The UEFA Champions League trophy is an extremely difficult thing to win, and many players go through their entire football career without even getting close to “the trophy with the big ears” as it is affectionately called.
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It seems like a league title is much easier to come by, yet in some cases, it’s the Champions League which presents less of a challenge. A few players have actually won it but missed out on league success altogether.
Also Read: 5 teams who need to win the Champions League this year
Here’s a list of five footballers who won on Europe’s grandest stage, but have failed to do so domestically.
#1 Steven Gerrard
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is an absolute legend, yet the midfielder never once lifted the Premier League trophy, in his 17 seasons with the Reds. Despite this, he remains a well-decorated player.
During his time at Anfield, the now LA Galaxy man won the Champions League under Rafa Benitez, as well as two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup and a UEFA Supercup.
Personal accolades include the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. He was also Liverpool’s top scorer for four of his 17 seasons and served as the club’s captain from 2003 until his departure in 2015.
Gerrard will always be recognised as a Premier League great, but was unfortunate to never win the title.
#2 Juan Mata
The Manchester United midfielder won the prestigious trophy during his time at Chelsea but has never won a league title in a career that has spanned across Spain and England.
Having joined Chelsea from Valencia for around £23 million in 2011, Mata scored on his debut, coming on as a late substitute against Norwich City to help the Blues to a 3-1 win. He would go on to become one of Chelsea’s best attackers, and was voted their Player of the Year for two seasons in a row
It came as a huge shock to everyone when he was sold to United in 2014. Mata was well liked by the fans and was a popular figure around Stamford Bridge, so when he was frozen out of the team by Jose Mourinho, it wasn’t very well received.
He would miss out on Chelsea’s 2014-15 Premier League triumph and is yet to win a league title. The upside is that he was present on that famous night in Munich when they won the Champions League. He also won the FA Cup and Europa League as a Chelsea player.
#3 Fernando Torres
A prolific striker during his time at Liverpool, Fernando Torres had it all. Blessed with blistering pace and a lethal finish, the Spanish forward took the Premier League by storm when he signed for the Reds from Atletico Madrid in 2007.
His £50 million move to Chelsea was supposed to take his career to new heights, but Torres could never find consistent form at Stamford Bridge, and it took him nearly three months to score his first goal for the club and he was never able to lead them to a league title.
It wasn’t all a waste, though. He did score 23 goals for the Blues in the 2012/13 season, and would win the Champions League, FA Cup, and Europa League during his time at the Bridge.
#4 Gareth Bale
The Welsh star has actually won the Champions League twice but is yet to win a league title. Joining Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2013 for a then world-record fee of £85.3 million (€100 million), Bale has been a real marvel to watch and hasn’t scored less than 17 goals in a season since the move.
He never won anything with Spurs but has seen a fair amount of silverware as a Madrid man. Apart from his two Champions League winner’s medals, he can also boast winning the Copa del Rey, UEFA Supercup, and FIFA Club World Cup. He hasn’t won La Liga yet, but one would imagine it’s only a matter of time.
#5 Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher spends most of his time working as a pundit for Sky Sports. But not too long ago, he was helping protect Liverpool’s goal as a defender. The Englishman is considered a legend at Anfield, and rightly so, yet he can’t boast ever lifting the Premier League trophy.
Carragher only played for one club his entire career, and that in itself is quite admirable. He helped the Merseyside outfit win the Champions League, two FA Cups, three League cups, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Supercup playing behind Steven Gerrard.
Top flight success managed to elude him for 17 years. However, Carragher can look back on a good career with few regrets, with not winning the Premier League being an obvious one.
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