AC Milan in 2005. Is there a player in the photo you don’t know? Image: EPA
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Will PSG become the best team in football history? We have 11 other suggestions
Paris Saint-Germain strengthened their already strong squad this summer with five spectacular newcomers. While Achraf Hakimi was paid 60 million euros, Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan) and, last but not least, Lionel Messi (Barcelona) came on free transfers.
One can especially look forward to the storm trident around Neymar, Mbappé and Messi. Star players like Angel Di Maria or Mauro Icardi will probably only have a place on the bench for the time being. PSG are also well represented in midfield, for example by European champion Marco Verratti or newcomer Wijnaldum. As soon as the 35-year-old central defender Sergio Ramos, who is out for several weeks with a calf injury, is fit again, there would even be the possibility of running him next to Presnel Kimpembe and moving Marquinhos into defensive midfield.
With Achraf Hakimi on the right, the full-back positions provide additional offensive power, while the weak point could be the left side of defense. Juan Bernat is not back after his cruciate ligament rupture, Abdou Diallo and Layvin Kurzawa remain for the time being.
A possible PSG line-up:
image watson / buildlineup.com
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On paper, the Parisians have one of the strongest teams in football history. We take a look at other club teams that are still considered the best teams in history to this day.
Real Madrid 1960
The superstars Ferenc Puskas (2nd from right) and Alfredo Di Stéfano (5th from right). Photo: EPA PA
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For the fifth time in a row, the royal team won the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1960. Another superstar joined Real Madrid in the 59/60 season, Ferenc Puskas. In the 7-3 final victory in front of 135,000 spectators in Hampden Park in Glasgow over Eintracht Frankfurt, he scored four goals, the other three goals were marked by the Argentine legend Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Ajax Amsterdam 1971
Johan Cruyff in action in the 2-0 final win against Panathinaikos. Build: AP
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The great Ajax era began in 1966, when the team became champions four times in five years and won the trophy twice. The big coronation followed in 1971 with the first title in the European Cup. The star is – even though Johan Cruyff is part of the team – the coach.
Rinus Michels brings Dutch football back from its insignificance to the top. With Ajax he revolutionized football, his very offensive and flexible game system will go down in history as “Voetbal Totaal”, as total football. Rinus Michel moves to Barcelona – Ajax wins the European Cup again in 1972 and 1973 without him.
Bayern Munich 1974
Gerd Müller (right) scores in the final replay against Atlético with his head. Build: AP
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Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner, Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness and Gerd Müller form the framework that not only makes Bayern Munich the European Cup winner, but also leads West Germany to the world championship two months later.
In the 1974 European Cup final, the football myth of the “Bayern dud”, which is still often quoted today, emerged. Luis Aragonés (who led Spain to the European Championship title in 2008 as a coach) shoots Atlético Madrid in the lead after 114 minutes in extra time, in the 120th minute Bayern equalizes with Georg Schwarzenbeck. Because there is still no penalty shoot-out, there is a replay, which Bayern win 4-0 thanks to two goals from Hoeness and Müller.
Juventus 1983
Michel Platini shoots Juventus in 1985 to the national championship victory, which nobody can be happy about. Build: AP
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The key figures of the Italian world championship title from 1982 play almost exclusively at Juventus. The 40-year-old Dino Zoff as well as the two defense strategists Claudio Gentile and Gaetano Scirea. In addition, midfield engine Marco Tardelli and top scorer Paolo Rossi in the storm.
With the change of Frenchman Michel Platini (who was named European Footballer of the Year from 1983 to 1985) and Polish star striker Zbigniew Boniek for the new season, Juventus will come to power under coach Giovanni Trapattoni. The most important game of the season is lost. In the final of the European Champions Cup, the old lady is defeated by Hamburger SV with a goal from Felix Magath. Juventus won the title two years later, but this was outshone by the Heysel tragedy in Brussels.
Milan 1989
Arrigo Sacchi and Marco van Basten. Image: AP NY
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An Italian defensive paired with a Dutch urge to attack – a European heavyweight trained under Arrigo Sacchi emerged at the end of the 80s. The final against Steaua Bucharest in 1989 was a big show – Milan won 4-0. The two star strikers Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit hit twice, while the defense around Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta once again holds zero.
Marseille 1993
Desailly, Deschamps and Völler with the handle pot. bild: twitter/thesefootytimes
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At the beginning of the 1990s, Olympique Marseille had one of the best teams in the world. To top it off, the French win the first-time Champions League with the offensive stars Alen Boksic, Rudi Völler and Abédi Pelé as well as the later world champions Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly and Fabien Barthez.
The final victory against Milan was particularly nice because the national championship top scorer of the past three years, Jean-Pierre Papin, had moved from Marseille to Milan the previous summer. After the triumph, however, the deep fall followed, because of a bribery scandal, Marseille was banned from all European competitions in the coming season.
Ajax 1995
The Ajax team before the 1995 final. image: twitter / betssonsv
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Ajax Amsterdam has long been considered the club with the best youth development in the world. They can bear the greatest fruits when they won the Champions League in 1995 under Louis van Gaal as the only Dutch club to date. The star of the finals is not even in the starting line-up. Substitute Patrick Kluivert scored the winning goal shortly before the end of the game.
Man United 1999
Today’s United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates his late winning goal. Image: Popperfoto
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“The class of ’92” and its greatest success. David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes. They all joined the Manchester United first team in 1992 under Sir Alex Ferguson. A few years later they win the big title in the most memorable Champions League final in history – even though Captain Roy Keane and Paul Scholes are missing from the final.
Milan 2005
Stunned for a great Milan team in 2005. Build: AP
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It is the Milan team that has probably had the bitterest experience in the club’s history. In the Champions League final, Carlo Ancelotti’s team leads 3-0 against Liverpool at halftime. The “Reds” equalize the game in six minutes and ultimately win in the penalty shootout. Also in Serie A, Milan was only second behind Juventus. And yet it was one of the best teams in football history. Two years later they still win the Champions League, practically unchanged – the success is twice as nice, because the final opponent is again Liverpool.
Barcelona 2009
Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta present the pot. Build: AP
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FC Barcelona won the “triple” under Pep Guardiola. The triumph in the Champions League is also thanks to the 21-year-old Lionel Messi, who scores 9 goals on the way to the title and thus becomes the top goalscorer of the tournament. He is supported in the storm by Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry, in midfield the trio of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets set new standards. At that time, the whole world admired Barça’s dreaded short passing game, the Tiki-Taka.
Real Madrid 2016–2018
Sergio Ramos and Zinédine Zidane present the trophy to the fans in 2016. Image: EPA / EFE
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Real Madrid dominated the Champions League under Zinédine Zidane and won the competition three times in a row. The team hardly changes – only 13 different players are on the final grid during the three successes. The difference is usually made by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the top scorer in each of the three campaigns and has scored 43 goals in the Champions League over the three years.
The story was published in a similar form, supplemented with national teams, in April 2019 and was updated to reflect current events.
Did we forget a team? Certainly!
Write in the comments which one you consider to be the best team in football history.
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