Success 101 - How European top clubs have succeeded on and off the pitch

These teams have been successful for a long time and each of these teams have used different methods to reach and stay at the top.Many of us have wondered what it takes to play for the top clubs in Europe. What makes managers and clubs go for a particular profile of player so desperately that they are willing to break the bank to secure his services?These top teams in Europe have followed their ideology religiously and have had huge successes not only on the field but off it as well. We take a look at the most successful teams across Europe and what they have been doing to maintain their success.

#1 Real Madrid

Ronaldo, Bale and James are this generation’s galacticos for Los Blancos

Real Madrid is the team which has won the most number of Champions Leagues compared to any other club in Europe. They are the premier club in the Deloitte money list as well. So, what makes them so successful?

They firstly have always had a team of superstars. Many of Madrid's detractors have accused Real Madrid of buying success, but, it is a strategy which has ensured that Madrid has always been performing well both on and off the field.

Madrid have always signed players who have a certain style, glamour and charisma. Los Blancos rarely sign a player who is not able to sell shirts.

The world would have marvelled at the ridiculous sums dished out by Madrid for the signing of players like Bale, Ronaldo, James, Kaka, Figo, Beckham etc., but what many people fail to notice is that these players have earned Madrid much more with their shirt sales, image rights, commercial value and of course their undeniable skill on the pitch than what they cost the club.

Real Madrid has always been challenging for top honours and it will continue to do so for a long time to come.

#2 Barcelona

Iniesta, Messi and Xavi are three of the most famous graduates of La Masia

Barcelona has arguably been the most successful team in the last decade and much of their success has been due to their exceptional home grown talents. Barcelona has been playing with it’s unique philosophy since it’s inception and any player coming to the club is supposed to adhere to this philosophy.

Famous ex-manager and player Pep Guardiola best summed up their youth academy in this quote:

"The player who has passed through La Masia has something different to the rest, it's a plus that only comes from having competed in a Barcelona shirt from the time you were a child."

The style of play is very important at Barcelona. Former technical director, Pep Segura, attributes the club's success to its "philosophy of play": "It is about creating one philosophy, one mentality, from the bottom of the club to the top".

Barcelona is famous for combining the total football style of the Netherlands with traditional Spanish tiki-taka style of play.

Barcelona players are not usually physical players with most of them relying on their supreme skills and finesse to get them out of tight situations. Recent signings of Rakitic, Neymar and Suarez show that Barcelona usually go for players only if they match their style of play.

#3 Paris Saint Germain

Ibrahimovic and Cavani have been crucial for PSG’s success in recent years

Ever since Nasser-Al-Khelaifi took over at PSG in 2011, the team from France has become a force to reckon with in Europe. Big money signings of Ibrahimovic, Pastore, Thiago Silva, Cavani, Lucas Moura, Lavezzi etc., made the world sit up and take notice of the Parisian club.

PSG have built their team around a spectacular attack with players like Zlatan, Cavani, Lucas and Di Maria capable of threatening defences all over the world. The midfield is a nice blend of youth and experience with players like Veratti, Pastore, Matiudi and Thiago Motta.

The defence is also solid with Brazilans Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Marquinhos taking charge alonng with the experience of Maxwell and youthful exuberance of Aurier and Kurzawa.

PSG have gone for the right mix of youth and experience throughout the squad and Laurent Blanc’s men will be hopeful of having another successful year.

#4 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich has been synonymous with success in the Bundesliga

Bayern Munich are serial winners. Their solid German core playing along with some of the world’s best footballers have pummeled teams in the Bundesliga and across Europe. They play football the German way and winning is in the club’s DNA.

Munich have always had the best German players playing for them such as Lahm, Neuer, Schweinsteiger, Oliver Kahn , Klose etc., along with top class footballers such as Robben, Ribery or Vidal to name a few.

Compared to teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United or Chelsea, the German giants have achieved an impressive trophy haul with a significantly lower outlay as the strategy of attracting top German talent has paid off handsomely for Bayern Munich over the years.

Ever since Pep Guardiola has taken over, the team from Munich has changed it’s style a bit with possession being given a bit more importance under the Catalan manager.

Signings like Thiago and Xabi Alonso along with Vidal have shown how Bayern is merging both the German and Spanish style of play effortlessly.

#5 Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund’s quick and intense style of play has been highly successful in recent times

Borussia Dortmund is a team which is universally loved for it’s quick, high-intensity style of football. What makes Dortmund's achievements all the more impressive is that they have managed to compete at the top level with a fraction of the budget of the other top clubs.

Dortmund’s renaissance began under Liverpool’s current manager Jurgen Klopp who introduced what he called gegenpressing which involved his team pressing high up the pitch to induce ball-carrying opponents into a mistake.

Players who were quick, skillful and had tremendous stamina were picked out by Klopp and players like Reus, Kagawa, Gundogan etc., completely bought into the philosophy leading to Dortmund getting the better off the much-fancied Bayern Munich in a couple of seasons.

Although Tuchel has taken over from Klopp now, Dortmund have shown with signings like Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan that they are still sticking with the quick counter-pressing style of play which brought them so much success.

#6 Manchester United

The famous class of 92 went on to win top honours for Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of Manchester United from 1986-2013 and he absolutely transferred the status of the club from also-rans to one of the most powerful clubs in Europe. United under Ferguson played some glorious attacking football coupled with a never say die attitude which led United to many memorable triumphs.

United were largely benefited by Sir Alex’s willingness to encourage the youngsters with the class of 92 being the most famous academy graduates under his reign . Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were some of the brilliant players who were groomed and nurtured by the legendary United manager.

Continuity and stability have played a major role in the success of the club with Sir Alex's retirement causing Manchester United to slightly come down from their lofty standards.

United, however, has a huge brand value and the commercial value of the club along with the spending power should ensure United will be challenging for the top honours again in the near future.

#7 Chelsea

Jose Mourinho is the most successful manager in Chelsea’s history

Ever since Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea, the London club has always been challenging the top clubs across Europe. Chelsea first experienced success in the Premier League era when Mourinho took over with the 'special one' guiding them to back-to-back Premier League titles.

Mourinho had set up his defence superbly in his first spell at Chelsea. The tactical brilliance of the Portuguese manager along with the big bucks of Abramovich ensured that teams across Europe would sit up and take notice of the Blues.

The playing style of the Blues might have undergone a slight change with more emphasis being put on free flowing football, but, even their most recent Premier League title was won thanks to a rock solid defence.

While many might argue with Roman Abramovich’s impatience with managers, there is no arguing with the fact that Chelsea has been one of the most successful clubs in Europe ever since he took over.

#8 Arsenal

Arsenal is the only team in the Premier League era to go a whole season unbeaten

The longest serving manager currently in the Premier League, Arsene Wenger or ‘the professor’ as he is known has made Arsenal one of the most attractive teams to watch in the world.

The French manager’s teams are always full of players who play football the right way. Beautiful one-touch passes or stunning flick-ons have become a trademark of Wenger's team over the years.

Arsenal has never been shy of encouraging young talent and Wenger’s gambles on players such asThierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Viera paid off spectacularly.

If there has been one criticism of Wenger, it has been his unwillingness to buy in the transfer market and change his style of play. However, one cannot help but admire how Wenger managed to get his team to continously finish in the top 4 even after they moved to Emirates.

With players like Sanchez and Mesut Ozil bought in recent times, Arsenal are becoming a force to reckon with again.