With the 2019 Champions League ending the run of 5 successive years of at least one Spanish finalist, this year’s competition was the first in 14 years not to feature a Spanish side in the semi-finals. With the dominance of the Spanish clubs perhaps waning, we recall a time where English football enjoyed a spell of European success far more fruitful than that of the past few years.
Though the outright most successful period for English football on the continental stage spanned the years of 1977-1985, in which there was an English team in eight of the nine European cup finals (producing seven victories), we will examine a lesser-known, under-appreciated phase of English football.
Between 2005 and 2012, there was an English club in seven of the eight finals (one of which contained two English clubs). Aside from the 1977-1985 period, this feat has only been matched once before – from 1989 to 1998, there was an Italian club in nine of the ten finals.
Arguably, this English excellence was kickstarted by Manchester United after their triumph in 1999. In the years spanning 1999-2012, there were only three years which didn’t see an English team in at least the semi-finals (only four years have seen an English side in the semi-finals since). So, it is here, in the season of 1998/99, where we embark on a journey of under-appreciated English success in the greatest club competition in football: The Champions League.
1998/99: Manchester United won their fifth Premier League and 12th English league title in 1999, beating Arsenal by just one point. They scored 80 league goals with hitman Dwight Yorke scoring 29 in all competitions. They lost just three league matches all season and won the FA Cup following a 2-0 victory against Newcastle. Spurred on by the likes of Beckham, Giggs, Neville, Irwin, Scholes, Keane and Schmeichel, United scored 20 goals in their Champions League group but finished second behind Bayern Munich. They would meet again in the final, where two stoppage-time goals from Sheringham Solskjaer awarded United their first ever European title and an historic treble. Now, that Manchester United team are rightly remembered as one of England’s greatest and, by doing so, they kickstarted a period of success in Europe for English clubs.
Though the outright most successful period for English football on the continental stage spanned the years of 1977-1985, in which there was an English team in eight of the nine European cup finals (producing seven victories), we will examine a lesser-known, under-appreciated phase of English football.
Between 2005 and 2012, there was an English club in seven of the eight finals (one of which contained two English clubs). Aside from the 1977-1985 period, this feat has only been matched once before – from 1989 to 1998, there was an Italian club in nine of the ten finals.
Arguably, this English excellence was kickstarted by Manchester United after their triumph in 1999. In the years spanning 1999-2012, there were only three years which didn’t see an English team in at least the semi-finals (only four years have seen an English side in the semi-finals since). So, it is here, in the season of 1998/99, where we embark on a journey of under-appreciated English success in the greatest club competition in football: The Champions League.
1998/99: Manchester United won their fifth Premier League and 12th English league title in 1999, beating Arsenal by just one point. They scored 80 league goals with hitman Dwight Yorke scoring 29 in all competitions. They lost just three league matches all season and won the FA Cup following a 2-0 victory against Newcastle. Spurred on by the likes of Beckham, Giggs, Neville, Irwin, Scholes, Keane and Schmeichel, United scored 20 goals in their Champions League group but finished second behind Bayern Munich. They would meet again in the final, where two stoppage-time goals from Sheringham Solskjaer awarded United their first ever European title and an historic treble. Now, that Manchester United team are rightly remembered as one of England’s greatest and, by doing so, they kickstarted a period of success in Europe for English clubs.
1999/00: Manchester United, who dominated domestic proceedings, winning the league by 18 points, couldn’t make it past Real Madrid in the quarter-finals following a 3-2 aggregate defeat. Chelsea also exited the competition at this stage but had surprised viewers across Europe. Their valiant efforts, led by captain Dennis Wise and their French defensive core, were stalled by Barcelona in extra time at the Nou Camp, ultimately losing 6-4 on aggregate.
