The Champions League group stages kicked off recently, with Europe’s top teams vying for supremacy in the prestigious group stages.
Once again, no Irish sides have qualified for the group stages, although plenty have been close. Our teams might not compete with Europe’s elite, but they have come close on occasion. Those with long enough memories will recall AC Milan being held to a 0-0 draw by Athlone Town in the mid-seventies, a massive result at the time. As an article by Joe.ie reports, other notable results include Dundalk’s 3-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov and Drogheda’s 2-2 draw against Dynamo Kyiv.
Irish teams might not be able to grab a spot in the group stages, and sadly Ireland has never hosted a final either. In a piece by Bwin on the Champions League, they demonstrate that Wales, Scotland, and England have hosted the final and Austria, Turkey, Greece, and Ukraine. It hasn’t come to Ireland as yet, another first the country eagerly awaits.
Irish teams might not have been in the group stage, and Ireland might not have had a final, but Irish players have done well in the competition; five have gone as far as winning in the final. To mark the commencement of the 2021/22 group stages, here are the five Irish footballers who have won a Champions League title.
Denis Irwin (Man Utd) 1999
Irwin is still regarded as one of the finest left-backs to ever turn out for Manchester United, and he played a key role in their 1999 Champions League win. The final is remembered for being dramatic; they trailed Bayern Munich 1-0 in the last minute but turned the game around to win 2-1 and take the first-ever Champions League title to England.
Roy Keane (Man Utd) 1999
Roy Keane is perhaps the greatest Irish player of all time, and he too won a Champions League medal in 1999. He was the heartbeat of the United team, fearless and combative, whilst always driving the standards of those around him. He’s taken that personality into his career as a pundit and still harbours hopes of returning to football as a manager someday.
Steve Finnan (Liverpool) 2005
Man Utd’s turnaround against Munich was quick and dramatic, but in 2005 Liverpool’s was perhaps more so. They trailed 3-0 at halftime against AC Milan but turned the game around to win on penalties after drawing 3-3. Limerick-born Finnan played in that game, albeit only for the rather dour first half; he was injured before the break and replaced by Didi Hamann. He became the first Irishman to appear in two Champions League finals in 2007, as Milan gained revenge by beating the Reds.
John O’Shea (Man Utd) 2008
The 2008 Champions League was the first all-English final to feature an Irishman, namely Man Utd’s John O’Shea. He had played in all four games against Roma and a handful of others but was an unused sub in the Luzhniki Stadium as his side drew 1-1 with Chelsea. They eventually won on penalties, with O’Shea taking a winner’s medal. His long career only ended in 2019, after more than 300 starts for Man Utd and 250 for Sunderland.
Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool) 2019
22-year-old Kelleher has appeared four times for Liverpool, twice in the Premier League and twice in the Champions League. All of those outings came after he secured a Champions League winner’s medal, though; he was the third-choice keeper during Liverpool’s successful 2019 campaign. He rarely made the bench behind Simon Mignolet, but he was included in the squad for the final, a 2-0 win against Spurs. He’s since made his debut for Ireland and could one day become the only Irishman to win the trophy twice.