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The UEFA Champions League, previously known as the European Cup, has contested for nearly 70 years. The legacy of a European club is often defined by the number of Champions League trophies they have won. Many clubs have won the tournament multiple times, with four clubs bagging it more than five times. Real Madrid have won the competition for a record 13 times.
Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson has won the competition twice with Manchester United. He once said, “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” The statement couldn’t be more spot-on when considering the Champions League. In knockout competitions, a strong backline is priceless.
Champions League winners have never been bereft of quality defenders
From Paulo Maldini at Milan to Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, the Champions League has never been short on iconic defenders. Last season’s winners, Chelsea, were also defensively astute. They kept nine clean sheets in 13 UCL games in 2020-21. However, not all great defenders manage to win the competition.
Here are five of the best defenders who failed to win the Champions League.
#5 Gianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta is one of the most gifted full-backs produced by Italy. The ambidextrous defender was equally comfortable playing as a right-back or left-back. His attacking capabilities tempted managers to deploy him as a wide midfielder, where he excelled.
Zambrotta plied his trade at top European clubs such as Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan. However, the UCL winners medal eluded the Italian. Despite this non-fulfilment, he put in some great individual displays in Europe’s elite continental competition.
With Italy, the 44-year-old won the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was included in the 'Team of the Tournament'. He was also a part of the Italian team that earned a runners-up spot at Euro 2000. Zambrotta won three Serie A titles at club level, two with Juventus and one with Milan.
#4 Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram is one of the best French defenders of all time. The former Juventus centre-back won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup with Les Bleus. At club level, however, Thuram wasn’t as successful.
Thuram is known for his strength, aggression and pace. The 1997 French Player of the Year won a couple of league titles during his stint at Juventus. As far as continental success goes, he wasn’t as fortunate as some of his national teammates.
Thuram never played in a Champions League final, let alone won it. His most notable achievement in an international cup was the UEFA Cup (Europa League) triumph in 1998-99. The French legend holds the record for most appearances for two-time World Cup winners.
#3 Giorgio Chiellini
The Champions League is the only major club trophy missing from Giorgio Chiellini’s collection of medals. While Chiellini is still active, there is always a tiny chance that he could win the Champions League in the future emerging victorious. However, given how intense the competition is, it looks unlikely.
Chiellini is a serial winner at club level with Juventus. He was at the heart of The Old Lady’s defence when they won nine consecutive Serie A titles. Despite their domestic dominance, clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid prevented them from winning the UCL.
Keyser Giorgio’s Juventus side came runners-up in the UCL twice, once each in 2015-16 and 2017-18. Some of his counterparts have regressed in quality. However, Chiellini formed a rock-solid partnership with fellow veteran Leonardo Bonucci in last year’s Euro 2020 tournament.
#2 Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro is the third Italian defender on this list who failed to win the Champions League.This is a clear pattern as Lilian Thuram also played in Serie A. Serie A clubs have underperformed in the Champions League over the last 25 years.
Cannavaro was a splendid centre-back who played for several top Italian clubs including Napoli, Inter Milan and Juventus. In fact, he also had a three-year stint with Real Madrid. Despite spending his entire career at some of Europe’s best clubs, he didn’t win the UCL.
Il Muro di Berlino had a below-average time in Serie A, failing to win a single Scudetto. With that being said, his international career was exemplary. The veteran defender was influential in Italy’s success in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, for which he was awarded the Ballon d’Or award.
#1 Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore is arguably the greatest centre-back of all time. While the defenders rivaling him for the title, such as Franz Beckenbauer, Paulo Maldini and Franco Baresi, have won the Champions League multiple times, Moore failed to win even once.
Moore was part of the famous England team that won the FIFA World Cup in 1966. The West Ham icon, aged just 25 at the time, captained The Three Lions to glory. Despite his exploits for England, he didn’t have an equally fruitful club career.
Moore neither won a league title nor won a European Cup. He spent 16 years at his boyhood club West Ham United, who were not well equipped to compete with European heavyweights in 1960s. Regardless, 'Tubby' will go down as the best centre-back to not win the European Cup.
