The world of football is ever-changing. Dynamic in every aspect, ranging from the tactics employed by the managers, the prolific players’ techniques, and the capability to produce rewards consistently. Albeit some household teams have been consistent in the last decade, there have been some unexpected happenings in the field of football, just like in a Casino Just Spin.
Leicester’s winning their first English premier league since its inception in 1992 and becoming one of the seven clubs to have won the title is mind-blowing. Was it super managerial tactics? Was it the team’s dedication? None of these make sense. More so, since they finished 12th in the league and were knocked out by Millwall in the FA Cup in the subsequent year.
Look, the lads deserved it, and they were playing football as a well-oiled engine, but the uniqueness of the occurrence was so unexpected that betting sites gave an odds of 500/1 before the start of the season. As in the online gaming business, life is tough to distinguish whether it is a gamble or a sure bet in what you do. Perhaps then it is as the adage goes, fortune favors the bold. Their boldness and luck overshadowed Leicester’s lack of renowned world-class players favored them indeed.
However, the capability of a team to win a treble in a single season like Manchester United, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich is beyond a question of luck but a demonstration of mastery. Since 1967, seven teams in the men’s competition have managed to win a treble UEFA championship cup. The seven teams are:
Celtic in 1966-67
The final match was against the defending champion Inter Milan, who won the previous two years, 1965 and 1966. Despite Inter Milan finding the net first from the spot in the 7th minute, Celtic proved their prowess in the second half with goals from Gemmell and Chalmers, thus establishing themselves as the first treble winners in the list.
Ajax in 1971-72
The 1970s was the era for Dutch football, Ajax dominance playing what they called total football. Getting the ball, passing the ball proved too good for their domestic and international teams. The puppeteer was no other than the legend Johan Cruyff who was at the peak of his career. Inter Milan was on the bitter side of the treble celebration following a 2-0 defeat. Interestingly, Ajax lost only one game this season with an unbeaten at their home record in the domestic and European competition. Talk of mastery at its peak.
PSV Eindhoven in 1987-88
The PSV Eindhoven was built on solid defense, team spirit, and technical flexibility, proving that an underdog team can lay their hands on the most fantastic prize, as is the case with gambling. The gaffer’s name was Guus Hiddink, and he experienced tremendous fame following a 6-5 victory at penalty shootout against Benfica. In the European cup. English teams faced a 5-year ban from the European cup, which came into being after the Heysel disaster before the 1985 final in Brussels. However, like online gaming, you can only fantasy the past on whether PSV Eindhoven would have won the English team had been allowed to play.
Manchester United in 1998-99
The triumph of Manchester United over Bayern Munich following a late strike by Ole Gunnar Solksjer and teddy Sheringham to cancel out Bayern’s earlier attempt secured a treble for the only English team on this list. Surprisingly enough, Manchester United came back from behind and won. Â This iconic moment established Ole Gunnar as a Manchester united club legend.
Barcelona in 2008-09 and 2014-15
In the 21st century, Barcelona has dominated football by embracing the tiki-taka playing style introduced by Cruyff and adopted by Pep Guardiola. Barcelona’s mastery of the technique has made them synonymous with the club’s scouting policy. The maestro of Xavi, Iniesta and Lionel Messi cannot be downplayed in creating magic and dominance against any opposition during the 2008-09 season.
In the 2014-15 season, Barca did the unimaginable by repeating a three-peat. The MSN was at the center of the razor-sharp attack, a trio of Messi,  Suarez, and Neymar created from the first letters of their name whose football Chemistry and individual talent was a masterpiece.                                                                                                                                          Bayern Munich in 2012-13 and 2019-2020
Bayern Munich sits as the latest winners of the treble, having beaten PSG, who remained the European cup too, for them to lay their hands on a treble. The Germans have stood out from the pack during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020.
In summary, for a team to compete fiercely and stand a chance at winning an award, they have to train and get themselves acquainted with the playing style of each other. Talking of winning a treble, as a measure of mastery, the capacity of Real Madrid to win the European club consecutively three years in 2016, 2017, and 2018 deserves mention.
