Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Who are the 10 best players never to have won a league or Champions League title?

Dream Team FC
Who are the 10 best players never to have won a league or Champions League title?

Everyone is always talking about those serial winners.

What about the absolutely class players who have sadly never been able to ride the bus on a league-winning end of season parade.

Well, we asked the masses who were the best players never to have won a domestic league or Champions League.

Luckily for you we have boiled it down to a top 10.

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There were many, many players that came so close to getting into this list but we have been strict.

No Mohamed Salah because of his Swiss Super League, no Gary Lineker because he’s got a second division medal from Leicester’s 1980 season and no Gianfranco Zola for his exploits with Napoli and that bloke Diego.

What about Romelu Lukaku, I hear cries of – does top scoring in Anderlecht’s romping to the Belgian Pro League in 2010 not count?

OK, without further ado, here are the best 10 players that we have whittled it down to never have won a single professional domestic league title or Champions League – in no particular order.

1 Robbie Fowler surprisingly didn’t foul that muchPA:Press Association

Somehow in between banging in loads of goals for several of the best Premier League clubs, Fowler forgot to actually, you know, win a league title.

At Liverpool he came very close to getting his name off this list but can only boast an FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup and Super Cup – close but no cigar.

Even in his weird A-League career wind down, he never got his hands on that elusive league title.

2 Antonio Di Natale 5’7″ when jumpingGetty Images - Getty

A certified cult hero of Italian football throughout the 2000s who regularly embarrassed defenders with white hot pace.

Despite 227 goals in 446 games for Udinese the closest Di Natale ever got to a league title was a third place finish back in 2011-12.

Finished as Serie A top scorer two years in a row and was named Italian Footballer of the Year in 2010 – deserves his place.

3 Daniele De Rossi Proper one club manGetty - Contributor

Maybe it’s something about the utter dominance of Juventus and the Milan sides through recent history that means some Italian legends haven’t got anywhere near the Scudetto.

One club man De Rossi has been a stalwart of Roma’s midfield since 2001, racking up a ridiculous 587 games.

The midfield general proved his elite level helping Italy to a World Cup win in 2006 but staying at Roma meant he never won a title.

If they do the unthinkable and beat Liverpool to make the Champions League final he could be one game away from making it off this list.

4 Matt Le Tissier Hear this man roarNews Group Newspapers Ltd

Sometime it’s stunning to think plays of Le Tissier’s quality never got to lift a league title, but then again you have to commend them for their loyalty.

The Saints legend was a prolific goalscorer throughout the 1990s with a penchant for beautiful goals.

Le Tiss plugged away with Southampton in the first division and Premier League, but never managed to finish higher than 7th and never played in Europe.

But England definitely recognised his talents.

5 Santi Cazorla Good to see him backGetty - Contributor

Arsenal’s midfield genius doesn’t need club honours to prove how good he is when he has two European Championships winners’ medals at home.

Cazorla came closer than most on this list when he finished second in La Liga with Villarreal in the 2007/08 season and got silver place with Arsenal in 2015/16.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride for Santi. Except internationally, he won bloody loads.

6 Marek Hamsik When you lose 3-0 to Fiorentina and your title chances go up in flamesREUTERS

The best mohican in football, bar none.

But unfortunately punk haircuts don’t win league or Champions League titles.

The seven-time Slovakian footballer of the year has never made it to the holy land with Napoli in his 490 appearances and it looks like his best chance has just vanished into thin air.

An early career at Slovan Bratislava and Brescia weren’t very fruitful either.

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Don’t think that just because he is now a lower league manager Hasselbaink shouldn’t be included here.

One of the best finishers in the post-2000 Premier League years and Golden Boot winner, the Dutchman only managed to get to the dizzy heights of second with Chelsea in 2003/04.

Agonisingly, he got all the way to the semi-final of the Champions League only to lose to Monaco.

Pedigree.

8 Antoine Griezmann Great striker, questionable hairEPA

Before you shout at me that he won a title at Atletico Madrid, he joined the season after that special season.

Since then Griezzy has been one of the most dangerous strikers in Spain, only overshadowed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Griezmann, and our next two, are the best footballers currently playing who have yet to win a title but are almost guaranteed to at one point in their career.

You know, when he makes the move from Madrid to Barcelona this summer…

9 Radja Nainggolan When you realise your manager has no idea about tacticsAFP or licensors

De Rossi’s midfield partner who has made a name for himself by smoking and partying his way through a professional career.

Again blighted by playing for Roma but the Belgian has been named in the Serie A Team of the Year for the last three years running.

And you can see that Premier League trophy in his hands in Chelsea blue at the end of next season, can’t you?

10 Harry Kane You’ll win something one day HarryGetty - Contributor

Without doubt the best player to never have won a league or Champions League title.

The 24-year-old double Golden Boot winner is one of the most sought after strikers on the planet.

He might never win a title if he doesn’t leave Spurs, but as we all know he is going to Real Madrid at some point, it will be leagues and Champions Leagues galore.

Good luck, young Harry.

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