Ranking 5 greatest midfielders who never won the Champions League

Diego Maradona and David Silva could not add a Champions League medal to their trophy collection

The UEFA Champions League finally returned this week after a two-month break.

Liverpool and Manchester City won their respective fixtures comfortably, while Paris Saint-Germain beat Real Madrid 1-0. The performances of Bernardo Silva, Marco Verratti and Mohamed Camara stood out as all three midfielders put in wonderful shifts.

Playing in midfield requires immense technical ability. As the center of the field is often crowded, midfielders are expected to play well under pressure by facilitating the ball. They are required to move the ball up the pitch as well as track back to help out the defense on a regular basis.

A lethal forward can score goals and a potent defense can keep a clean sheet, but a game of football is often won in midfield.

Successful Champions League sides are built on a strong midfield

Six central midfielders have won the #UCLFinal Man of the Match this century:

🇫🇷 Zinedine Zidane
🇵🇹 Deco
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Steven Gerrard
🇪🇸 Xavi
🇪🇸 Andrés Iniesta
🇫🇷 N'Golo Kanté

He's in good company. 😏 twitter.com/SquawkaNews/st…

Over the last couple of decades, teams with world-class midfields like Barcelona and Real Madrid have dominated the Champions League. Midfield maestros such as Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Luka Modric have won the continental crown on multiple occasions.

With that being said, some top-notch midfielders have failed to win it even once. This article will discuss the five best midfielders who didn’t win the Champions League.

#5 David Silva

David Silva was a legendary signing for Manchester City.

David Silva is undoubtedly one of the best Premier League midfielders of the 2010s. The Spanish international won a plethora of trophies during an illustrious career. Manchester City grew in prominence courtesy of quality players such as Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Silva.

A four-time Premier League winner, Silva was also part of the Spain squad that won the Euro 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012. Despite enjoying so much success for both club and country, the pass master couldn’t add a Champions League medal to his trophy collection.

David Silva in the Premier League for Man City:

🔵 250 games
🔵 167 wins
🔵 75 assists
🔵 49 goals
🔵 3 trophies

El Mago. 🧙‍♂️ https://t.co/fZhH5kR3gU

At 36, Silva is currently earning his bread at Real Sociedad in La Liga. Although he hasn’t retired yet, it is unlikely that the attacking midfielder will win the Champions League before he hangs his boots. Nevertheless, El Mago will be fondly remembered as a Manchester City and Spain legend.

#4 Pavel Nedved

Pavel Nedved was one of the best players in his position during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Capable of playing equally efficiently as a wide midfielder or attacking midfielder, the Czech hero was known for his pinpoint crossing and precise shooting abilities.

After coming into the limelight in his home country with Sparta Prague, Nedved earned a move to Serie A side Lazio in 1996. Juventus spent a fortune of around €45 million to obtain his services in 2001. That’s how highly he was rated in Italy.

Some of Pavel Nedved’s stats:

615 appearances
134 goals
44918 minutes played

🇨🇿4x Czech Player of the Year
🇮🇹1x Italy Player of the Year
🌍1x Ballon d’Or https://t.co/sxhEjisyt0

Juventus reached the 2003 Champions League final but were beaten by AC Milan on penalties. Nedved’s contributions didn’t go unnoticed, however, as he was awarded the Ballon d’Or for his exemplary displays. The Old Lady veteran is now the Vice Chairman of the Bianconeri.