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The UEFA Champions League is the topmost competition in European club football. The continent’s strongest teams compete against each other for the crown of the best club in Europe. The tournament is in its 77th edition and is shaping up to be as highly contested as ever.
Goalkeepers play a crucial role in their team’s fortunes. In a format like the Champions League, a single mistake can cost the team a place in the next round. A goalkeeper’s mistake is easily the least forgiving among all positions on the football field.
Not all legendary goalkeepers have tasted success in the Champions League
Iker Casillas is arguably the most decorated goalkeeper in the competition’s history. Not only has the Spaniard won three titles, but he has made the most appearances and kept the most clean sheets. However, his Italian counterpart, Gianluigi Buffon, hasn’t had an equally bounteous UCL career.
With that being said, let’s check out the top five best goalkeepers who failed to win the Champions League.
#5 Pat Jennings
Tottenham Hotspur legend Pat Jennings kicks off this list. The Northern Irish shot-stopper joined The Lilywhites in 1964. He spent 13 years at White Hart Lane, winning four major trophies in the process. Since he left the club, Spurs have won just five more pieces of silverware.
The legendary goalkeeper played for Tottenham’s rivals, Arsenal. Despite plying his trade in North London for two decades, Jennings didn’t win the European Cup, now called the Champions League. On a continental level, his most notable achievement was Tottenham’s UEFA Cup success in 1971-72.
The former Tottenham goalkeeper played over 1000 games for club and country. He is regarded as one of the finest in his position in the English top-flight. Despite playing as a goalkeeper, the Northern Irishman scored a goal in the 1967 FA Charity Shield.
#4 Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff played for two of the greatest Italian clubs, Juventus and Napoli. A superb shot-stopper, Zoff kept 360 clean sheets in 720 top-flight games at club level.
Zoff won the European Champions and the FIFA World Cup in 1968 and 1982, respectively. The Italian great won several domestic accolades with The Old Lady, including six Scudettos and two Coppa Italia trophies. However, the European Cup/Champions League eluded him.
During his heyday, Liverpool and Bayern Munich dominated the European Cup. In 1982-83, Juventus lost 1-0 to Hamburg in the final of Europe’s major continental club competition. After this season, Zoff decided to call it a day to his illustrious career.
#3 Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks is the best English goalkeeper of all time. Banks was at the top of his game during his spells at Leicester City and Stoke City during the 1960s and 1970s. He was England’s number 1 during their one and only FIFA World Cup glory in 1966.
Although Banks achieved World Cup success with England, he wasn’t as prolific at club level. Apart from a League Cup trophy each at Leicester and Stoke, he didn’t win any major honor at club level. Despite his club career lacking major silverware, the Englishman is dubbed as one of the greatest shot-stoppers of the 20th century.
The former Leicester City goalkeeper won the FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year award six consecutive times from 1966 to 1971. His breathtaking save against Brazil at the 1970 FIFA World Cup will forever stay in the memory of ardent fans of the game.
#2 Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon is the only active player on the list. The Italian legend has 123 Champions League appearances under his belt. The former Juventus shot-stopper has kept over 50 clean sheets in the competition and is one of the best keepers in UCL history.
Buffon has never won the Champions League despite all his individual success with Juventus. The failure to win the UCL lies solely on Juventus’ inability to overcome Barcelona and Real Madrid in 2015-16 and 2017-18, respectively.
At 44, Buffon continues to play football at Parma in Serie B. Having made his debut in 1995 for Parma, Buffon has nearly completed three decades of professional football. He may not have won the UCL, but Buffon is arguably one of the best goalkeepers of the 21st century due to his longevity.
#1 Lev Yashin
Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the coveted Ballon d’Or. The Black Spider spent his entire career with Dynamo Moscow, spanning two decades. In honor of the great goalkeeper, FIFA presents the Yashin Trophy to the best performing goalkeeper of the year.
Yashin saved a whopping 150 penalty kicks, which is an unbelievable figure to replicate in the modern era. He kept 270 clean sheets in 420 matches. His other achievements includes an Olympic Gold medal with the Soviet Union in 1956.
Although he didn’t win the FIFA World Cup with the Soviet Union, he did manage to secure the 1960 European Championships with Russia. Another major trophy that eluded the legendary shot-stopper was the European Cup. However, he won the European Goalkeeper of the Year award nine times.
