27.05.2009 22:47
Champions for the third time
Roger Bogunyà
No, you’re not dreaming! This Wednesday evening in Rome FC Barcelona has won the Champions League for the third time in the Club’s history. This puts Barça on the same level as teams such as Manchester United.
1992, 2006 and 2009. London, Paris and Rome. Wembley, Stade du France and Olimpico di Roma. Say it
any way you like but it all boils down to the three Champions league titles won by FC Barcelona.
All of them won against the very best opposition.
On a par with United
Only six other clubs apart from FC Barcelona have been capable of winning Europe’s top
club competition three times. This Wednesday Barça has equalled Manchester United’s tally of
three titles and has also become the first team to beat the English giants in a Champions League
final.
FC Barcelona also pulls ahead of some legendary European sides that have just the two
trophies to their name – such as Benfica, Juventus, Inter, Nottingham Forest and Porto.
36 years, 14 years, 3 years
It took 36
years from the inaugural tournament for Barça to lift the European Cup for the first. During this
period, Barça lost two finals, in Berne and in Seville. The second came 14 years later in Paris,
but in the meantime there was a third defeat in Athens. Now Barça fans have been able to celebrate
another Champions League after just a three-year wait, and with no defeats in between. And winning
it now, when the standard of the competition has been boosted by the increased representation of
Europe’s strongest leagues, deserves a great deal of credit.
Honours
9 trophies: Real Madrid
7 trophies: AC Milan
5 trophies: Liverpool
4 trophies: Bayern Munich and Ajax
3 trophies: M. United and Barça
2 trophies: Benfica, Juventus, Inter, Nottingham Forest and Porto
1 trophy: Celtic, Hamburg, Steaua, Olympique Marseille, Feyenoord, Aston Villa,
PSV Eindhoven, Red Star and Borussia Dortmund