European Club Rankings: Real Madrid Are Crowned Kings of Europe
Saturday night's Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus brought the curtain down on yet another magnificent season of European football. It was Los Blancos who emerged victorious in Cardiff, beating their illustrious opponents 4-1 in a display of power, ruthlessness and cunning.
It will not surprise you to learn Zinedine Zidane's men finish the campaign top of our European Club Rankings. Kings of the continent and La Liga winners, they deserve the accolade after putting together an amazing 2016-17.
This is the final edition of our rankings for the season. There are no movements, but for each of the top 25 clubs there's a summary and review for how they've done.
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25. OGC Nice
When Nice lost Claude Puel, Valere Germain and Nampalys Mendy last summer, you could have forgiven fans for feeling as though the 2016-17 season wouldn't pan out positively. But Lucien Favre came in, blended youth and experience and took advantage of Lyon's jitters to finish third. Per ESPNFC, it looks as though he will be sticking around, meaning this summer will start in a far more stable fashion.
24. FC Porto
FCP stuck with Benfica at the top of the Liga NOS table for a long time, only bowing out of the title race with a few weeks to go. That said, the football the Dragons produced under Nuno Espirito Santo wasn't a great watch; he reduced a talented team to what essentially became a threat from set pieces. Fired last week, Nuno's now taken a job at Championship side Wolves.
23. Hoffenheim
Julian Nagelsmann's stock continues to rise. He saved Hoffenheim from relegation in impressive fashion in 2015-16, and in 2016-17 led them to a Champions League play-off. Kerem Demirbay was one of the signings of the season across Europe.
22. Ajax
Finished second in both the Eredivisie and the Europa League, but no one at Ajax is panicking. This young team are a scintillating watch, have stars in every area of the pitch and they'll be odds-on to win the league next season under Peter Bosz's guidance.
21. Atalanta
Atalanta ended up finishing fourth in Serie A with a remarkable 72 points, but celebrations of this achievement might be short-lived. The vultures have already started picking them off, with Mattia Caldara only in Bergamo for a little while longer, and Franck Kessie departed for Milan.
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20. Lazio
Lazio played some brilliant football this season. Perhaps if Napoli weren't in the same division and a few spots higher up, Simone Inzaghi's men would have received more credit across the season. That said, the Biancocelesti ended the campaign in drab fashion, losing four straight (including the Coppa Italia final) surrendering fourth in Serie A to Atalanta.
19. Arsenal
Arsenal's form upon switching to a 3-4-3 formation was brilliant. They won nine of their last 10 games—the loss coming to Tottenham Hotspur—and one of those nine was the FA Cup final against Chelsea. Will the Gunners stick with three at the back come the beginning of the 2017-18 season, or will they revert? Will Rob Holding keep his place in the side? Will Wenger finally spend big?
18. Liverpool
According to the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce (h/t ThisIsAnfield), Jurgen Klopp's been given the green light to spend big this summer. Record big. With Philippe Coutinho seemingly unlikely to leave, the transfer window will almost solely be about who comes in. Klopp can add elite pieces and bolster his squad...and has Champions League football to bait targets with.
17. Sevilla
2016-17 started superbly for Sevilla. With Monchi guiding signings and Jorge Sampaoli producing an exotic blend of high-quality, high-intensity football, they plunged themselves into La Liga's title race. On Matchday 17 (early January) they had 36 points—one more than Barcelona—and had drawn Leicester in the Champions League. But they finished 2016-17 fourth, 21 points off Real Madrid, having lost to Leicester, and having lost both Monchi (to Roma) and Sampaoli (to Argentina).
16. Manchester City
Pep Guardiola raised some eyebrows last month when he suggested a "big club" would have sacked him given what he's managed during his first season at City, per the Guardian. At the very least it's an admission that things haven't gone to plan, and he's set about rectifying things: Bernardo Silva has been signed, Ederson Moraes is on his way (per Benfica, h/t ESPNFC) and so is Benjamin Mendy, per The Sun (h/t the Manchester Evening News). Those are three very good players, two in clear positions of need.
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15. Manchester United
Who pulled out of the deal, United or Antoine Griezmann? Whatever the case, as the Telegraph's James Ducker surmised, the deal is off the table; the French striker will not be joining the Red Devils this summer.
That United have been chasing his signature is indicative of where they think they are: on the cusp of returning to elite status, and able to lure elite players as a result. Jose Mourinho's three-trophy season may have been achieved via some drastically poor football, and may well be sniffed at by many, but the fact is the Portuguese did what needed to be done, and they're back in the Champions League as a result.
14. RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig enjoyed a phenomenal debut season in the Bundesliga. Having been promoted to it in 2015-16, they rampaged their way to second and qualified for the Champions League in doing so. An exceptionally well run club, they already had the players in place to succeed but were able to alter their mindset to conquer a new division.
It should be noted, though, that RBL played very few games in comparison to Europe's heavyweights. Knocked out of the domestic cup at the first opportunity by Dynamo Dresden, they played just 35 games all season. They'll face a lot more in 2017-18.
13. Roma
Roma waved a tearful goodbye to club legend Francesco Totti last weekend as they beat Bologna 3-2 in the final game of the season. It was a fitting way to end a crazy campaign, filled with goals and excitement in the way their entire 2016-17 has been.
The Giallorossi ended up with an impressive 87 points, and they finished just four points off Juventus—an effort that betters last campaign's attempt by seven. But Luciano Spalletti has left his post as manager, meaning the club must reconfigure over the course of the summer...again.
12. Benfica
Benfica secured their fourth successive Liga NOS title with a week or two to spare in 2016-17, continuing their dominance over rivals Sporting CP and FC Porto. Despite losing Renato Sanches last summer to Bayern Munich and Jonas for big chunks of the campaign due to injury, they hauled themselves over the line.
Now Rui Vitoria must work out how to close the gap between his crop and Europe's elite in the Champions League...but do so in the knowledge that goalkeeper Ederson Moraes is leaving and a list of other star performers are among Europe's most wanted.
11. Tottenham
Once again, it feels like a tricky summer for Tottenham to negotiate. The first priority is keeping all of the stars they wish to, and while that might mean a concession is made along the way (perhaps at right-back?), you get the impression Spurs will line up in 2017-18 with at least nine of the 11 starters they used in 2016-17.
The next part is even harder: add quality to this already brilliant team, but do so within the wage structure in place at the club. They ran Chelsea close this past season but didn't have enough in the tank, and now the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United are going to spend the summer adding great players to their ranks in preparation for a title challenge.
10. Napoli
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Napoli were probably the best side to watch in Europe this season from a pure entertainment perspective. Monaco's relentless attacking style was amazing, but the skill and precision involved in the side's build-up play, possession work and neatly carved goals was mind-blowing at times.
What's more impressive is that it could well have gone very badly, very early. When Arkadiusz Milik—Gonzalo Higuain's replacement—severely injured his knee early in the season, you could have forgiven a lost season for the Partenopei.
But Dries Mertens was moved up front by manager Maurizio Sarri, and saying he flourished doesn't quite cut it; his 34 goals in all competitions is by far and away a personal best for the 30-year-old. Add Marek Hamsik's sniper-like ability from range, Jose Callejon's obligatory double-figure haul and Lorenzo Insigne's rapid progression in shooting, and it's easy to see why they finished top scorers in Serie A with an astonishing 94 goals.
9. Borussia Dortmund
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To the casual observer, Borussia Dortmund's season seemed a relative success. Yes, there were a few issues that stained the canvas along the way, but Champions League football was secured on the final Bundesliga matchday, and then silverware was won in the form of the DFB-Pokal a week later.
But bubbling under the surface for some time was a measure of discontent between the board and manager, and it was no surprise to see Thomas Tuchel leave once the campaign was over. Whoever takes the reins next season inherits an incredible squad packed with young talent but lacks the sort of consistent measure required to compete with Bayern Munich for the title.
Would anyone like to manage Ousmane Dembele? Form an orderly queue.
8. Paris Saint-Germain
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For around half a decade, Paris Saint-Germain's focus has been all about the Champions League. With domestic success a given—from 2012 to 2016, the Parisian club were the only ones to win Ligue 1—the only real "big" nights were Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
This focus facilitated the replacing of Laurent Blanc as manager last summer with Unai Emery—a man who had just won three successive Europa League titles with Sevilla. Continental football is the man's speciality; on paper, the move could only be conceived logical.
But in truth it's been a bit disastrous for PSG in 2016-17 (judging by their impeccable standards). An exhilarating Monaco side won Ligue 1 by eight points, and despite being 4-0 up against Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16, they still managed to throw it away in the second leg and drop out.
Emery's held on to his job for 2017-18, but another campaign such as this past one and there's slim chance he'll be given a third.
7. Atletico Madrid
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Atletico Madrid are set for a summer of turmoil. Their 2017 transfer ban, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is hardly the ideal backdrop to ushering in a new era with a new stadium.
Antoine Griezmann has told the club he'll stay, per Telefoot (h/t BBC Sport). However, they're clearly a few steps behind Real Madrid and Barcelona even standing still, and they can't add to their squad in an attempt to address that. At no point were they in the title race, and although yet another Champions League semi-final appearance is an incredible feat, it's also become normal; they need to go a step further and win the thing!
