Only Eight Clubs Have Done It: Can PSG Retain The Champions League? | OneFootball

The Champions League final takes place this Saturday, and Paris Saint-Germain have the chance to create history.

Winning the title for a second season in a row would see PSG become just the second club to successfully defend the Champions League in the modern era.

At present, only eight clubs have successfully retained the European Cup or Champions League. Should PSG defeat Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal F.C. this Saturday, they would become the ninth side to join that exclusive list and the first French club ever to achieve the feat.

Real Madrid  (1956, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)

Real Madrid were the first side to successfully retain the European Cup and remain the only club to win five consecutive titles, lifting the trophy every year between 1956 and 1960.

They started off with a 4-3 victory over Stade Reims in Paris. The match featured the legendary Alfredo Di Stéfano and was quite the entertaining encounter, with the French side taking a two-goal lead before Real Madrid fought back to win 4-3.

One interesting thing about that final was how different football was at the time. Real Madrid’s side consisted predominantly of Spanish players, with Di Stéfano the only Argentinian in the team, while Stade Reims fielded a full French starting XI.

They successfully defended their title the following year with a 2-0 victory over Fiorentina at the Santiago Bernabéu in Spain, before extra time was used for the first time in a European Cup final in 1958 as Real Madrid defeated AC Milan in Brussels.

Madrid’s love affair with the European Cup continued with a 2-0 victory over Stade de Reims once again in Stuttgart, before one of the most emphatic finals of all time, where they enjoyed a 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at the iconic Hampden Park in Glasgow.

The match featured a hat-trick from Di Stéfano, as well as four goals from the legendary Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás, in what remains one of the greatest European Cup finals ever played.

Benfica  (1961, 1962)

After five years of Real Madrid dominance, it would not take long for the next side to successfully retain the European Cup. This came when Benfica retained the trophy in 1961 and 1962.

They first defeated Barcelona at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern before enjoying an emphatic 5-3 victory over Real Madrid the following year in Amsterdam. This time, the legendary Portuguese forward Eusébio was on the scoresheet as Benfica secured back-to-back European Cups.

One of the most interesting stories from Benfica’s triumphs surrounds their manager, Béla Guttmann. Following the 1962 final, Guttmann reportedly asked the club for a pay rise. When his request was rejected, and he left the club, he is believed to have said: “Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champions again.”

Whether true or not, the so-called “Béla Guttmann curse” has followed Benfica ever since. The Portuguese giants reached European Cup finals in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990, but failed to lift the trophy on each occasion.

Their misfortune also extended into the Europa League era, where they suffered defeats in the 2013 and 2014 finals, leading many to wonder whether the curse was still alive. Those who believe such luck plays a part have been using legal online casinos in NZ and prediction-based apps to make their own choices.

There has long been debate over whether the myth has finally been lifted. Benfica did eventually win another European trophy when they lifted the UEFA Youth League in 2022, ending years of speculation surrounding the famous curse, although the wait for another senior European title continues.

Internazionale (1964, 1965)

Inter Milan would be the next side to successfully defend their European Cup title. They first defeated Real Madrid 3-1 in Vienna, Austria, in the 1964 final, before following it up with a 1-0 victory over Benfica in 1965.

Ajax (1971, 1972, 1973)

Inspired by the legendary Johan Cruyff, the next defenders of the European Cup would be Ajax. After seeing their rivals Feyenoord become the first Dutch side to lift the European Cup, Ajax responded by winning the competition in 1971, 1972 and 1973, securing a hat-trick of triumphs as the era of Total Football began.

Their victories came against Panathinaikos, Inter Milan and Juventus by scorelines of 2-0, 2-0 and 1-0, respectively. Solid at the back, ruthless in attack, Ajax became one of the most iconic sides in European football history.

Bayern Munich (1974, 1975, 1976)

After seeing Ajax win the competition three years in a row, it was time for Germany, and more specifically West German side Bayern Munich, who would go on to enjoy three consecutive European Cup triumphs of their own.

Their first success in 1974 was quite unique. After a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid, the final went to a replay, where Bayern ran out 4-0 winners to lift their first European Cup.

They would then successfully defend their title with a 2-0 victory over Leeds United F.C. before making it three in a row with a 1-0 victory over AS Saint-Étienne.

Liverpool, (1977, 1978)

In 1977 and 1978, Liverpool’s love affair with the European Cup, the famous “Big Ears”, truly came to life.

First, they enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where goals from Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith and Phil Neal were enough to secure victory over the German outfit.

A year later, Liverpool took on Club Brugge at Wembley, where they enjoyed a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half goal from club legend Kenny Dalglish. This saw Liverpool successfully retain the European Cup and cement themselves among the elite sides in European football.

Nottingham Forest (1979, 1980)

It was a period of English dominance, something highlighted by the events of 1979. Nottingham Forest knocked out holders Liverpool in the first round of the competition before going on to lift the European Cup for the first time.

A goal from Trevor Francis was enough to secure a 1-0 victory over Malmö FF at the Olympiastadion.

A year later, in 1980, it would be a similar outcome as a first-half goal from John Robertson was enough to secure a second European title for Forest, as legendary manager Brian Clough guided the Nottinghamshire club to European stardom.

AC Milan (1989, 1990)

There would be a nine-year gap before the next side successfully defended their European Cup title, and this time it was AC Milan.

After seeing their city rivals Inter Milan achieve the feat in 1964 and 1965, AC Milan decided it was time to do something similar of their own.

They first enjoyed a 4-0 battering of Steaua București at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, with Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten both helping themselves to braces in a dominant display.

A year later, it would be another triumph for the Italian club. However, it was not as straightforward this time, as Milan secured a narrow 1-0 victory over the cursed Benfica.

A second-half goal from Frank Rijkaard was enough to secure victory over the Portuguese side in Vienna and see AC Milan successfully retain the European Cup.

Modern Era

Real Madrid (2016, 2017, 2018)

The record winners of Europe’s premier club competition, and they are also the only club to achieve the feat in the modern Champions League era.

They kicked off their run of success in 2016 with a penalty shootout victory over rivals Atlético Madrid at the San Siro in Milan.

A year later in Cardiff, they enjoyed a 4-1 victory over Juventus. A brace from Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside goals from Casemiro and Marco Asensio, saw Real Madrid romp to another European title.

They then completed a hat-trick of trophies in Kyiv, where they enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Liverpool. The final included some heroics from Gareth Bale, while it proved to be a night to forget for Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Should PSG retain the title, they will become the first French side to successfully defend the European Cup or Champions League and just the second club to do so in the modern era.

Doing so would also see them join one of the most exclusive lists in European football history, alongside the likes of Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and AC Milan.

The question now is whether Luis Enrique can guide his side to even more glory when they take on Arsenal this Saturday. A place in history awaits.