Most successful teams in Europe's top five leagues this centuryย
Who are the most successful teams in Europe's top five leagues since the year 2000? When Real Madrid won their 14th Champions League title, many fans called it 'football heritage'. Liverpool were the favorites going into the game, but Real Madrid had the European aura around them, and they used it to full effect.
Many were quick to say that this current Liverpool team is one of the best in history, but they were quickly proven wrong. It's worthwhile to see which clubs in Europe have been the most successful over the last 20 years. Which clubs have won the most trophies in each respective league? Let's take a look.
Most successful clubs in Ligue 1
Nantes won the first Ligue 1 title of the century in the 2000-01 season. Then, Olympique Lyonnais won the league for seven straight seasons up till the 2007-2008 season.
The league title switched hands between Bordeaux, Marseille, Lille, and Montpellier before the era of Paris Saint-Germain began. Since the 2012-13 season, PSG have won eight of the 10 seasons.
When money knows no limits...
Additionally, all but two of Ligue 1's top 20 highest-paid players are from PSG!
Here's a breakdown of the biggest earners in Europe's top five leagues: bit.ly/3ipqMAC https://t.co/NuWxF8R2go
No Ligue 1 team has won a European title this century, while PSG have won the most trophies domestically, with 24 to their name. The next best are Lyon with 10.
Since PSG were bought by Qatar, Ligue 1 has been dominated by them. European glory is still out of their grasp, but they did reach the final in 2020. Ligue 1 needs to gain more investment to become a more challenging league.
Most successful teams in the Bundesliga
Bayern Munich won the first Bundesliga title of this century and set the tone for the next 22 seasons. 2010-11 and 2011-12 is the only period in which Bayern have failed to win a league title for two consecutive seasons.
Borussia Dortmund were the lucky team to break their run. Stuttgart, Werder Bremen, and Wolfsburg are the other teams to have kept the throne warm for Bayern.
374 games
344 goals
72 assists
8 Bundesliga titles. 3 German Cups. 1 Champions League.
Robert Lewandowski in his eight years at Bayern Munich:
๐ 374 games
โฝ๏ธ 344 goals
๐ ฐ๏ธ 72 assists
๐ 8 Bundesliga titles. 3 German Cups. 1 Champions League.
World-class. https://t.co/wqNTKsRlCz
Bayern made it a 10th Bundesliga title in a row this year, and they don't seem to be slowing down. They are the most successful team in Germany with 29 trophies, including three Champions League titles this century.
The next best are Dortmund with six. Bayern, unlike PSG, take the best players from around Germany to dominate the league. No team stands a chance over a whole season.
Most successful teams in Serie A
AS Roma began the century with a Serie A title but have failed to win one since. The 21 years of this century have been dominated by Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan.
Inter dominated the league from 2005 to 2010, winning five titles. Juventus beat that streak by winning nine titles from 2012 to 2020. Inter broke the streak thanks to Antonio Conte in 2021, and Milan beat Inter to the title this season.
AC Milan players and staff celebrate the 2021-22 Italian Serie A title with an open-top bus parade in Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy, 23 May 2022. ๐ธ epa / ANSA / Matteo Corner
#Milan #SerieA #epaimages https://t.co/iV2DC32vVN
Juventus are the most successful team in Italy with 16 trophies while Inter are second with 12 trophies. Inter and Milan both have Champions League trophies to their name, but Juventus have failed to win the competition.
The tide does seem to be turning in Italy, and the league has been quite competitive over the last two seasons. Napoli, Roma, and Lazio are other teams that have made it entertaining.
Most successful teams in La Liga
Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated La Liga this century, with Valencia and Atletico Madrid winning two titles each over the last 22 years. Barcelona last won a title in 2019, but financial problems and mismanagement have caused problems at the club.
From 2005 to 2019, Barcelona won 10 titles as others struggled to match up to their might. Barcelona have won a total of 21 trophies.
Real Madrid may have just completed the greatest Champions League run of all time.
- PSG ๐ซ๐ท
- Chelsea ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
- Man City ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
- Liverpool ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ https://t.co/D6vAu3dILJ
La Liga has also dominated Europe over this period. Barcelona have won four Champions League titles while Real Madrid have won six. Sevilla won six Europa League (formerly known as UEFA cup) titles with Atletico winning three.
Valencia and Villarreal have also won Europa League titles. 21 European titles in 22 years is no small feat. One of the best leagues in Europe, without a doubt.
Most successful teams in the Premier League
Manchester United won the first title this century and shared the spoils with Arsenal until 2004. Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and made the top four team into title contenders, winning leagues back to back under Jose Mourinho.
United won four of the five titles between 2007 and 2011, winning three in a row from 2007 to 2009.
Manchester City won their first title under the ownership of Abu Dhabi in 2012. United won their final title in 2013, which also happened to be Sir Alex Ferguson's final season as manager. Since 2014, City have won five titles while Chelsea have won two, and Leicester and Liverpool have one each.
One year ago today, #UCL winners! ๐ https://t.co/6LAI7mm9Bc
Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United have also won European titles, nine in total. Chelsea have been the most successful team winning 17 trophies while United and City are behind them with 15 and 14, respectively.
The last four years have been dominated by City, and the other teams are trying to find the consistency to break that dominance.
These five leagues are the best in Europe, with the most successful teams. The Premier League has always been competitive, but La Liga and Serie A have joined the fray in recent seasons.
Teams in Germany and France will have to invest in themselves to try and break the hold that Bayern Munich and PSG have on them.