Diego Simeone's 2017-18 effort will have to be constructed using the current crop plus returning loanees (of which there are quite a few). Any signings made cannot be registered until January 2018.
6. Chelsea
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Chelsea won the Premier League with a remarkable tally of 93 points. They were relentless, gave up no quarter to their title rivals, and sparked a mini-tactical revolution across the division due to their perfecting of the 3-4-3 formation.
Antonio Conte essentially used 13 players to win the title—the blessings no European football bring!—with Cesc Fabregas playing the part of world's best substitute, and Michy Batshuayi netting the title-sealing goal despite barely featuring throughout the whole season.
The only real knock on the campaign is the insipid display at Wembley during the FA Cup final. That's a sour taste that will linger throughout the summer as Conte attempts to bolster his squad ahead of a Champions League campaign.
5. Bayern Munich
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The Bundesliga title represents Bayern Munich's bread and butter. They secured it in 2016-17 by a landslide—RB Leipzig were the closest challengers, 15 points behind.
But play on other fronts didn't go as planned. A home loss in the DFB-Pokal semi-final to Borussia Dortmund put paid to any hopes of a double, and Real Madrid took them apart convincingly on the European stage.
Carlo Ancelotti's great strength as a manager is European competition; he's revered for a relaxed attitude that filters through to the players and allows them to perform without anxiety on the big stage. But they ran afoul of a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid, and were shown just how much they have to do to catch up.
In 2017-18 they'll be looking to retain their domestic title and up things considerably in Europe...but will have to do so without Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso, who both retired on the final day of the season.
4. Monaco
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Monaco's swashbuckling, attacking style of football captured the hearts of almost everyone this past season. A commitment to attacking combined with an intrinsic faith-in-youth policy ensured few had a bad word to say about the principality club in 2016-17.
They ended up winning the Ligue 1 title by a whopping eight points, although for months they and Paris Saint-Germain were neck-and-neck in the table. Victory over Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, and subsequently running Juventus close, proved they weren't just bullies in a weaker league, too.
Sadly the firesale has started; Bernardo Silva's gone to Manchester City and Benjamin Mendy's about to join him. The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko regularly find themselves linked to other clubs, too.
Will Monaco make a fist of their title defence in 2017-18, or will they simply have no players left in order to attempt it?
3. Barcelona
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Barcelona saved their season with a Copa del Rey victory, ensuring 2016-17 was not a trophy-less exercise, but a sour taste still remains. Any time a side containing Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar don't win a major, major title, something's gone wrong.
It felt quite similar to the end of Gerardo Martino's reign. Everything seems up in the air, the structure of the team is flawed and the new manager (then, Luis Enrique, now, Ernesto Valverde) is facing a big task.
It's worth remembering that la Blaugrana accrued 90 points in La Liga and scored 116 goals in 38 games—the campaign was by no means a disaster!—but the standards are high at the Camp Nou.
2. Juventus
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Serie A champions, Coppa Italia victors...but not kings of Europe. Max Allegri failed to go one further than in 2015, losing to another Spanish titan in the Champions League final and ending the season on a frustrating note. It sees them finish the campaign in second in our European Club Rankings.
Two trophies is still a great haul; they secured the league for a sixth successive season and the Coppa for a third. But with the Champions League eluding them yet again, it feels like the last chance saloon for the likes of Gianluigi Buffon has slipped by.
The Old Lady at least began the campaign with the kind of intent that matched their eventual trophy haul. Signing Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain represented power moves, stripping the two closest Serie A rivals of their best players, and adding the latter's firepower to the front line was thought to be the missing piece in Europe.
The league ran closer than in years past, but Juve were still crowned before the final weekend of the season. The Coppa Italia was tougher, but they still overcame Napoli with a rotated selection. It's just that night in Cardiff; it will forever haunt them for the rest of their careers.
1. Real Madrid
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Real Madrid became the first side to retain the Champions League (in its current format) on Saturday by defeating Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff. In the first half Los Blancos struggled to contain their opponents a little, but in the second it was an all-out display of blitz and power.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice, taking him above Lionel Messi by one in the goalscoring standings for the competition this season. Zinedine Zidane made some bold calls that paid off, played the match perfectly, and now adds a second Champions League trophy to his manager's cabinet.
Ultimately, it crowned a season of complete domination by Real Madrid. They lost the fewest games (five) of any top-tier, major league European side in 2016-17, they won La Liga, ending a five-year drought of silverware in that competition and put four past a Juventus defence rightly revered as the best on the continent in 90 minutes.
Congratulations, Real Madrid, kings of the continent.
All statistics via WhoScored.com
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