1.Eric Cantona (Olympique de Marseille, Leeds United AFC, Manchester United FC).
Shortly after United's semi-final defeat by eventual winners Borussia Dortmund in 1996/97, Cantona said he would retire at the end of the season. His surprise statement came a week to the day after his fifth championship in six seasons in England. Sir Alex Ferguson's charges would recover from their captain's departure, becoming champions of Europe two years later. Cantona had also made the last four of the European Cup earlier in his playing days – in 1989/90 – but Marseille succumbed to SL Benfica.
2.George Weah (AS Monaco FC, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan) Winner of the 1995 Ballon d'Or, the Liberian's goals fired Paris during their last-four odyssey the same year, scoring seven times. A stellar playing career netted him three domestic championships and a haul of individual accolades, though Weah missed out on the continent's ultimate prize.
3.Gabriel Batistuta (ACF Fiorentina, AS Roma, FC Internazionale Milano)
Argentina's record scorer never experienced the knockout stage with Fiorentina or Roma. The Viola failed to survive the second group stage in 1999/00, finishing third behind Manchester United and eventual runners-up Valencia CF. At 31 he moved to Rome and landed the Scudetto at the first attempt – but again exited before the last eight in two European campaigns with the Giallorossi. The 'Lion King' was omitted from Inter's 2002/03 squad en route to the semi-finals.
4.Dennis Bergkamp (AFC Ajax, FC Internazionale Milano, Arsenal FC)
A two-time UEFA Cup winner, the non-flying Dutchman signed off with a noticeable gap on his CV. At Arsenal he contested the quarter-finals twice (2000/01, 2003/04), before the 2006 decider promised a fitting end to a wonderful career. However, he was left on the bench as ten-man Arsenal were undone by Barça. "If only I'd been five years younger! But that was probably the most we could have hoped for," Bergkamp said recently.
5.Francesco Totti (AS Roma)
"I've always dreamed I would wear this shirt for my entire career," said the Giallorossi's talismanic captain. He has managed that, and under Fabio Capello in 2000/01 he helped inspire Roma to the Serie A crown. In Europe, the 2006 World Cup winner has been unable to proceed beyond the last eight, missing out on a semi-final berth in 2006/07 and 2007/08.
6.Fabio Cannavaro (Parma FC, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Real Madrid CF)
Born in Naples, Cannavaro left his home-town team to join Parma in 1995 and four years later the defender picked up the UEFA Cup – it proved his only European trophy. Awarded the Ballon d'Or after attaining his international pinnacle at the 2006 World Cup, he never progressed further than the last four in the UEFA Champions League. His Inter side succumbed to eventual winners Milan in 2003.
7.Hernán Crespo (Parma FC, SS Lazio, FC internationale Milano, Chelsea FC, AC Milan)
"Winning the Champions League would be a dream come true," Crespo declared after shrugging off his last-four hoodoo to reach the final in 2004/05. Having lost semi-finals the previous two seasons with Inter and Chelsea, the Argentina forward finally had a chance to achieve his ambition in Istanbul. He struck twice and, leading 3-0, his dream was almost realised by half-time. We all know what happened next......LOLx
8.Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF)
Leading scorer in three campaigns, the prolific Dutchman holds an unwanted record – no one has hit as many goals in the UEFA Champions League (56 in 73 outings) without securing the trophy. He never got further than the semi-finals, in 2001/02 before being knocked out by a Ballack-inspired Leverkusen. Van Nistelrooy is content though. "I am proud to have won team and individual trophies, but my greatest satisfaction was to be able to work day after day, year after year.
9.Michael Ballack (1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern München, Chelsea FC)
"It's hard to remember details of what happened when you lose such a big game; you just remember how much it hurt," said the ex-Germany captain, who lost two finals in the most unfortunate of circumstances. He was a key member of the Leverkusen side defeated by Real Madrid CF and THAT Zinédine Zidane goal in the 2002 final. Six years later his Chelsea team fell to Manchester United FC in the Moscow showpiece, hinging on John Terry's slip – Ballack had scored the Blues' first goal in the shoot-out.
2.George Weah (AS Monaco FC, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan) Winner of the 1995 Ballon d'Or, the Liberian's goals fired Paris during their last-four odyssey the same year, scoring seven times. A stellar playing career netted him three domestic championships and a haul of individual accolades, though Weah missed out on the continent's ultimate prize.
3.Gabriel Batistuta (ACF Fiorentina, AS Roma, FC Internazionale Milano)
Argentina's record scorer never experienced the knockout stage with Fiorentina or Roma. The Viola failed to survive the second group stage in 1999/00, finishing third behind Manchester United and eventual runners-up Valencia CF. At 31 he moved to Rome and landed the Scudetto at the first attempt – but again exited before the last eight in two European campaigns with the Giallorossi. The 'Lion King' was omitted from Inter's 2002/03 squad en route to the semi-finals.
4.Dennis Bergkamp (AFC Ajax, FC Internazionale Milano, Arsenal FC)
A two-time UEFA Cup winner, the non-flying Dutchman signed off with a noticeable gap on his CV. At Arsenal he contested the quarter-finals twice (2000/01, 2003/04), before the 2006 decider promised a fitting end to a wonderful career. However, he was left on the bench as ten-man Arsenal were undone by Barça. "If only I'd been five years younger! But that was probably the most we could have hoped for," Bergkamp said recently.
5.Francesco Totti (AS Roma)
"I've always dreamed I would wear this shirt for my entire career," said the Giallorossi's talismanic captain. He has managed that, and under Fabio Capello in 2000/01 he helped inspire Roma to the Serie A crown. In Europe, the 2006 World Cup winner has been unable to proceed beyond the last eight, missing out on a semi-final berth in 2006/07 and 2007/08.
6.Fabio Cannavaro (Parma FC, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Real Madrid CF)
Born in Naples, Cannavaro left his home-town team to join Parma in 1995 and four years later the defender picked up the UEFA Cup – it proved his only European trophy. Awarded the Ballon d'Or after attaining his international pinnacle at the 2006 World Cup, he never progressed further than the last four in the UEFA Champions League. His Inter side succumbed to eventual winners Milan in 2003.
7.Hernán Crespo (Parma FC, SS Lazio, FC internationale Milano, Chelsea FC, AC Milan)
"Winning the Champions League would be a dream come true," Crespo declared after shrugging off his last-four hoodoo to reach the final in 2004/05. Having lost semi-finals the previous two seasons with Inter and Chelsea, the Argentina forward finally had a chance to achieve his ambition in Istanbul. He struck twice and, leading 3-0, his dream was almost realised by half-time. We all know what happened next......LOLx
8.Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF)
Leading scorer in three campaigns, the prolific Dutchman holds an unwanted record – no one has hit as many goals in the UEFA Champions League (56 in 73 outings) without securing the trophy. He never got further than the semi-finals, in 2001/02 before being knocked out by a Ballack-inspired Leverkusen. Van Nistelrooy is content though. "I am proud to have won team and individual trophies, but my greatest satisfaction was to be able to work day after day, year after year.
9.Michael Ballack (1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern München, Chelsea FC)
"It's hard to remember details of what happened when you lose such a big game; you just remember how much it hurt," said the ex-Germany captain, who lost two finals in the most unfortunate of circumstances. He was a key member of the Leverkusen side defeated by Real Madrid CF and THAT Zinédine Zidane goal in the 2002 final. Six years later his Chelsea team fell to Manchester United FC in the Moscow showpiece, hinging on John Terry's slip – Ballack had scored the Blues' first goal in the shoot-out.
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