SPORTSWORLD.AM
This Saturday, the Champions League final will take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich, where Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan will meet. Both teams have many superstars who have yet to lift the coveted trophy. But it's worth remembering that throughout history, there have been true legends and icons who have never been able to add the Champions League to their list of achievements.
Mundo Deportivo has compiled a ranking of 10 footballers who have never been able to win the eared trophy.
Ronaldo Nazario
If not the best "nine" in history, then one of the best. He won the Ballon d'Or twice, but the Champions League was never his. Ronaldo joined the Galacticos when the team was already past its peak, and victories in the Champions League were a thing of the past.
Gianluigi Buffon:
The idol and mentor of many modern goalkeepers, he defied time, playing almost until his hair was grey, he wanted to win the Champions League so much. But in the end, he hung up his gloves. Buffon played in three finals with Juventus, but lost in all of them. A move to star-studded PSG didn't help either.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Given his impressive resume, which includes some of Europe's greatest players, it seems likely that he has won at least one Champions League title. But that's not true: he didn't even play in the final. His biggest regret is moving from Inter to Barcelona a year before the Italians won the treble.
Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Another super striker without a Champions League. His 56 goals in the competition weren't enough to win the title. He became a Manchester United legend, playing between the club's two Champions League victories in 1999 and 2008.
Francesco Totti:
The legend of Roma. He probably didn't win the Champions League because of his loyalty to the club. There were offers from Real Madrid, but Totti stayed in Rome and became its symbol.
Dennis Bergkamp.
The footballer who was afraid of flying never rose high enough to win the Champions League. He was on the bench when Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final.
Gabriel Batistuta.
In his defense, it's worth saying that he played for teams that didn't have a chance to win the Champions League: Fiorentina, Roma, and a struggling Inter Milan. But as one of the best strikers of the late 90s, Batistuta undoubtedly had the talent to win trophies.