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The Champions Leaguewith its new denomination from the 1992-93 season, has become the reference competition in the whole world. European teams dream of playing it and only the best do so in each edition. It is difficult to get there, but it is much more difficult to stand out. For this reason, following the last report of BeSoccer Prowe rescue the ‘outsiders’ cases. We focus on those teams that, despite not having a favorite poster, they performed beyond their means and, in some cases, wrote a golden page in the history books in the section of their clubs.
Who doesn’t remember José Mourinho’s Porto? And what about Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham? Without going any further, the feat of Villarreal this season. In this context, we review the most significant cases in more than two decades of history. Nobody gave a penny for them, they were not in the pools of any expert and even so they surprised the critics and went far, they are the clubs that left a mark without starting favorites in the history of the Champions League.
PANATHINAIKOS 1995-96 (SEMIFINALS)
A very Polish Panathinaikos was the first big surprise of the ‘Champions era’ in the 1995-96 season. With Wandzik in charge in goal and Warzycha in attack, Juan Rocha’s team slipped into the semi-finals and beat Ajax in the first leg (0-1) before losing at home.
– Trainer: Juan Ramon Rocha
– Top scorer: Krzysztof Warzycha (6)
– Reference player: Krzysztof Warzycha
ROSENBORG 1996-97 (QUARTERS)
Rosenborg gave the bell in the 1996-97 season of the Champions League. Although they would later be a regular in the Champions League, the then unknown Norwegian team won the last game of the group stage at the San Siro and eliminated Milan. He fell in the quarterfinals after making it difficult for Juventus.
– Trainer: Nils Arge Eggen
– Top scorer: Trond Egil Soltvedt (2)
– Reference player: Harald Brattbakk
DYNAMO KYIV 1998-99 (SEMIFINALS)
After bursting into the 1997-98 campaign by eliminating Barça in the group stage, Dynamo kyiv went even further in 1998-99. Those led by Shevchenko left Real Madrid in the ditch and fell in the semifinals due to the resilience of a Bayern team that they had down 3-1 in the first leg.
– Trainer: Valeri Lobanovski
– Top scorer: Andriy Shevchenko (8)
– Reference player: Andriy Shevchenko
VALENCIA 1999-00 (FINALIST)
Héctor Cúper led Valencia to two consecutive Champions League finals. The ‘ches’ were the great surprise of the 1999-2000 academic year, in which they successively eliminated Lazio and Barcelona to reach the final in Paris. They fell with the unpredictable Real Madrid of Del Bosque.
– Trainer: Hector Cuper
– Top scorer: Claudio ‘Louse’ Lopez (5)
– Reference player: Gaizka Mendieta
LEEDS UNITED 2000-01 (SEMIFINALES)
No one gave a hard for David O’Leary’s team in the 2000-01 Champions League. The English eliminated Barça in the first group stage and then went hand in hand with Madrid to the quarterfinals. In them they got rid of Deportivo, but they could not beat Valencia in the semifinals.
– Trainer: David O’Leary
– Top scorer: L. Bowyer
– Reference player: Rio Ferdinand
BAYER LEVERKUSEN (2001-02)
Those from Toppmöller had more than enough Iker Casillas to have completed a perfect Champions League. The German team eliminated Lyon, Arsenal, Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United round by round until reaching the final of the 2001-02 season. He fell in the match of Zidane’s remembered goal.
– Trainer: Klaus Toppmöller
– Top scorer: Michael Ballack (6)
– Reference player: Michael Ballack
SPORTS 2003-04 (SEMIFINALS)
Never was the ‘SuperDépor’ so close to winning a Champions League as in the 2003-04 season. Those from Irureta were left practically alone in the fight for the title after the successive elimination of the favourites. When the final seemed within their reach, Mou’s Porto got in the way.
– Trainer: Javier Irureta
– Top scorer: Walter Pandiani (6)
– Reference player: Juan Carlos Valeron
MONACO 2003-04 (SEMIFINALS)
Monaco from 2003-04 were the most attractive team to watch in the competition. Directed by Deschamps, those from the Principality left Real Madrid and Ranieri’s Chelsea by the wayside and slipped into the final, where Mou easily deactivated the Giuly, Rothen or Morientes.
– Trainer: Didier Deschamps
– Top scorerFernando Morientes (9)
– Reference player: Ludovic Giuly
PORTO 2003-04 (CHAMPION)
José Mourinho signed the start of his legend in the 2003-04 Champions League. With him at the helm, a year after winning the UEFA Cup, Porto took the ‘Orejona’ in a surprising and practical way after eliminating clubs like Manchester United or Dépor and crushing Monaco in the final (0-3) .
– Trainer: Jose Mourinho
– Top scorer: Benni McCarthy
– Reference player: Deco
PSV EINDHOVEN 2004-05 (SEMIFINALS)
An Ambrosini header saved a Milan drifting in Eindhoven against a lofty PSV. The Dutch were superior in the semi-final count, but were eliminated due to details. From the hand of Hiddink, the Cocu, Van Bommel or Park touched the feat.
– Trainer: Guus Hiddink
– Top scorer: Phillip Cocu (3).
– Reference player: Mark van Bommel
VILLARREAL 2005-06 (SEMIFINALS)
After leaving United in the gutter in the group stage, Villarreal continued their immaculate Champions League on their debut, eliminating Rangers and Inter. In the semifinals, Henry’s powerful Arsenal awaited Pellegrini’s men, who had a penalty to force extra time at home. Riquelme marred him.
