The European Cup was first performed within the 1955/56 season and the inaugural version of the membership competitors was received by Actual Madrid.
Miguel Muñoz was the captain for Los Blancos’ first two triumphs, later occurring to handle the Spanish facet for 14 years between 1960 and 1974.
Initially, solely league champions certified for the European Cup, however that modified because the competitors was expanded and rebranded because the Champions League in 1992/93.
Right here, a have a look at a number of the males who captained their groups to glory in Europe’s premier membership competitors…
16. Frank Lampard & John Terry
John Terry was suspended for the 2012 Champions League closing, so Frank Lampard captained Chelsea towards Bayern Munich on the Allianz Area.
However after the Blues’ victory towards the Bavarians on their house patch in a penalty shootout, Terry emerged in a pristine full-kit ensemble to carry the trophy alongside Lampard in a second which turned a social media meme sensation.
15. Xavi & Andrés Iniesta
Xavi got here off the bench to assist Barcelona win the 2015 Champions League closing towards Juventus as Luis Enrique’s facet accomplished a treble with a 3-1 win in Berlin.
The previous Spain midfielder lifted the trophy in his closing recreation as a Barcelona participant, with team-mate Andrés Iniesta named because the captain on the pitch on the Olympiastadion. Each gamers celebrated their fourth win within the continental competitors.
14. İlkay Gündoğan
After just a few close to misses together with defeat within the 2021 closing, Manchester Metropolis lastly received the Champions League in 2023.
Pep Guardiola’s facet edged out Inter in a 1-0 win to finish a historic treble. Captain İlkay Gündoğan lifted the trophy after Rodri’s winner in Istanbul.
13. Peter Schmeichel
Roy Keane was Manchester United’s captain for his or her treble-winning season in 1998/99, however the Irish midfielder was suspended for the Champions League closing towards Bayern Munich, so Peter Schmeichel skippered the workforce as a substitute.
Schmeichel was key to United’s epic late comeback at Camp Nou, going up for a nook and inflicting chaos within the Bayern field as Teddy Sheringham levelled at 1-1. The Dane stayed in purpose as his team-mates received one other nook, however was quickly lifting the trophy after Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s winner deep in added time.
12. Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard was instrumental in Liverpool’s unbelievable comeback from 3-0 right down to beat AC Milan within the 2005 Champions League closing in Istanbul.
Gerrard scored Liverpool’s first purpose and turned in a Man-of-the-Match show because the Reds roared again to degree at 3-3 and ended up successful in a penalty shootout.
11. Javier Zanetti
Javier Zanetti spent nearly 20 years at Inter and the previous Argentina defender remodeled 850 appearances for the Nerazzurri.
The versatile Argentine was Inter’s captain for his or her treble triumph in 2009/10 beneath José Mourinho, lifting the Champions League trophy after victory over Bayern Munich in Madrid.
10. Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps captained Marseille to Champions League glory in 1993 as OM beat AC Milan within the closing to turn out to be the primary French workforce to assert the European Cup.
Deschamps went on to win the competitors once more with Juventus in 1996, earlier than shedding within the subsequent two finals, though he was not the captain in these video games and didn’t make it off the bench as Valencia misplaced on penalties to Bayern Munich within the 2001 showpiece. The midfielder skippered France to World Cup and European Championship crowns in 1998 and 2000, respectively.
9. Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes spent 12 years at Liverpool and the previous England defender remodeled 650 appearances for the Anfield membership.
A flexible participant who may function in defence or midfield, Hughes captained the Reds to European Cup wins in 1977 and 1978, having additionally skippered the facet which claimed the UEFA Cup in 1976.
8. John McGovern
John McGovern was by no means capped by Scotland at full worldwide degree, however the former midfielder loved nice success in his membership profession beneath Brian Clough at Derby County and Nottingham Forest.
A First Division winner with each golf equipment, McGovern was Forest captain for the Reds’ back-to-back European Cup closing wins in 1979 and 1980.
7. Armando Picchi
A flexible defender who moved from right-back to libero beneath the legendary Helenio Herrera at Inter, Armando Picchi turned captain of the Nerazzurri after Bruno Bolchi left in 1963.
As skipper, Picchi led the Grande Inter facet to back-to-back European Cup wins within the mid-Sixties, beating Actual Madrid within the 1964 closing and retaining the trophy with victory over Benfica the next yr.
6. Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi was the captain of Arrigo Sacchi’s nice AC Milan facet within the late Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties and spent his whole profession with the Rossoneri.
The legendary former Italy defender lifted the European Cup as captain in 1989 and 1990, however was suspended for the 1994 closing as Fabio Capello’s facet beat Barcelona 4-0 in Athens, with Mauro Tassotti skippering the workforce as a substitute.
5. Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini spent his whole profession at AC Milan and the previous Italy defender received the European Cup 5 instances, whereas additionally ending as runner-up on three events.
Maldini led Milan to the title as captain in 2003 and 2007, whereas additionally skippering the facet which misplaced to Liverpool in 2005. Beforehand a winner in 1989, 1990 and 1994, he remodeled 900 appearances for the Rossoneri general.
4. Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol made near 700 appearances in a profession spent solely with Barcelona and the World Cup-winning defender was an inspirational captain for the Catalan membership.
Puyol received three Champions League crowns with the Blaugrana. After beginning within the 2006 and 2009 finals, the defender was a late substitute within the 2011 showpiece and allowed team-mate Éric Abidal to carry the trophy following surgical procedure to take away a tumour from his liver simply 10 weeks earlier.
3. Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff was Ajax’s star participant within the early Nineteen Seventies and the Dutch legend was instrumental within the Amsterdam membership’s three consecutive European Cup wins in that point.
Ajax beat Panathinaikos 2-0 within the 1971 closing, defeated Inter by the identical scoreline the next yr and made it three in a row with a 1-0 victory over Juventus in 1973. Cruyff was captain for the primary and final of these triumphs and scored each targets towards Inter within the 1972 showpiece.
2. Franz Beckenbauer
Frank Beckenbauer was Bayern Munich’s captain for the Bavarians’ three consecutive European Cup wins within the Nineteen Seventies.
The legendary sweeper lifted the trophy in 1974, 1975 and 1976. The 2-time Ballon d’Or winner additionally skippered West Germany to European Championship and World Cup titles in 1972 and 1974, respectively. And in 1990, he received the World Cup as West Germany supervisor.
1. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos received the Champions League 4 instances as a Actual Madrid participant and the previous Spain centre-back was captain for 3 of these triumphs.
Ramos was key as Madrid received the trophy for a tenth time, La Décima, in 2014 as he headed a late leveller to pressure further time towards Atlético in Lisbon. Iker Casillas was captain that yr, however Ramos took over as skipper after the goalkeeper’s exit in 2015 and lifted the trophy every time as Los Blancos sealed a historic three-peat beneath Zinédine Zidane between 2016 and 2018. He scored Madrid’s purpose within the 2016 closing – additionally towards Atlético – and transformed his penalty within the shootout win.
