The Champions Blog

 UCL Player Profile #2: Cristiano Ronaldo   Full Name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro  Birth Place: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal  Nationality: Portuguese  DOB: 5th February 1985  UCL Debut: 1st October 2003 vs VfB Stuttgart  UCL Titles: 5 ( 2007/08, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18) Goals: 140 ( 105 (Real Madrid), 21 (Manchester United), 14 (Juventus) )  First UCL Goal(s): 10th April 2007 vs AS Roma  Last UCL Goal: 2nd November 2021 vs Villareal  Mr Champions League they call him. Ronaldo is probably the greatest to ever play in the Champions League, smashing for records for fun, winning an astounding 5 Champions League while becoming the competition's record goal scorer. From bursting onto the scene for the first time as an 18 year old for Manchester United, it took 27 games for Ronaldo to register his first goals in the competition. He then helped United win the competition in 2008 before making a move to Real Madrid, where h...

 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASSICS: CHELSEA 4-4 AJAX Picture Above: Former Italian referee, Gianluca Rocchi, shows red to two Ajax players, Daley Blind and Joël Veltman, in one of the most controversial Champions League games ever.  6th November 2019 Stamford Bridge, London, England Pre-Match: Since Ajax's miracle run the previous season, life in the Champions League hasn't been the same for the Dutch giants. After their run to the semi final in the 2018/19 season, two of Ajax's key players, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, left in the summer to Barcelona and Juventus, respectively. Chelsea meanwhile, were competing in the Champions League after a 1 year absence, winning the Europa League the previous season, under Maurizio Sarri. However, the Italian left the Londoners and joined Juventus, resulting in the return of club icon, Frank Lampard. Ajax's start to the season was great, winning 3-0 at home to Lille before winning by the same score away to Valencia before losing t...

  Champions League Squads of the Season:   Manchester City 2022-23  Manchester City's road to success to the final in Istanbul proved that anything is possible, as the Citizens won the Champions League for the very first time in their history, capping off a historic treble winning season, a feat that has only been accomplished once before by an English club, as Pep Guardiola's men also won the Premier League and FA Cup earlier that season, matching Manchester United's iconic treble winning season. After the sorrow of the final in Porto two years ago when Pep's men lost to Chelsea in the final, City finally got their hands on the Champions League, ending many years of suffer and heartbreak in Istanbul. After 143 years, Manchester City were champions of Europe for the very first time.  The Squad (Players who were featured): #2: Kyle Walker (ENG)  #3: Ruben Dias (POR) #4: Kalvin Phillips (ENG) #5: John Stones (ENG) #6: Nathan Ake (NED) #7: João Cancelo (POR) #8: İl...

BARCELONA'S 2010-11 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNING SQUAD: WHAT HAPPENED AFTER?  28th May 2011:Wembley Stadium, London, England  Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United  Two years after their triumph in Rome, Barcelona returned to their perch after one season, and won their fourth Champions League title and their third in six years. Pep Guardiola proved once again why he is one of the best mangers in the world, as he won his second Champions League in three years, in what was only his third season of managing a senior team. However, a lot has changed in 14 years. So what happened to this iconic squad after the events of London? 1) Víctor Váldes (#1, Spain)  Váldes is arguably one of Spain and Barcelona's greatest-ever goalkeepers, and one of the most decorated as well. He started the final in London and played the full 90 minutes of the final. After the final in Wembley. Váldes spent another three seasons with Barcelona, winning more domestic trophies, as well as the UEFA Supe...