The Champions League last: the very pinnacle of European soccer, the place the celebs could be seen shining at their brightest.
However then…soccer is a squad sport, and never each participant goes to be Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
As such there have been various gamers who’ve stepped out in a Champions League last whose inclusion now seems odd on reflection – and even, in a number of circumstances, appeared a bit unusual even on the time.
1. Djimi Traore, Liverpool (2005)
Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher, Luis Garcia…Djimi Traore.
In fact, Rafa Benitez’s unimaginable comeback kings had been fairly a way off being an awesome facet. The Spaniard had solely taken cost the earlier summer time, in spite of everything, and their switch enterprise may solely prolong to date.
That meant Liverpool had been left with one thing of a transitional squad of gamers left over from the Gerard Houllier period and gamers signed as stopgaps. The Liverpool bench that night time included Josemi, Igor Biscan and Antonio Nunez, whereas a entrance two of Harry Kewell and Milan Baros didn’t precisely rips issues up at Anfield.
Nevertheless it was their beginning left-back whose title actually stands out. The gaffe-prone defender bought the nod primarily as a result of Benitez bought his ways improper from the beginning; John-Arne Riise was deployed on the left wing as an alternative. Liverpool had been famously a lot improved after a half-time swap to a again three with Dietmar Hamann approaching at half time – although an damage to Steve Finnan meant it was he who was sacrificed, reasonably than Traore.
2. Carlos Alberto, Porto (2004)
Jose Mourinho introduced himself to the world in 2003/04, when his Porto group pulled off the largest shock in Champions League historical past by profitable the trophy. Their most memorable victory earlier than the ultimate got here towards Manchester United within the final 16, with Benni McCarthy’s brace within the first leg very important to Porto’s development.
McCarthy needed to be content material with a spot on the bench within the Gelsenkirchen showpiece towards Monaco, although, with Carlos Alberto – scorer of the opening objective in a 3-0 victory – given the nod alongside Derlei up entrance.
The Brazilian, who went on to symbolize Corinthians, Vasco da Gama and Figueirense in his homeland, performed simply 34 occasions for Porto general.
3. Nordin Wooter, Ajax (1996)
Watford followers couldn’t assist however get excited when the Hornets broke their switch file to snap up a winger with Champions League pedigree in 1999.
Wooter, signed for £950,000, spent three seasons at Vicarage Highway with out ever actually hitting the heights anticipated of him, scoring simply three targets in 63 league video games earlier than departing for RBC within the Netherlands.
Wooter’s taking part in profession later took him to Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, however it was at Ajax the place the uncapped Dutchman made his breakthrough within the mid-90s. The then-teenager appeared as an extra-time substitute within the 1996 Champions League Ultimate, which Ajax misplaced to Juventus on penalties.
4. Mario Lemina, Juventus (2017)
The Gabon worldwide might be finest identified in England as a good jobbing defensive midfielder for a string of bottom-half-to-mid-table sides: Southampton, Fulham, Wolves.
However a decade in the past he was highly-regarded sufficient to earn a transfer to Juventus, regardless of having punched a lad within the knackers whereas taking part in for Marseille just some months prior.
Lemina by no means actually made a correct breakthrough in Turin, showing simply 44 occasions in all competitions throughout two seasons. But he ended up showing towards Actual Madrid within the 2017 last, approaching for Paulo Dybala within the 78th minute as Max Allegri’s facet regarded to equalise from 2-1 down.
The sport completed 4-1.
5. Fabio da Silva, Manchester United (2011)
Rafael, not Fabio, was the dual who made the larger impression at Previous Trafford, taking part in 169 video games (113 greater than his brother) in all competitions throughout his seven seasons on Manchester United’s books. He missed the 2011 Champions League Ultimate by means of damage, nevertheless, so it was Fabio who bought the nod at right-back towards Barcelona.
The Brazilian was largely a squad participant all through his time with the Purple Devils, and he struggled to shackle Lionel Messi, Pedro and David Villa at Wembley – though he was removed from alone in that regard as United had been outclassed by Pep Guardiola’s sensible bunch.
6. Ryan Bertrand, Chelsea (2012)
The 2011/12 season was a extremely bizarre one for Chelsea. A poor Premier League exhibiting led them to switch Andre Villas-Boas with caretaker boss Roberto Di Matteo in March. Issues did not flip round within the league, however the Italian led Chelsea to an FA Cup triumph and a memorable victory over Barcelona (the John Terry purple card/Fernando Torres late objective one) to get to the Champions League last.
All of the speak when the teamsheets got here out on the night time was about Di Matteo’s shock collection of academy graduate Ryan Bertrand on the left wing. A left-back by commerce, the 22 12 months previous had simply 15 senior video games below his belt for the membership. However in equity, it turned out to be a masterstroke.
Bertrand mixed properly with Ashley Cole particularly to maintain Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller out of the sport. Bayern solely scored after Bertrand went off within the 73rd minute to get replaced by the extra typical Florent Malouda, with Muller heading residence after getting free from Cole whereas Malouda wandered round aimlessly contained in the field. Chelsea equalised 5 minutes later and received it on penalties.
