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FourFourTwo
Sport
Ben Hayward

European Cup winners who never played international football

Red Star Belgrade's players celebrate their European Cup win in 1991.

It is football's most prestigious prize at club level. Fans long to win it and players dream about lifting it. The European Cup is special.

Previously reserved for the league champions of each country in Europe, the revamped Champions League expanded the competition to include many more of the continent's elite teams.

That made it harder to win, but also allowed for the majority of the game's finest footballers to play in it regularly.

Many of those players have been lucky enough to win it and most are internationals. Not all, though. Here, a look at some notable European Cup winners who never featured at the highest level for their national teams...

32. Antonio Ruiz

Antonio Ruiz (bottom right) with Real Madrid's European Cup-winning team of 1959. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Antonio Ruiz spent six seasons at Real Madrid and won four European Cups with Los Blancos in a glorious era in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

A hard-working midfielder, Ruiz took part in two of those campaigns and started in the 1959 final against Stade de Reims. He played 94 official games overall, but was capped just once by Spain at Under-21 level.

31. Dennis Mortimer

Dennis Mortimer on the ball for Aston Villa against Southampton in October 1979. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Dennis Mortimer was born in Liverpool but spent most of his career in the Midlands in long spells at Coventry City, Aston Villa and later, Birmingham City.

A European Cup winner with Villa in 1982, the midfielder was capped by England at Under-23 level and later captained England B, but never represented the senior side.

30. Stevan Stojanovic

Stevan Stojanovic poses in front of a picture of Red Star Belgrade's European Cup-winning team of 1991. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Stevan Stojanovic spent nine years at Red Star Belgrade and was in goal as the Serbian side (a former Yugoslavian club at that time) won the European Cup in 1991.

At international level, Stojanovic played for Yugoslavia's Under-21 and Olympic sides. He was also called up to the full squad on a number of occasions, but never played a game.

29. Martin Kree

Martin Kree (centre) celebrates Borussia Dortmund's Champions League win alongside Andreas Moller and Karl-Heinz Riedle in 1997. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Martin Kree spent four years at Borussia Dortmund at the end of his career between 1994 and 1998 and ended up a Champions League winner in 1997.

Kree played the 90 minutes as BVB beat Juventus 3-1 in the final. Over a decade before that, he played five games for West Germany's Under-21 team and also won one cap for West Germany B, but never appeared for the A side.

28. Massimo Briaschi

Massimo Briaschi of Juventus (centre) competes for the ball with AC Milan pair Franco Baresi (left) and Dario Bonetti in 1986/87. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Massimo Briaschi spent three years at Juventus between 1984 and 1987 and was part of the club's European Cup-winning team at the end of his first season in Turin.

A hard-working forward who could play as a striker or on the wing, Briaschi played the first 84 minutes of Juve's win against Liverpool at Heysel in the 1985 final. He won four caps at Under-21 level and also represented Italy at the 1988 Olympics, but was never selected for the senior side.

27. Udo Horsmann

Bayern Munich's Udo Horsmann stretches to block a short against MSV Duisburg in 1975/76. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Udo Horsmann spent eight seasons at Bayern Munich between 1975 and 1983, winning two Bundesliga titles and the European Cup in 1976.

The central defender also helped Bayern to the Intercontinental Cup that year. Later, he played for Rennes, Nurnberg and 1860 Munich, but was never capped by West Germany.

26. Jose Neto

Jose Neto (left) celebrates with his Benfica team-mates after the club's European Cup final victory in 1961. (Image credit: Getty Images)

A defensive midfielder for Benfica between 1958 and 1966, Jose Neto won four Portuguese league titles and two European Cups with the Lisbon giants.

Neto started in the 1961 final victory over Barcelona and he was the only member of that Benfica XI who was not capped at some stage by Portugal.

25. Carlo Tagnin

Carlo Tagnin (fourth from left in the top row) lines up with his team-mates in Inter's European Cup-winning side of 1964. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Carlo Tagnin was a defensive midfielder for the impressive Inter side of the mid-1960s and won two European Cups with the Nerazzurri.

Tagnin started in the 1964 final win over Real Madrid. He also won two Serie A titles and an Intercontinental Cup, but did not receive recognition from Italy at international level.

24. Celso

Porto players celebrate a goal against Bayern Munich in the 1987 European Cup final. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Celso did not move to Europe until the age of 29, but the Brazilian defender had a successful spell at Porto between 1985 and 1990.

The centre-back won two Portuguese titles and played in every minute of the club's European Cup-winning campaign in 1986/87, scoring three times en route to the trophy. He was never capped by Brazil.