– Trainer: Manuel Pellegrini
– Top scorer: Diego Forlan (2)
– Reference player: Juan roman riquelme
FENERBAHÇE 2007-08 (CUARTOS)
The Brazilians’ Fenerbahçe put Chelsea in serious trouble and came close to sneaking into the 2007-08 Champions League semi-finals. Those led by Zico, with up to 6 Brazilians in the eleven type and Roberto Carlos as a veteran leader, agonizingly eliminated a Sevilla that dreamed of going far.
– Trainer: Zico
– Top scorer: David (5)
– Reference player: David
LYON 2009-10 (SEMIFINALS)
Olympique de Lyon was planted in the semifinals of the 2009-10 campaign. Puel’s men were unable to cope with an unapproachable Bayern Munich, but they did leave both Liverpool and Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Madrid in the gutter. It was the Lyon of the Lloris, Cris, Pjanic, Toulalan or Lisandro.
– Trainer: Claude Puel
– Top scorer: Miralem Pjanic (4)
– Reference player: Lisandro Lopez
SCHALKE 04 2010-11 (SEMIFINALS)
The 2010-11 Champions League for Schalke 04 was spectacular. Rangnick’s men, led on the pitch by the inexhaustible Raúl, were burning stages and were one step away from the Wembley final after eliminating Valencia and Inter defending the title. Neuer, Huntelaar or Farfán, their proper names.
– Trainer: Ralf Rangnick
– Top scorer: Raúl (5)
– Reference player: Raúl
APOEL 2011-12 (FOURTH)
APOEL touched the sky in the 2011-12 season, when they rubbed shoulders with the stars in the Champions League. With a team without big names, Jovanovic’s men took advantage of an even group stage in which they left Porto and Shakhtar out. In the quarterfinals, Real Madrid avoided major surprises.
– Trainer: Ivan Jovanovic
– Top scorer: Gustavo Manduca (4)
– Reference player: Gustavo Manduca
MALAGA 2012-13 (QUARTER)
Pellegrini led Málaga’s ambitious project and led it to fight between giants. Milan, Zenit and Porto suffered from the audacity of a team that played without pressure. Demichelis, Toulalan, Joaquín, Isco and many others kept the dream alive until Dortmund, where the last minutes were fateful.
– Trainer: Manuel Pellegrini
– Top scorer: Elisha (4)
– Reference player: Isco
WOLFSBOURG 2015-16 (QUARTER)
Wolfsburg put themselves on the Champions League map during the 2015-16 season. Team more of workers than names, was led by Draxler, Schürrle and Arnold on the pitch and endorsed Real Madrid 2-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals. Those of Hecking would fall after the ‘hat trick’ of CR7 in the second leg.
– Trainer: Dieter Hecking
– Top scorer: Julian Draxler (3)
– Reference player: André Schürrle
MONACO 2016-17 (SEMIFINALS)
Nobody counted on what, a priori, was going to be Falcao’s Monaco and finally it was Mbappé’s Monaco. The Frenchman, in a team of current big names, left City and Borussia in the gutter in an overwhelming second phase of the tournament, although he could not beat Allegri’s Juventus in the semifinals.
– Trainer: Leonardo Jardim
– Top scorer: Kylian Mbappé (6)
– Reference player: Kylian Mbappé
ROME 2017-18 (SEMIFINALS)
The 2017-18 Champions League for Roma was much more than Manolas’ goal, but this was its great exponent. He went through as first in a group with Atlético and Chelsea and in the quarterfinals, against Barça, he lifted the 4-1 first leg with Manolas’ last goal. The unbreakable Liverpool of Jürgen Klopp, the executioner of him.
– Trainer: Eusebio di Francesco
– Top scorer: Edin Dzeko (8)
– Reference player: Edin Dzeko
TOTENHAM HOTSPUR 2018-19 (FINALIST)
Kane was the great leader of the feat of that Tottenham full of talent. With Eriksen and Dele Alli in a great moment and an enlightened Lucas Moura, Pochettino held on and eliminated City in the quarterfinals and the praised Ajax in the semifinals at 96′. In the final, an early penalty put everything uphill.
– Trainer: Mauricio Pochettino
– Top scorer: Harry Kane (5)
– Reference player: Harry Kane
RB LEIPZIG 2019-20 (SEMIFINALS)
RB Leipzig relied on Werner’s goals in the first part of the tournament and reinforced the strength of the group, thanks to a complimented Nagelsmann, in the second after selling it to Chelsea. In a final phase in Lisbon due to the pandemic, he crossed out Atlético, but could not beat Tuchel’s PSG.
– Trainer: Julian Nagelsmann
– Top scorer: Marcel Sabitzer (4)
– Reference player: Timo Werner
ATALANTA 2019-20 (QUARTERS)
With an offensive and very characteristic style, Atalanta showed itself to Europe in 2019-20. With a scheme of three central defenders and long lanes, he disarmed Valencia in the round of 16 and gave PSG a scare in the quarterfinals, the moment of his farewell. Papu Gómez and Ilicic were the great figures of the Bergamo team.
– Trainer: Gian Piero Gasperini
– Top scorer: Josip Ilicic (5)
– Reference player: Papu Gómez
VILLARREAL 2021-22 (SEMIFINALS)
Villarreal’s book with the Champions could not be left in Riquelme’s penalty. Emery, after winning the Europa League, leads the yellow team to excellence. Juventus and Bayern became ceramic and Klopp’s Liverpool is the last hurdle before dreaming of a cup that is not impossible.
– Trainer: Unai Emery
– Top scorer: Arnaut Danjuma (6)
– Reference player: Dani Parejo
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