English clubs have had a big say in European football competitions in recent decades, with many teams making it into the latter stages of the all three of the competitions.
However, who are the most successful English clubs when it comes to winning European competitions?
Liverpool: 13 European trophies
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Liverpool is the most successful English club in European competition history, having claimed an impressive 13 pieces of silverware.
The Reds are heavily associated with the European Cup/Champions League, having won the competition on six occasions. In fact, only Real Madrid and Italian giants AC Milan have won European football’s elite competition more than the men from Merseyside.
In 1981, Liverpool boss Bob Paisley made history by becoming the first manager to win the competition three times. The victory followed back-to-back wins in 1977 and 1978.
Only Italian managerial legend Carlo Ancelotti has won the competition on more occasions than Paisley, as the former Italy international has guided his teams to four victories in the competition.
Despite Liverpool’s link to the European Cup, the European competition that they won first was the UEFA Cup in 1973 under legendary Scottish manager Bill Shankly. They won the competition on two more occasions, in 1976 and 2001.
Liverpool has also won the European Super Cup on four occasions: in 1977, 2001, 2005, and 2019.
Chelsea: 8 European trophies
Liverpool is the only English team to have won more European trophies than the Blues, who have won eight competitions in Europe.
Much of their success has been relatively recent, as they have won six of their eight European trophies since 2003.
Their first-ever European triumph came in 1971, as the Blues lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup. The team from the English capital beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a final replay after the first game finished 1-1.
However, they had to wait until season 1997/98 before their next European trophy, as they once again lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Despite those victories, the European victories that arguably everybody connected with the club will value the most are the two European Champions League victories.
The Blues became the first London club to ever win the Champions League in 2012, as they saw off German champions Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout in the Bavarian’s own stadium, the Allianz Arena. They are still the only club from England’s capital to win European football’s biggest prize.
They repeated the feat in 2021, as Thomas Tuchel led his team to a 1-0 final victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Chelsea also won the Europa League on two occasions in seasons 2012–13 and 2018–19, as well as lifting the European Super Cup in 1998 and 2021.
Manchester United: 6 European trophies
Photo by Seán MurrayCropped and retouched by Danyele, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Red Devils may not have been as successful as their bitter north west rivals, Liverpool, but they can at least claim to be the first English team to have won the European Cup.
Their George Best-inspired 1968 victory over Eusebio’s Benfica saw United crowned as European champions for the first time. The victory also saw the men from Manchester lift their first European silverware.
Since their first success at Wembley, United has won five more European trophies, including the Champions League on two more occasions, in 1999 and 2008, under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The first Champions League triumph in 1999 was achieved in incredible circumstances. Heading into stoppage-time of the final, United were trailing 1-0 to German behemoths Bayern Munich.
However, Ferguson’s team looked to have taken the game into extra-time when Teddy Sheringham struck the equaliser. However, it got even better for the Red Devils, as two minutes later, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored a second goal to seal the win for United.
Their second victory in 2008 was slightly less dramatic, as they beat Premier League rivals Chelsea in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra-time.
United also won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in season 1990/91 and followed up by winning the Super Cup next season. In 2017, the Red Devils won the Europa League under Jose Mourinho.
Nottingham Forest: 3 European trophies
While the Tricky Trees have endured many ups and downs in their history, it’s easy to forget sometimes that Forest has been European champions not once but twice.
Forest first won the European Cup in the 1978/79 season when they recorded a 1-0 win over Swedish team Malmo in the final courtesy of a Trevor Francis effort.
Brian Clough’s team also retained the trophy the following year. Once again, recording a 1-0 win, this time over German giants Hamburg in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu, with John Robertson’s first-half goal enough to clinch victory.
Under the charismatic Clough, Forest also won the European Super Cup in 1979, recording a 2-1 win over Catalan giants Barcelona. However, they suffered an away goal defeat against Valencia the following season after a 2-2 draw over two legs.
Nottingham Forest are the only team in Europe to have won the European Cup more times than their domestic league.
Tottenham Hotspur: 3 European trophies
It may have been a while ago, but Tottenham Hotspur have won three European trophies in their history.
In fact, Spurs were the first English club ever to win a European trophy when they recorded a 5-1 thumping of Spanish team Atletico Madrid in the final of the 1963 UEFA Cup.
Their second European triumph came in the 1971–72 season, recording a 3-2 aggregate win over compatriots Wolverhampton Wanderers in the two-legged final.
Spurs’ last European silverware came in the 1983/84 season, when the north London club defeated Anderlecht in a penalty shootout to seal the victory after the two-legged final ended 2-2 on aggregate.
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