Today's list includes the great players (13 retired and 3 active) who never managed to lift the trophy of the maximum continental competition in their careers. Those who still do not play in the current edition. The protagonists that appear in this article are based on those selected by the web portal Paladar negro in their Twitter profile and are the following:
Cesc Fàbregas (2003-present)
The Chelsea midfielder has been present in 13 seasons in the Champions League: 7 with Arsenal, 3 with FC Barcelona and 3 with his current team. He reached the final in the 2005-06 season with the Gunners, but it was precisely the Catalans who snatched the possibility of winning the title. He has also reached the semifinals three times, one with Wenger and two playing in Barcelona. If Chelsea continues, it is very likely that they will not contest the next edition, given that Chelsea are 10 points away from the last qualifying round with 18 remaining.Zlatan Ibrahimovic (1999-present)
The Swede has been present in the Champions League 15 times: 2 with Ajax, 2 with Juventus, 3 with Inter Milan, 1 with FC Barcelona, 2 with AC Milan, 4 with Paris Saint Germain and the latter with Manchester United . The season in which he dressed as Barça (2009-10) was what allowed him to reach the semifinals, his best result, where he could not pass before the Neroazzurri team. He currently plays in Los Angeles Galaxy, so his records stay that way if he does not return to Europe before retiring.
- Michael Ballack (1995-2012)
The former German midfielder played 12 times the Champions League: 1 with Kaiserlautern, 3 with Bayer Leverkusen, 4 with Bayern Munich and 4 with Chelsea. He reached the final twice, losing to Real Madrid (2001-02) and Manchester United (2007-08). The first was remembering the goal of Zinedine Zidane in Glasgow.
- Ruud van Nistelrooy (1994-2012)
The Dutchman had the privilege of being in the maximum continental competition 11 times: 2 with PSV, 5 with Manchester United and 4 with Real Madrid. Despite being the fourth highest winner in the history of the champions, being the semifinals of the 2001-02 course his best result. On that occasion, the red devils could not eliminate Bayer Leverkusen.
- Gianluigi Buffon (1994-present)
The Italian goalkeeper was sent off in what could have been his last match in the competition. This has been his 14th time in the Champions League, his debut with Parma and the remaining 13 with Juventus. He has reached three finals, where he has been defeated by AC Milan (2002-03), FC Barcelona (2014-15) and Real Madrid (2016-17).
- Patrick Vieira (1993-2011)
12 times they had the former French pivot to lift the Champions League, but could not make it with Arsenal, 4 with Inter or even to play a single campaign with Juventus. His best result was the quarterfinals, reached twice as a gunner and one as a bianconero.
- Ronaldo Nazário (1993-2011)
O Fenomeno played 7 times the Champions League: 1 with Inter Milan, 5 with Real Madrid and 1 with AC Milan. With the Neroazzurri reached the quarterfinals in the 1998-99 season, with the meringues the semifinals in 2002-03 and, with the Rossoneri, did not achieve a second time but would be called for a stake in the group stage.
- Francesco Totti (1993-2017)
The Italian legend could play nine editions of the Champions League, all wearing the elastic of Rome, the only club of his career. He could never get past the quarterfinals, having reached them in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 courses and being eliminated in both cases against Manchester United. Totti did not dispute the second double elimination against the red devils. Just one course after their decision to hang up their boots, the Giallorossi reach the semifinals and look for the other final of the Champions League as they did in 1984 against Liverpool, especially their opponents in the next round.
- Fabio Cannavaro (1992-2011)
The former Italian defender was also present in nine editions of the continental maximum tournament at European level: one with Parma (1997-98), two with Inter Milan (between 2002 and 2004), three with Juventus (2004-05, 2005-06 and 2009-10) and two with Real Madrid (between 2007 and 2009). The furthest thing that came was in the 2002-03 season, where the Neroazzurri could not get past the semifinals against their biggest rival: AC Milan.
- Lilian Thuram (1990-2009)
The former French defender played the Champions League nine times: 1 with Monaco (1993-94), 1 with Parma (1997-98), 6 with Juventus (from 2001 to 2006) and 2 with FC Barcelona (between 2006 and 2008). His best result was the same as that of Pavel Nedved, his teammate, in that final loss against AC Milan from the eleven meters. He was present at that stake.
Pavel Nedved (1989-2009)
The former Czech left-back played the Champions League 9 times (1 with Sparta Prague in the 1993-94 season, 2 with Lazio between 1999 and 2001 and 6 with Juventus between 2001 and 2006 and in 2008-09). The final of the 2002-03 course would be his best result. However, he could not be present at the match, where Vecchia Signora would lose the final against AC Milan (2-3 on penalties) after finishing the 120 minutes without goals.George Weah (1987-2003)
The former Liberian forward played the Champions Cup in the 1988-89 season with Monaco, where he managed to reach the quarterfinals without being able to pass against Galatasaray. The Champions League has been able to play on three occasions (one with PSG and two with AC Milan). With the Gauls reached the semifinals, where he was eliminated by the Rossoneri team, which would be cons with their services in the following summer. It did not pass of groups with those of San Siro in the seasons 1996-97 nor 1999-00.
- Eric Cantona (1983-1997)
The charismatic former French striker played the European Cup with Olympique de Marseille (1990-91) and the Champions League four times, one with Leeds United (1992-93) and three with Manchester United (1994-96). 1996-97). He was present in the season where the French were crowned champions, but only disputed until the first leg of the round of 16 to be separated from the team. In the last year in which he played the competition was eliminated in the semifinals by Borussia Dortmund, being his best result.
- Roberto Baggio (1982-2004)
The mythical Italian midfielder only played in the Champions League in the 1996-97 and 1998-99 seasons. In the first, with AC Milan, could not overcome the group stage and, in the second, wearing neroazzurri, could only reach the quarterfinals. Just in 1996, a season after leaving Juventus, Vecchia Signora lifted the trophy, just as Matthäus did in Bavaria.
- Lothar Matthäus (1978-2001)
The former Teutonic defender played in the old continent for Borussia Mönchengladbach (1979-1984), Bayern München (1984-1988), Inter Milan (1988-1992) and a second stage in the Bavarian entity (1992-2000). It disputed the Glass of Europe in four of its editions (3 with the muniquenses and one with the Italians), reaching the end in the exercise 1986-87 where it would lose before the Porto. He also played four times the Champions League with the current format, where he returned to stay at the gates of the title in the 1998-99 year, in the remembered final of the Camp Nou where Manchester United won with two goals in the discount. Just in the season where he went to the United States (2000-01), Bayern would win the Champions League.
- Diego Armando Maradona (1976-1997)
The Argentine legend played in Europe for FC Barcelona (1982-1984), Naples (1984-1991) and Seville (1992-1993). He only played the European Cup in the 1987-88 and 1990-91 seasons. Was eliminated by Real Madrid in the first round and Spartak Moscow in second, respectively.