Best players currently without a Champions League medal

The recently concluded UEFA champions league final was a deserved gift to the Chelsea players. They may not have played great football to win the Champions League over Munich but certainly, ever since the Roman era [Jose era], they have been one of the most consistent teams from England in the Champions League. Didier Drogba, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech finally won the medal which every Chelsea player wanted since they lost the 2008 final to Manchester United.

While one set of talented players won the medal, there are quite a lot of brilliant footballers still waiting for their chance to wear the Champions League winner’s medal around their neck, Sportskeeda lists a few such players who have come very close and some who just can’t seem to get a break.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swedish striker is one of those players over which people can spend days debating. Some say he is a great player, while others lament on the fact that he often goes missing in big games. Having played for the likes of Juventus, Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona and now AC Milan, it is quite surprising that he has never won a Champions League title, well he hasn’t even made it to a final, although he has been named in the UEFA team of the year twice.

Guess the following Meme says it all for poor old Zlat Attack!

Zlat trolled and HARD!

Cesc Fabregas

The darling of Arsenal until he made his move to Barcelona to win more trophies.

Cesc, a product of the Barcelona academy played for 8 years at the London club and boy did he play well! A talented midfielder who can cut the field with his great passes, and holds the runners up medal in the 2005-06 Champions league when Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the final. Cue a few years later and a lot of Champions League quests, he is still looking to make it to another final. Having moved back to his original club Barcelona there was a great chance of him at least making the finals this season but Chelsea, Roberto Di Matteo and fate had other plans. Still he won 4 trophies with Barca, more than he won in the 8 years he spent at Arsenal.

 

Michael Owen

The former Liverpool player was at the peak of his form during his time at the Merseyside club, shocked the Kop when he wanted out in 2005 and moved to Real Madrid to “win” more titles. While Antonio Nunez came to Anfield as part of the deal, no one really remembers him. What happened that season was to be remembered in Liverpool folklore forever. Nunez won the Champions league in Istanbul over a brilliant Milan side, the greatest Champions League final so far, while Owen played just one season for Madrid, and joined Newcastle the season after. Ultimately he won a Premier League medal while playing for Manchester United but he was never the same player and now is without a club since his release from United.

Arjen Robben

If anyone has bad luck in the finals, it has to be the Dutch winger. Not only did he lose the Champions League final with Munich against Chelsea in 2012, he has done the exact same feat with Munich when they lost to Inter Milan in the 2009 final. Robben has also played for Real Madrid and Chelsea but never made it to the finals as he has with Munich. Maybe the third time is the charm for the winger, hopefully he will have learned his lesson on how to take proper penalties.

Next time is the charm, Arjen.

Bastian Schweinsteiger/ Philipp Lahm

Speaking of Robben, how can we forget his good friend (at taking penalties), the Schwein, and his accomplice in losing the Champions League finals Philipp Lahm. Both are Germans who don’t normally lose on penalty kicks but Bastian hit the woodwork in the penalty shootout in 2012 and the rest as they say is history. Oh yeah, they were also part of the Munich team which lost in 2009 to Inter Milan.

Don't cry for me Germany

Robin Van Persie

Mr Arsenal, as he should now be known, takes on the mantle of being the show piece for Arsenal, scoring goals for fun and literally ripping up defenses. However, one thing that Van Persie has not won is the Champions league. He did not even start for the Gunners in the 2006 final loss to Barcelona, instead was an unused sub in the game. With Arsenal not taking huge strides in either the league or Europe, who knows how long it might take for the mercurial and talented striker to make it to another Champions league final. Maybe a move to another club? Not something that the Arsenal fans would want to hear.

Van the man

Which other players do you think should be on this list?