23. Angel Atienza

Angel Atienza (second from left in the back row) lines up with his Real Madrid team-mates ahead of their European Cup final win over AC Milan in 1958. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Angel Atienza played as a defender for Real Madrid in the 1950s, winning three La Liga titles and four European Cups in that time – two as a starter.

Atienza had previously played for Real Zaragoza and became interested in art. After his retirement, he became a renowned artist and dedicated the rest of his life to that passion up until his death in 2015.

22. Heinz Stuy

Heinz Stuy and Johan Cruyff at Ajax. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Heinz Stuy was in goal for all three of Ajax's European Cup wins in the early 1970s and did not concede in any of the three finals (a record at the time).

Along with Bayern Munich's Bernd Durnberger, he shares the distinction of having won the most major club titles (11) without ever having played for his country.

21. Bernd Durnberger

Bernd Durnberger in action for Bayern Munich against MSV Duisburg in 1975/76. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Bernd Durnberger spent 13 years at Bayern Munich and the defensive midfielder won 11 trophies in that time – including three consecutive European Cups between 1974 and 1976.

Along with legendary Ajax goalkeeper Heinz Stuy, he holds the record for the most club trophies won without ever having represented his country at international level.

20. David Fairclough

David Fairclough of Liverpool is tackled by an Everton player in 1977. (Image credit: Getty Images)

David Fairclough was born in Liverpool and played as a striker for the Reds between 1975 and 1983, winning a series of trophies in that time.

Fairclough won two European Cups with Liverpool and after starting on the bench in the 1977 final, he played the 90 minutes in the 1978 win over Club Brugge. Despite his success with the Reds, he never won a cap for England.

19. Luciano Favero

Luciano Favero of Juventus looks to block Liverpool's Craig Johnston in the 1985 European Cup final. (Image credit: Getty Images)

A former metal worker who was nicknamed l'operaio, Luciano Favero spent five years as a centre-back at Juventus between 1984 and 1989 and could also operate as a full-back or a sweeper.

Favero played at right-back as Juventus beat Liverpool in the 1985 European Cup final, which was overshadowed by the Heysel disaster. He never won a cap for Italy and finished his career with a season at Cardiff in 1991/92.

18. Fabio Cudicini

Fabio Cudicini (top right) and his AC Milan team-mates ahead of a Serie A match against Bologna in 1968/69. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Fabio Cudicini had long spells at Roma and AC Milan from the late 1950s to the early 1970s and was in goal for the Rossoneri in their 1969 European Cup triumph.

He represented his country at youth level, but did not win a senior cap in what was a memorable era for Italian goalkeepers. Curiously, his son Carlo Cudicini also became a top goalkeeper and didn't earn a cap for the Azzurri, either.

17. Gary Shaw

Gary Shaw (left) and Peter Withe at Aston Villa in 1981. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Gary Shaw's goals helped Aston Villa win the First Division title in 1981 and the European Cup the following season.

The only Birmingham-born player in the team, Shaw played for England's Under-21 team and was included in a 40-man preliminary squad for the 1982 World Cup, but was not selected in the end.

16. Rainer Zobel

Rainer Zobel in action for Bayern Munich against MSV Duisburg in 1975/76. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Rainer Zobel won three European Cups with Bayern Munich in the mid-1970s and started in the finals against Atletico Madrid (both matches) and Leeds United in 1974 and 1975, respectively.

A talented midfielder who could play centrally or on the right, Zobel spent six years at Bayern after a spell at Hannover. At international level, he appeared just once for West Germany B in 1972.

15. Angelo Colombo

Angelo Colombo (left) in action for AC Milan in 1988/89. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Angelo Colombo started on the right of midfield in back-to-back European Cup final victories for AC Milan in 1989 and 1990.

Unheralded alongside the likes of Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten. Colombo was a solid team player with an impressive work rate. He represented Italy's Olympic team in 1988, but never won a full cap for the Azzurri.

14. Edward Linskens

Edward Linskens with PSV Eindhoven in 1992. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Edward Linskens played over 150 matches for PSV Eindhoven as a defensive midfielder between 1987 and 1995 and was part of the club's European Cup-winning side in 1988.

Linskens scored the equaliser for PSV against Real Madrid in the semi-finals and played the 90 minutes plus extra time as the Dutch side edged out Benfica on penalties in the final. He was never selected to play for the Netherlands.

13. Jean-Jacques Eydelie

Marseille's Jean-Jacques Eydelie battles with AC Milan's Gianluigi Lentini in the 1993 Champions League final. (Image credit: Alamy)

Jean-Jacques Eydelie spent the first eight years of his career at Nantes, but the midfielder was something of a journeyman after that.