7. and eight. Gael Givet and Sebastien Squillaci, Monaco (2004)
Premier League followers will know Givet and Squillaci from their blended success at Blackburn and Arsenal respectively, however earlier than that the duo shaped a dogged centre-back partnership at Monaco.
Squillaci was an alternative to the 2004 last towards Porto – Jose Mourinho’s males triumphed 3-0 – however he was afforded 18 minutes within the second half. Givet, in the meantime, began alongside Julien Rodriguez on the coronary heart of defence, however was powerless to withstand as Porto proved too robust on the Enviornment AufSchalke.
9. Michele Padovano, Juventus (1996)
In 1997, Crystal Palace surprisingly signed two members of the Juventus squad that had received the earlier 12 months’s Champions League.
Attilio Lombardo was a convincing success at Selhurst Park and remains to be thought of probably the most proficient participant to have represented the membership by many Eagles followers, however Padovano – scorer of 1 objective in 12 league appearances for the south Londoners – did not fare fairly as properly.
The striker changed Fabrizio Ravanelli within the 77th minute of the 1996 last towards Ajax, which was finally settled by a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. He went on to play for Metz and Como after leaving Palace, and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for drug trafficking in 2006.
10. Jose Sosa, Atletico Madrid (2014)
There’s a number of Atletico gamers we may have picked – Augusto Fernandez, anybody? – however we will not think about there are numerous gamers who’ve appeared in a Champions League last whereas on mortgage from the Ukrainian Premier League.
Jose Sosa was. Picked up from Estudiantes as a promising teen by Bayern Munich, he had struggled to make the grade within the Bundesliga and did not fare a lot better after being offered to Napoli for a paltry €2m – cash the Italian facet did not fairly make again once they offered him to Metalist Kharkov only a 12 months later.
However Diego Simeone needed a midfielder within the January switch window, and turned to his countryman on mortgage. Solely six of his 24 outings for the membership got here as a starter – however a kind of appearances from the bench got here within the Champions League last. After his time in Marid ended, he continued his journeyman methods, taking part in most of his soccer in Turkey save for one more underwhelming Serie A season with Milan.
11. Sebastien Haller, Borussia Dortmund (2024)
One other participant with an itinerant profession path, Haller has by no means spent greater than three years taking part in senior soccer for anyone facet, and is finest identified in England for an 18-month spell at West Ham that featured a few spectacular targets however not plenty of a lot of anything.
The Hammers shipped out Haller to Ajax for lower than half the £45m they’d shelled out to signal him from Eintracht Frankfurt, and to be solely truthful, he did properly in each of these spells both facet of his time in London, ending because the Bundesliga’s prime scorer in 2021/22.
So Haller’s Champions League last might be solely actually stunning to English followers, given it got here after his unremarkable spell at West Ham: he got here off the bench in Dortmund’s 2-0 defeat to Actual Madrid in 2024.
12. Roque Junior, Milan (2003)
Roque Junior boasted World Cup and Champions League winners’ medals amongst his possession by the point he was loaned to Leeds in 2003, however the central defender didn’t reside as much as his billing at Elland Highway and his profession reasonably petered out thereafter.
The Brazilian was a part of Milan’s Europe-conquering squad of 2002/03, showing as a 66th-minute substitute within the last towards fellow Italian outfit Juventus. The 2 sides couldn’t be separated after two hours of goalless motion, however it was Milan who saved their cool to triumph on penalties at Previous Trafford.
13. Jermaine Pennant, Liverpool (2007)
The Liverpool XI that misplaced the 2007 Champions League Ultimate to Milan was stronger than the one which beat the identical opponents two years earlier than, with Javier Mascherano and Pepe Reina each upgrades on what went earlier than.
Pennant was one other newcomer by the point of the Athens decider, which was settled by Pippo Inzaghi’s two targets both facet of half-time – and he is the one Englishman to ever play within the UCL last but by no means play for England.
Pennant featured 52 occasions for the Reds in 2006/07, however his sport time decreased the next season and he was loaned to Portsmouth in 2008/09. The winger went on to play for Actual Zaragoza, Stoke, Wolves, Pune Metropolis, Wigan, Tampine Rovers, Bury and Billericay City.
14. Stefano Nava, Milan (1994)
Nava made simply 21 Serie A appearances for Milan throughout 5 years within the early-to-mid-90s, however the centre-back can at the least level to the excuse that he was competing for locations with among the biggest defenders Europe has ever seen. It was, frankly, no shock that the likes of Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Franco Baresi had been forward of him within the pecking order.
Nava did get on the sector in the course of the 1994 Champions League Ultimate, although, getting into the fray as an 83rd-minute alternative for Maldini. Fabio Capello’s males had been 4-0 up by that time, with pre-game favourites Barcelona humbled by a Milan facet that scored solely 36 targets in profitable the league that season.
15. Roberto Pereyra, Juventus (2015)
Pereyra was solely a squad participant as Juventus made all of it the best way to Berlin, however it’s simply forgotten that he really appeared in all however one in all their Champions League video games en route – the primary of their marketing campaign towards Malmo.
The Argentine was really on mortgage at Juve from Udinese in 2014/15 earlier than signing completely with the Previous Girl that summer time after his 11-minute cameo within the last towards Actual Madrid. He solely lasted one other 12 months, although, earlier than becoming a member of Watford for round €15 million.
