8 players we can’t believe never made it to a Champions League semi-final

 8 players we can’t believe never made it to a Champions League semi-final

Icons from Arsenal, Roma, Chelsea, and PSG are among eight football legends who, astonishingly, never competed in a Champions League semi-final. The Champions League semi-finals have delivered unforgettable moments, with stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta, and Fernando Torres shining brightly. Yet, some remarkable players never reached this stage. Here are eight exceptional footballers who missed out on a Champions League semi-final appearance.

Gabriel Batistuta If you remember James Richardson savoring a cappuccino on Channel Four’s iconic Football Italia, you’ll recall Batigol as a relentless force in his prime. One of history’s finest goalscorers, the Argentine striker tore through Serie A defenses with ease. Yet, his chances to shine in Europe’s elite competition were limited, largely due to his peak years at Fiorentina. Batistuta spearheaded La Viola’s attack in Champions League clashes against Arsenal, Barcelona, and Manchester United, but the tournament’s complex multi-group format in the early 2000s kept him from advancing further. His stint at Roma brought matchups against Real Madrid and Liverpool, with similar outcomes. In his final chapter, replacing Hernan Crespo at Inter in 2002-03, he was excluded from their Champions League squad during their run to the semi-finals.

Edinson Cavani A harsh twist of fate saw Cavani miss PSG's historic 2019-20 Champions League semi-final run. Unlike captain Thiago Silva, Cavani declined a two-month contract extension beyond June. Already sidelined, he was no longer a PSG player during the post-lockdown, behind-closed-doors Champions League conclusion. Despite sporadic group stage appearances and playing the full 90 minutes in the Round of 16 comeback against Borussia Dortmund, he was excluded from the squad for the single-leg knockout wins against Atalanta and RB Leipzig, as well as the final loss to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira played for AC Milan, Arsenal, Juventus, Inter, and Manchester City from 1995 to 2011, yet never reached the Champions League semifinals. Surprisingly, this is true. Arsenal, under Arsene Wenger, reached the final the season after Vieira left. In the quarterfinals that year, a young Cesc Fabregas outshone him when Juventus faced Arsenal. Jose Mourinho’s Inter won the treble in 2009-10, but Vieira had departed in January, unable to secure regular playing time.

Tony Adams Similar to Ian Wright, Adams is a Highbury legend who faced fierce competition for Champions League spots in the 1990s. The centre-back led Arsenal to three league titles across three decades but only featured in four European Cup or Champions League campaigns, never advancing beyond the quarter-finals.

Alan Shearer Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s record goalscorer, never reached a Champions League knockout stage, let alone a semi-final. Remarkably, he never played a single knockout match in the competition. It’s surprising, considering his stature. Shearer rivals Batistuta as the 1990s icon with the most significant absence from major knockout clashes. Playing for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, he lacked the opportunity to shine deep in Europe’s elite tournament. Still, Shearer notched seven goals and four assists in just 16 Champions League games, all in the group stages of 1995-96 and 2002-03. A knee injury sidelined him for all six of Newcastle’s 1997-98 matches, including the iconic 3-2 win against Barcelona under Kenny Dalglish.

Gianfranco Zola The petite Italian recorded three goals and three assists in 14 matches for Chelsea during their 1999-00 Champions League quarter-final run, though his European outings were mostly in the UEFA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup. He departed Stamford Bridge the season before Chelsea, led by his genial compatriot Claudio Ranieri, defeated Arsenal’s Invincibles on their way to the 2003-04 semi-finals.

Rafael van der Vaart Though not among the elite names on this list, Van der Vaart was a superb footballer at his peak, playing a key role in Tottenham’s ascent to Champions League status for a time. His career path; Ajax, Hamburg, Spurs, Betis, and Midtjylland hardly screams Champions League semi-finalist, but he also had a two-year spell at Real Madrid. You’d expect reaching the Champions League’s final four to be routine for Los Blancos, but that era was different. Madrid suffered a heavy defeat to Liverpool in the 2008-09 Round of 16 and fell at the same stage the next year, despite signing Cristiano Ronaldo, to Lyon, a frequent nemesis in the 2000s.