Among football fans, it is common to assess the club's magnitude by its titles and history. Knowing that there are big clubs with few titles, this is, in fact, the fairest way to divide big clubs from the major winners. And among all titles, there is one more important than all: The Champions League. This is the most desired title in the world, the most prestigious and arguably the most difficult to win. After all, who are the kings of the Champions League?
4 titles - Ajax
The Dutch player's factory was also a real football machine and the best team in the world. At the beginning of the '70s, Ajax was the team to beat. The precursors of total football, led by Rinus Michels on the bench and Cruyff on the field, won three consecutive European Cups. Later, in the 1994/95 season, they repeated the major success with Louis van Gaal as a coach, achieving their 4th Champions League title.
5 titles - Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona
It was necessary to wait until 1992 to see the giant FC Barcelona lift their first European Cup, with Cruyff as a coach. He had already triumphed as a player with Ajax. Barça went through troubled moments after that victory. They played another final two years later, but it was with Ronaldinho, Deco, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto'o, and Messi that the team ruled Europe once again. Between 2005 and 2015, the team lifted the Champions League trophy four times.
As for Bayern, they started to win with the legendary team of the 70s. Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer were some of the stars who led the team to three consecutive titles between 1974 and 1976. They managed to get two more. 2001 and 2013 were also golden years for the Germans.
6 titles - Liverpool
With the title last season, Liverpool took the third place in this ranking and is now aiming to build upon this achievement. The English team followed Bayern Munich's triple victory with two consecutive titles in 1977 and 1978. They would win again in 1981, 1984, 2005 and 2019, contrasting the great European success with difficulties to win domestically.
7 titles - AC Milan
AC Milan is far from their best years, but the team has a major history in European football. After all, only one team has more European titles than the Rossoneri. AC Milan's triumphant path began in 1963 and since then it has been marked by occasional achievements, with no major periods of hegemony, except for the two consecutive titles won in 1989 and 1990. AC Milan's last Champions League title was in 2007, with a legendary team led by Kaka, Pirlo, Maldini, Nesta, Seedorf, and many other stars.
13 titles - Real Madrid
When we talk about big clubs it's difficult to imagine something bigger than Real Madrid. The Blancos are by far the most successful team in Europe. They almost double the number of titles of AC Milan.
Real Madrid started well and from an early age, the team created a gap that no one else was able to close: they won the first five editions and in 1966 they already had as many cups as Liverpool had today. However, it was necessary to wait more than 30 years to see Real madrid shine again in the biggest European club competition, with the triumph in 1998. The arrival of Zidane as a coach, together with Cristiano Ronaldo, meant another period of absolute dominance. Four titles in five editions between 2014 and 2018.