2000/01: Big spenders Leeds United were among the favourites to win the Premier League at the start of the season, but poor form towards the end of 2000 crushed the dream. However, they progressed through the first Champions League group stage despite a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in their first game. In the quarter-finals, Leeds beat then European giants Deportivo La Coruña 3-0 at Elland Road on a night regarded as one of the greatest in the club’s history. After a 0-0 draw in the semi-finals against the previous season’s finalists Valencia, spirits were high, but they fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Mestalla – a game which may well have spelled the downfall of Leeds in the seasons to come.
2001/02: Despite Arsenal emerging triumphant in the Premier League, it was the Red Devils who managed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. They would face Bayer Leverkusen, who knocked out Liverpool in the round before. Despite van Nistelrooy, Beckham, and Solskjaer’s captivating attacking output throughout the season, an inconsistent (by their standards) Premier League campaign left them in third place overall. Such inconsistencies would not go away in their semi-final tie, where they were disappointingly eliminated on away goals.
2002/03: In a season in which van Nistelrooy scored 44 goals in all competitions, Man United managed to hold off a strong Arsenal side in order to win the Premier League by 5 points. However, the gruelling, closely-fought campaign left English clubs drained. Only Manchester United made it as far as the Champions League quarter-finals, in which they lost 6-5 on aggregate against Real Madrid.
2003/04: Hailed as Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ season, the history-makers were outwitted in the Champions League quarter-final by Ranieri’s Chelsea, who themselves finished second in the Premier League that season. Spurred on defensively by the likes of Gallas, Desailly and Makélélé, league top-scorer Hasselbaink only managed two goals in the Champions League, and Chelsea were somewhat shocked in the semi-finals by Monaco, who beat them 5-3 on aggregate and would go on to lose to Mourinho’s Porto.
2000/01: Big spenders Leeds United were among the favourites to win the Premier League at the start of the season, but poor form towards the end of 2000 crushed the dream. However, they progressed through the first Champions League group stage despite a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in their first game. In the quarter-finals, Leeds beat then European giants Deportivo La Coruña 3-0 at Elland Road on a night regarded as one of the greatest in the club’s history. After a 0-0 draw in the semi-finals against the previous season’s finalists Valencia, spirits were high, but they fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Mestalla – a game which may well have spelled the downfall of Leeds in the seasons to come.
2001/02: Despite Arsenal emerging triumphant in the Premier League, it was the Red Devils who managed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. They would face Bayer Leverkusen, who knocked out Liverpool in the round before. Despite van Nistelrooy, Beckham, and Solskjaer’s captivating attacking output throughout the season, an inconsistent (by their standards) Premier League campaign left them in third place overall. Such inconsistencies would not go away in their semi-final tie, where they were disappointingly eliminated on away goals.
2002/03: In a season in which van Nistelrooy scored 44 goals in all competitions, Man United managed to hold off a strong Arsenal side in order to win the Premier League by 5 points. However, the gruelling, closely-fought campaign left English clubs drained. Only Manchester United made it as far as the Champions League quarter-finals, in which they lost 6-5 on aggregate against Real Madrid.
2003/04: Hailed as Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ season, the history-makers were outwitted in the Champions League quarter-final by Ranieri’s Chelsea, who themselves finished second in the Premier League that season. Spurred on defensively by the likes of Gallas, Desailly and Makélélé, league top-scorer Hasselbaink only managed two goals in the Champions League, and Chelsea were somewhat shocked in the semi-finals by Monaco, who beat them 5-3 on aggregate and would go on to lose to Mourinho’s Porto.
2004/05: ‘Mission impossible is accomplished!’ Who can forget Liverpool’s famous comeback in Istanbul against the Italian giants of AC Milan? After being 3-0 down at half-time, Liverpool managed to score three goals in five minutes and force extra time and penalties, where they were eventually crowned European champions. This Champions League campaign was also one that saw Liverpool take on English champions Chelsea in an all English semi-final. Ultimately, the goal was decided by Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’, which was the spark for a modern rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea in the coming years. Mourinho’s Chelsea had managed an impressive 95 points in the league with only one loss against Manchester City. They had been beaten by a single goal to Liverpool who had finished 5th in the Premier League. The depth of the Premier League was stronger than ever, and the arrivals of Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho were a huge part of that.
