[THREAD]



European Best XIs by Club

Which team would come out on top if they all had every one of their players from 1992 onwards to pick from?

You’ll probably disagree with the order. As always, there’s plenty of room for debate as long as you’re nice about it.

Lots of different criteria taken into account, but players are considered for their time at the relevant club only. Longevity and trophies play a pretty big part.

There’s a Champions League focus but performances in other competitions were also taken into consideration.

Enjoy!

Galatasaray

This is a great start, a very nice team despite being down in 32nd.

In this time period, they’ve won 14 domestic titles plus the 2000 UEFA Cup. Most of this side come from that year’s vintage, with Arda Turan adding some extra attacking quality.

Rangers

That front four looks great. Gascoigne might only have played 104 games for the club but, well, it’s Gazza.

Klos over McGregor was tight, while the likes of van Bronckhorst, Ricksen and Lovenkrands might consider themselves unfortunate to miss out.

Shakhtar Donetsk

The Europa League win in 2009, on top of domestic domination, ensures a decent placing for Shakhtar.

Six Brazilians out of six in midfield and attack with a few more on the bench. This should not be surprising.

Celtic

The bulk of this side comes from the 2003 UEFA Cup finalists, with a few additions from the more recent 9-in-a-row teams.

Only two seasons for Van Dijk but he was pretty good, in fairness, so edges out Balde.

Thompson and Petrov both considered too.

Bayer Leverkusen

Largely made up of the 2002 Champions League finalists, there are some excellent players in this team.

Havertz was considered but didn’t quite stay for long enough, while Lucio suffers similarly.

Marseille

Champions League winners in 1993, but a lot of that team left immediately afterwards: Desailly, Pele and Boksic in particular.

The likes of Drogba and Ribéry didn’t stay long either, otherwise they’d be placed higher.

Napoli

One of only two sides in the full 32 not to have won a major trophy in this time period - just one Coppa Italia to their name.

Nevertheless, this is a very good line-up which would have won plenty in another era. Probably.

PSV Eindhoven

Plenty of Champions League quarter-finals and a semi, alongside 11 Eredivisie titles since 1992.

The strikeforce might be cheating slightly; neither stayed long enough to hit 100 appearances. But just imagine the damage they would do.

Benfica

Nicely balanced, this side, with loads of flair going forward.

Many of this side had more success elsewhere in Europe, but as a combined force they would be great to watch.

Fixed for Gomes Cardozo, thanks @owainwg.

Lazio

Hampered by a lack of Champions League success, but they did win Serie A in 2000.

A lot of that side weren’t there long though, so a few more recent players get in.

Nedved and Nesta the stars, but the strikeforce is good enough to leave Salas on the bench.

Lyon

Now we’re talking, this is nice. Many of this team played in 3 successive CL quarter-finals and won 7 consecutive Ligue Un titles.

Lacazette might have scored more goals than Benzema, but the latter was in a more successful team.

Loads of depth to this squad.

Roma

Another good Italian side with not many honours, the team is largely made up of the 2001 title winners.

Gabriel Batistuta’s omission feels wrong, but he only scored 33 goals for the club. Montella & Delvecchio not required either.

Tottenham

The last side on the list without a major trophy in the period, their recent Champions League final took them above a couple of others.

Dembélé replaces Carrick from the PL version of this thread, while getting the 2013 Gareth Bale makes a big difference.

Monaco

Hard to include too many players from the 2016/17 team as not many of them stuck around. But this team manages to span a few different generations of top teams, which is always nice.

Radamel Falcao just misses out, but that strikeforce is great.

Sevilla

UEFA/Europa winners a ridiculous six times, this team is a composite of most of those sides.

The midfield might be slightly lightweight, but they’d be so good going forward.

(Sorry, didn’t link this one to thread originally).

Man City

This is such a great team on paper. But one Champions League semi-final isn’t enough to challenge for a higher position here.

You could argue for Tevez’s inclusion, but who would you drop? Laporte only has 86 appearances but has already done enough to get in.

FC Porto

About half this team is made up of the 2003 UEFA Cup / 2004 Champions League winners.

