Features
DOM 07.06.2015
Liga BBVA champions FC Barcelona have made history again by lifting their fifth European Cup/UEFA Champions League after beating Juventus 1-3.
The blaugrana, who arrived at the most important game in the year in terrifying form, played out of their skins and managed to overcome the Italian outfit. In doing so, the Catalans round off a perfect season in which, for the second time in their history, they have managed to win the Liga BBVA, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in the same campaign.
With this victory, Barça have now won their fifth European gong and become the fifth most successful team in the history of the competition. Luis Enrique’s side equal Bayern Munich and Liverpool FC on five European Cups and move closer to AC Milan’s seven, and to Real Madrid, the kings of the competition with 10 UEFA Champions Leagues. The blaugrana also pick up their fourth European title in 10 years, a remarkable achievement which the writers at LFP.es wish to commend.
Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria (1991/92)
On 20 May 1992, FC Barcelona's first continental crown arrived in what was also the swansong season of the old European Cup. Wembley provided the backdrop as the team then coached by Johan Cruyff came out on top of a final against Italians Sampdoria, thanks to an extra-time goal from Ronald Koeman.
FC Barcelona's first European Cup arrived on 20 May 1992 in a 1-0 final win over Sampdoria
The Catalans would go on to underline the excellent period they were in at the time by reaching the final of the Champions League just two years later. However, Cruyff’s men were unable to repeat their heroics from London, losing 4-0 to AC Milan. That would prove the club’s last final defeat thus far, as they moved into a golden age following the turn of the millennium.
Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal (2005/06)
FC Barcelona’s second competition win came 14 years after their Wembley triumph. The Stade de France in Paris was the venue for the final between los azulgranas and Arsenal, a match that saw coachFrank Rijkaard’s sidefight back from adversity to earn victory. Having fallen behind to Sol Campbell’s first-half opener for the English outfit, Barça managed to turn it around in the final 15 minutes of the encounter, with Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti both netting.
Los azulgranas won three Champions Leagues between 2006 and 2011
Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United (2008/09)
The Camp Nou club would reach another Champions League final just three years later, on this occasion with Pep Guardiola as coach and again against Premier League opposition, this time Manchester United. Barça claimed an early lead when Eto'o opened the scoring after 10 minutes and, in a match in which los azulgranas took their game to United and dominated possession of the ball, the scoreline was rounded off by Leo Messi’s unstoppable header past Edwin Van der Sar.
Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United (2010/11)
Two years on, the sides met again in the final, in what was Barcelona's third in the space of just five years. The clash saw Guardiola’s team go ahead through a goal from Pedro Rodríguez and, although Wayne Rooney equalised for Manchester United shortly afterwards, Barça settled the affair in the second half with two fantastic strikes from outside of the area by Messi and David Villa.
Juventus 1-3 Barcelona (2014/15)
The Olympic Stadium in Berlin was the venue for the Blaugrana's latest win in a final in which Luis Enrique's side could not have made a better start. After barely four minutes Ivan Rakitić took advantage of a great pass from Andrés Iniesta to make it 0-1. Despite the fact the Italian side drew level through Álvaro Morata after 55', Luis Suárez made it 1-2 after following in a Gianlugi Buffon save after 68 minutes. In the dying seconds Neymar sealed the 1-3 win that saw Barcelona claim the second treble in their history.
© LALIGA - 2015