2005/06: This season it was Arsenal’s turn to reach the Champions League final, conceding just twice en-route. However, they were denied by Barcelona and – specifically – Henrik Larsson. The Swede was brought on with Barcelona 1-0 down, despite Arsenal having Lehmann sent off in the opening 20 minute, and turned the game on its head, providing two assists – one for a Samuel Eto’o goal which appeared offside. Arsenal couldn’t recover and fell to a 2-1 defeat.
2006/07: Even though AC Milan were the winners this year, 2006/07 saw three English teams in the semi-final. A star-studded line-up of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and AC Milan graced the semi-finals with the competition culminating in Athens. The brilliance of Kaka was too much for United in their semi-final, with Liverpool edging Chelsea in a semi-final yet again – with a 4-1 penalty shootout win after a 1-1 draw over two legs. There was no repeat of Liverpool’s Istanbul heroics as two goals from Filippo Inzaghi ensured Milan got their hands on their seventh European crown. However, these were encouraging signs for English football and the next season would truly show that England were starting to dominate at European’s top table.
2007/08: With Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all in captivating domestic form, the English clubs managed to translate domestic success to the continent. Arsenal were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Liverpool after a questionable penalty decision at Anfield. Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semis but lost 4-3 after extra time, while Manchester United eliminated Barcelona 1-0, setting up the first ever all-English European final. In the final, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his eighth goal of the Champions League campaign and his 42nd of the season. Lampard levelled on the stroke of half time and the match finished 1-1. A Terry slip and an Anelka miss cost Chelsea the shootout, and United won their third European title. This season however really was a testament to the strength of the English game at the time.
2005/06: This season it was Arsenal’s turn to reach the Champions League final, conceding just twice en-route. However, they were denied by Barcelona and – specifically – Henrik Larsson. The Swede was brought on with Barcelona 1-0 down, despite Arsenal having Lehmann sent off in the opening 20 minute, and turned the game on its head, providing two assists – one for a Samuel Eto’o goal which appeared offside. Arsenal couldn’t recover and fell to a 2-1 defeat.
2006/07: Even though AC Milan were the winners this year, 2006/07 saw three English teams in the semi-final. A star-studded line-up of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and AC Milan graced the semi-finals with the competition culminating in Athens. The brilliance of Kaka was too much for United in their semi-final, with Liverpool edging Chelsea in a semi-final yet again – with a 4-1 penalty shootout win after a 1-1 draw over two legs. There was no repeat of Liverpool’s Istanbul heroics as two goals from Filippo Inzaghi ensured Milan got their hands on their seventh European crown. However, these were encouraging signs for English football and the next season would truly show that England were starting to dominate at European’s top table.
2007/08: With Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all in captivating domestic form, the English clubs managed to translate domestic success to the continent. Arsenal were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Liverpool after a questionable penalty decision at Anfield. Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semis but lost 4-3 after extra time, while Manchester United eliminated Barcelona 1-0, setting up the first ever all-English European final. In the final, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his eighth goal of the Champions League campaign and his 42nd of the season. Lampard levelled on the stroke of half time and the match finished 1-1. A Terry slip and an Anelka miss cost Chelsea the shootout, and United won their third European title. This season however really was a testament to the strength of the English game at the time.
2008/09: Perhaps the peak of English football during this period, where Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United capped off consecutive years of three English teams reaching the semi-finals. Man United reached the final, though the Red Devils fell to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona at the final hurdle, the competition proved that English football was the benchmark for success. Liverpool, too, made the quarter-finals and were knocked out by Chelsea. Drogba, van Persie, Lampard, Fàbregas, Adebayor, Gerrard and Ronaldo all set the tournament alight, certifying the Premier League as the greatest league in the world.