Add in Mario Jardel, who scored a goal a game for the club, and Ricardo Quaresma, and this team would be a lot of fun.

Valencia

Lovely team, hampered slightly by only having one really great era.

Some later players like Silva and Mata couldn’t quite find a way in ahead of the 02/04 CL finalists, but David Villa does make it. José Luis Gayà the only current player to make it in.

Arsenal

Similarly, most of this team all came from the same era, 98-04. Fàbregas the only real exception (please unblock me now Cesc).

Ljungberg replaces Overmars from the PL version of this thread, as it was cheating a bit to put him on the right.

Borussia Dortmund

This one was really tough, who would you have picked?

No place for Aubameyang, while Ricken largely gets in for that goal in 1997. Good luck scoring past this defence.

Two CL finals, 16 years apart, mean a good combination of eras here.

Paris Saint-German

They’ve not had too much European success, but it’s coming. The bench is stacked with quality, no place in the XI for Neymar, Ronaldinho, Weah, Ginola or Di María.

Ridiculous depth and you could make a good case for any of those players to make it in.

Atlético Madrid

Bit silly? Not sure this formation would quite work but let’s give it a go.

Unbelievable quality up-front and the standard, impenetrable defence under Simeone, this team would win plenty of games. Most of them 1-0 probably.

Inter

Into the top ten with a belter. Yes, it’s a bit top-heavy, but Stankovic tucking in would make it viable. I think. Doesn’t matter with that front two anyway.

A healthy mix of 90s legends and 2010 Champions League winners here.

Ajax

Yes, it’s three at the back without wingbacks. This is the one team where that’s allowed.

This is mostly the 1995 team, with a few quality additions. Davids over Rijkaard at DM might not quite work as well, but this is probably the most fun team in the whole thread.

Liverpool

Two Champions League wins in different eras, but their lack of domestic success holds them back. Wary of recency bias.

On paper, you might prefer Hyypia to @Carra23 or Mascherano to Henderson. Longevity is as important as balance.

Lots of depth in the forwards.

Chelsea

One of the best defences in the competition, with peak Kanté added in front; Makelele not a bad deputy.

Joe Cole in for Robben from the PL version of this, the latter didn’t stay long enough really.

Hazard and Drogba linking up in big games would be devastating.

A. C. Milan

What a team.

A nice blend of 90s and 00s with Maldini straddling the two eras.

A shame that Van Basten was virtually done by 1992, while Inzaghi probably thought he’d done enough to get in; Weah’s Ballon D’Or gives him the edge.

Desailly over Gattuso just.

Man United

One change from the PL version, as van Nistelrooy replaces Cantona for his superior record in Europe.

Beckham is in angry sub mode, while there’s plenty of firepower on the bench.

The defence mostly picks itself.

Juventus

Six Champions League finals over this period; they may have only won one but their record speaks to consistent excellence.

The best keeper in the thread, three Ballon D’Or winners and 14 league titles.

Pirlo sneaks in over Davids and Pogba: agree with that?

Bayern Munich

Virtually flawless. CL winners in 01, 13 and 20, this team is a glorious composite of them all.

Kimmich is in early (could argue for Matthäus or Effenberg) but it’s probably fair. He can switch with Lahm every 5 minutes.

Alaba first sub for most positions.

Real Madrid

Seven (7!) Champions League titles for Los Blancos, this team is incredible.

Marcelo & Carvajal could challenge for those full-back spots over their 90s counterparts, while Benzema and Brazilian Ronaldo might feel unlucky to miss out.

Barcelona

Yes, it’s almost entirely the team from one era, but that team was unparalleled.

Ronaldinho gets in over Neymar and Suárez over Eto’o and Villa, but the midfield is unarguable really. You won’t get the ball off them.

Champions!

That was fun, thanks for all the feedback. Let me know what order you’d have gone with!

Big thanks to everyone I bounced ideas off for this, too many to name you all but you’re great.

Hope you enjoyed the thread, please give the first tweet in the thread a retweet if you did

Luis Suárez was the only player to appear in three different teams (Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona).

There were 31 other players who appeared in two teams. I think.

Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray were the only teams without any players from any other teams. https://twitter.com/pablomiguezdm/status/1327216077462495232