Ranking the top 5 teams to win the treble in the 21st century

Some great teams have won the treble in the 21st century
Some great teams have won the treble in the 21st century

#3 Barcelona (2014-15)

FC Barcelona v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga
FC Barcelona v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga

After narrowly missing out on La Liga during the 2013-14 season, Barcelona made a host of changes, appointing Luis Enrique as their manager while also signing Luis Suarez from Liverpool.

The Catalans made a brilliant start under Enrique, winning their first home game 3-0 against Elche and went on an eight-game unbeaten run before Real Madrid halted their streak.

Following that, Barcelona lost just three games before the end of the season, clinching the La Liga title. Although they collected 94 points in the season, they managed to win the title by just two points, with Real Madrid hot on their heels till the end.

Just a few days after winning La Liga, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in the Copa del Rey final to complete a memorable league double.

In the Champions League, Barcelona defeated the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich to set up a final with Juventus in Berlin. And against the Bianconeri, Barcelona played some of their finest football to win the match 3-1 and cap off a record-breaking season.

Their trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr. scored a staggering 122 goals during the season, playing a big part in the second treble in the club's history.


#2 Bayern Munich (2019-20)

Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich - UEFA Champions League Final
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich - UEFA Champions League Final

Bayern Munich's 2019-20 had begun in underwhelming fashion under Niko Kovac, but after Hansi Flick replaced him mid-season, the Bavarians looked absolutely brilliant.

The former German manager not only steadied the sinking Bavarian ship, but also went on to establish a perfect balance between young and veteran players.

Although Bayern didn't lead the Bundesliga until matchday 20 in early 2020, once they reached there, they never looked back, annihilating everyone in front of them.

Bayern's end to the 2019-20 season was frankly staggering. Their last defeat came in early December against Borussia Monchengladbach. Following the setback, Bayern went on an 29 game unbeaten run, winning an extraordinary 21 games in a row to see out the season.

They managed to clinch the Bundesliga title by 13 points ahead of second-placed Dortmund while also winning the DFB-Pokal by beating Leverkusen in the final.

The Bayern team also became the first side to ever win every single match of their Champions League campaign. The Bavarians scored a staggering 41 goals during the process, including historic victories over Spurs (2-7), Red Star Belgrade (0-6) and Barcelona (2-8).

Although they labored to a 1-0 win in the final against PSG, it was a remarkable European campaign for the Bavarians, who won a second treble in their history. It was also a memorable season for their star forward Robert Lewandowski, who scored 55 goals in all competitions that season and clinched several individual awards.

The club also clinched the UEFA Super Cup, DFL-Supercup and the Club World Cup to become only the second team in history to win the sextuple.


#1 Barcelona (2008-09)

Barcelona Celebrates UEFA Champions League Victory
Barcelona Celebrates UEFA Champions League Victory

The season that ushered Barcelona into a new era of dominance. The season which brought Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi into the limelight in the footballing world. Barcelona's 2008-09 season is without a doubt the best treble winning season of the 21st century.

After two trophyless seasons with Frank Rijkaard, Barcelona decided to appoint Guardiola as first-team coach in 2008. The Spaniard made some big changes to his squad, even selling the likes of Ronaldinho and Deco who he thought were surplus to requirements.

Barcelona made a losing start to the La Liga campaign, but as the players gathered momentum and began to gel, the team's performances started to improve as well. By the end of the season, the Blaugrana had managed to win 27 of their 38 league games, including the famous 6-2 away win against Real Madrid. They managed to gather 87 points throughout the season, to clinch the La Liga title ahead of Madrid.

And just a few days before their final league game of the season, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the Copa del Rey final. This completed a historic double for the Catalans in Guardiola's first season in charge.

Barcelona navigated through Olympique Lyon, Bayern Munich and a controversial semi-final win over Chelsea to reach the final of the Champions League. Guardiola's men were up for a stern test in the final as Manchester United, who won the Champions League in 2008, were looking to make it two in a row.

However, Barcelona, riding on the back of an excellent season by Lionel Messi, registered a 2-0 win over the Red Devils to complete a historic treble in Rome.

They had become the first Spanish team to win the treble. The Blaugrana also clinched the UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup to become the first team to win the sextuple.

It was truly the start of a remarkable few years for Barcelona, with their squad at the time considered by many to be the best in football history.

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