2009/10: After a group-stage elimination for Liverpool, and a second-round 3-1 defeat at the hands of eventual winners Inter Milan for Chelsea, just Arsenal and Manchester United were left to wave the English flag in the last eight. United missed out on the Premier League title by a point that season, and were beaten on away goals by a strong Bayern Munich. Arsenal have never been as far as the quarter-finals in the Champions League since 2010, and it was this season that they lost 6-3 on aggregate to Barcelona after a 4-1 second leg defeat at the Nou Camp.
2010/11: A landmark night in English football. With Chelsea and Spurs being eliminated in the quarter-finals, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, who had just been crowned Premier League Champions, would take on Spanish Champions Barcelona. Guardiola’s Barcelona were not normal Spanish Champions, however. Many still tout them as the best club side ever, with the likes of Lionel Messi, David Villa, Xavi, Andreas Iniesta and many more a part of a side that was sparkling to watch, but also incredibly successful. Messi’s brilliance was yet again on display in this final at Wembley as his team ran out 3-1 winners against a helpless United. Although it ended in defeat, Manchester United had raised the English flag in the final of the Champions League again, and a defeat was hardly shameful against an almost invincible Barcelona side.
2009/10: After a group-stage elimination for Liverpool, and a second-round 3-1 defeat at the hands of eventual winners Inter Milan for Chelsea, just Arsenal and Manchester United were left to wave the English flag in the last eight. United missed out on the Premier League title by a point that season, and were beaten on away goals by a strong Bayern Munich. Arsenal have never been as far as the quarter-finals in the Champions League since 2010, and it was this season that they lost 6-3 on aggregate to Barcelona after a 4-1 second leg defeat at the Nou Camp.
2010/11: A landmark night in English football. With Chelsea and Spurs being eliminated in the quarter-finals, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, who had just been crowned Premier League Champions, would take on Spanish Champions Barcelona. Guardiola’s Barcelona were not normal Spanish Champions, however. Many still tout them as the best club side ever, with the likes of Lionel Messi, David Villa, Xavi, Andreas Iniesta and many more a part of a side that was sparkling to watch, but also incredibly successful. Messi’s brilliance was yet again on display in this final at Wembley as his team ran out 3-1 winners against a helpless United. Although it ended in defeat, Manchester United had raised the English flag in the final of the Champions League again, and a defeat was hardly shameful against an almost invincible Barcelona side.
2011/12: 2012 saw Chelsea win their first Champions League trophy, beating Bayern Munich in the final in their own backyard. The Blues overcame the likes of Napoli, Benfica and Barcelona in the knockout stages, before caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo witnessed his side beat Bayern in a penalty shoot-out, putting the ghosts of 2008 to bed. Chelsea added an FA Cup triumph but beating Bayern’s star-studded team was undoubtedly Chelsea’s best moment of the Abramovich era so far. Kroos, Müller, Ribéry, Robben and Lahm could only watch as Didier Drogba sent Neuer the wrong way to win Chelsea their first Champions League – and England’s fourth in this period.
In recent years, despite the 2019 Liverpool v Tottenham Champions League final, English clubs have struggled in reaching these latter stages. This is perhaps best exemplified by Liverpool this term, falling in the round of sixteen to an Atletico Madrid side who are not the European juggernauts they once were. Yet, with the English national side going from strength to strength, maybe English football will once again reignite the Champions League. Whenever that will be, however, remains to be seen. There is, after all, always next year.
In recent years, despite the 2019 Liverpool v Tottenham Champions League final, English clubs have struggled in reaching these latter stages. This is perhaps best exemplified by Liverpool this term, falling in the round of sixteen to an Atletico Madrid side who are not the European juggernauts they once were. Yet, with the English national side going from strength to strength, maybe English football will once again reignite the Champions League. Whenever that will be, however, remains to be seen. There is, after all, always next year.
Written and edited by - 3-At-The-Back