in 2015 and Real Madrid winning 4-1 in 2017.
In their existence, Juventus has only won the Champions League twice. They are one of the most successful Italian clubs on the domestic scene, but their continental record is usually dismal.
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