5 best footballers never to have won any of Europe's top leagues

Antoine Griezmann had it all at Atletico Madrid. He became the club's darling as well as one of the most prominent footballers in the world during a stint full of goals and silverware including the Europa League. The only thing that eluded him at Madrid? A league title.

Griezmann, a complete modern attacking footballer capable of playing in the wing as well as a central striker whom Barcelona acquired by activating his huge release clause, arrived at the Vicente Calderon (then Atletico's home ground) the season after they won the La Liga. Their best position since Grierzmann's arrival has been second.

Perhaps even more bizarrely, after the footballer moved to Barcelona, the then La Liga champions suffered an implosion of sorts to relinquish their title to bitter rivals Real Madrid. That means the French World Cup winner is yet to win a league title. Though Griezmann has time on his side, history is replete with examples of great footballers failing to win even one top league title.

5 best footballers never to have won any of Europe's top leagues

At times fate, at times loyalty to a club, while at other times a combination of factors led to these footballers, who reached the pinnacle of the sport, never winning a league title. On that note, let us take a look at five of them.

#5 Gaizka Mendieta

We were actually spoilt for choice while making this list. That's because there are so many footballers who ruled the game but never managed to lay their hands on a league title. Such is the nature of the sport. One such footballer is Gaizka Mendieta who just edges out Italian World Cup winner Daniele De Rossi.

That's because Mendieta had a much greater influence on club football, captaining Valencia all the way to the Champions League final twice. Indeed, the playmaker helped the Spanish side rub shoulders with the best in Europe when he was at his devastating best.

Sadly, Mendieta could not take Valencia to the La Liga crown though he did win the Copa del Rey with them. His spells in Italy with Lazio, with Barcelona back in Spain and with Middlesborough in England also did not result in a league trophy.

Mendieta will remain the best Spanish midfielder to have played the game before the golden generation of Xavi and Andres Iniesta arrived.

#4 Giuseppe Signori

For many millennial football fans, the name Giuseppe Signori might sound unfamiliar. Indeed, Signori is often termed the greatest forgotten footballer ever or the greatest footballer never to have won a major trophy.

That's because Signori, a prolific striker who won the Serie A Top Scorer Award thrice and scored 188 goals in the league when the best defenders in the world played in Italy, never won the league title.

Signori, who was rejected by Inter in his youth because of his diminutive stature, reached the summit of the Italian game the hard way through Serie C and Serie B. The skilful and versatile marksman had his best days in Lazio and also played for the Italian team that reached the 1994 FIFA World Cup final.

#3 Fernando Torres

Is Fernando Torres the most decorated footballer in history never to have won a league title?

The once prolific striker, who has won the Europa League, the Champions League, the European Championships and the World Cup, never once won a league title. It is strange but true. His spells at Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were both rife with goals but a league trophy was conspicuous by its absence.

Torres' disastrous stint in Chelsea did get him a Champions League winners' medal but again, no league title. Indeed, Chelsea won the league in the season before the Spanish footballer joined the club and then right after he left! Griezmann will be hoping not to follow suit.

#2 Steven Gerrard

If only he had stayed on his feet. One of Liverpool's greatest ever footballers and eternal icons won the Champions League among various other laurels for the club, except for the Premier League.

Gerrard played more than 700 times for the club and was one of the world's most elite and complete midfielders who had everything - skills, passing range and shooting prowess - one could dream of. He didn't have one thing, though: a league winner's medal.

It could have all been different had Gerrard not slipped dramatically to put Demba Ba through on goal in a Premier League game in 2014 when Liverpool led the league. Chelsea were second and needed to win in Anfield that day.

Gerrard's slip set the London club on their way to the crown (ironically,the one that Torres missed out on) and ensured that the English footballer would end his career as one of the all-time greats never to have won a league title.

#1 Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker was probably destined to win more individual awards than team trophies. Like Signori, he won the Golden Boot in the English League thrice.

Lineker was the top scorer in the 1986 FIFA World Cup for England and came second in the Ballon'd'Or. He was one of the best strikers in the world and remains one of the all-time greatest strikers of the game.

Yet, Lineker's only league triumph was in the second division with Leicester City. He did win the FA Cup, the Copa del Rey and the Cup Winners' Cup but, despite playing for a champion Everton, and later for Barcelona, both of whom won the league, Lineker was never a part of the teams that actually won the league titles.

Lineker is possibly the most prominent member of that ilk of great footballers who never won a top league title.

Note: Juan Mata and Marco Reus are two great modern footballers never to have won a league title but have not been included because they are still active.

Honourable mentions

Daniele De Rossi, Socrates, Stanley Matthews, Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Paul Mcgrath, Antonio Di Natale, Bernd Schneider, Matt Le Tissier.

Edited by Bhargav