He turned up at Marseille at the right time, though, and ended up starting in their Champions League final win over AC Milan in 1993. Later, he upset the club by writing about corruption and doping at OM in his autobiography. He was never capped by France.

12. Sebastiano Rossi

Sebastiano Rossi training for AC Milan ahead of the Italian Super Cup against Torino in 1993. (Image credit: Alamy)

Sebastiano Rossi was AC Milan's goalkeeper in their most memorable European Cup final win of all – the impressive 4-0 victory over Barcelona in Athens in 1994.

Rossi was first choice for half of his 12 seasons at San Siro and back-up for the rest of that time, racking up 330 appearances for the Rossoneri and winning a series of trophies. But he never played for Italy.

11. Bernd Wehmeyer

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A three-time Bundesliga winner and twice European Cup finalist with Hamburg in the early 1980s, Bernd Wehmeyer was part of the team which won the trophy in 1983.

Wehmeyer played primarlly as a left-back and became a club legend at Hamburg, but the German defender was the only member of the HSV starting XI from the 1983 final win over Juventus never to pick up a full international cap.

10. Craig Johnston

Craig Johnston in action for Liverpool against Manchester United in 1985. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Craig Johnston moved to England as a 17-year-old for a trial with Middlesbrough and the midfielder went on to win multiple trophies at Liverpool – including the European Cup in 1984.

Born in South Africa to Australian parents, he was eligible to represent several nations, but appeared only twice for England's Under-21s.

9. John McGovern

John McGovern in action for Nottingham Forest against Norwich City in 1979. (Image credit: Getty Images)

John McGovern was Nottingham Forest's captain for their two European Cup wins under Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980. He also won league titles for both Forest and Derby County.

Despite 500 appearances combined for those two clubs, McGovern was never picked for a full international by Scotland. He won just two Under-23 caps in 1972 and 1973.

8. Stefan Klos

Stefan Klos in action for Borussia Dortmund in 1998. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Stefan Klos was in goal for Borussia Dortmund as the German side won their first ever European Cup in 1997 and also claimed two Bundesliga titles at BVB.

Klos later won four Scottish Premier League titles at Rangers and represented Germany at Under-21 and U-23 level, but never won a cap for the senior side.

7. John Aston

John Aston in action for Manchester United against Manchester City in August 1968. (Image credit: Getty Images)

George Best and Bobby Charlton may have been the stars of Manchester United's European Cup-winning team in 1968, but John Aston was the Man of the Match in the final against Benfica.

The left winger spent seven seasons at Old Trafford before going on to play for Luton Town, Mansfield and Blackburn Rovers. He never won an international cap for England.

6. Sergio Brio

Sergio Brio in action for Juventus against Hellas Verona in the 1984/85 season. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sergio Brio was a tough-tackling central defender who formed part of a legendary back line at Juventus alongside Gaetano Scirea, Claudio Gentile and Antonio Cabrini.

He is one of a select group of players to have won all UEFA club competitions, including the European Cup in 1985. Brio was a member of Italy's Olympic squad in the late 1980s, but never picked up a senior cap for the Azzurri.

5. Horst Blankenburg

Horst Blankenburg watches a Hamburg game from the bench in 1976/77. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Horst Blankenburg played as a sweeper in the great Ajax side of the early 1970s which won three European Cups in a row, coming on as a half-time substitute in the 1971 final and starting in the next two.

With the great Franz Beckenbauer a fixture as libero for West Germany, he never got a call-up to his national side and Johan Cruyff even tried to persuade him to switch allegiance and represent the Netherlands ahead of the 1974 World Cup.

4. Oleguer

Barcelona's Oleguer challenges Arsenal's Fredrik Ljungberg in the 2006 Champions League final. (Image credit: Alamy)

Oleguer Presas made 175 appearances for Spain between 2003 and 2008 and started for the Catalan club in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal.

A Catalan nationalist, Oleguer was invited to take part in a meeting of shortlisted players for Spain's national squad and accepted, but later told coach Luis Aragones he did not want to be selected.

3. Derlei

Derlei celebrates Porto's Champions League win in 2004. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Derlei scored three goals in Porto's Champions League campaign in 2003/04 – including the penalty which saw Jose Mourinho's men edge out Deportivo La Coruña in the semi-finals.

The Brazilian was effective under Mourinho, scoring 36 goals in 69 appearances over two seasons, but never netted again in 18 games after the Portuguese coach left for Chelsea in 2004. He went on to play for Spartak Moscow, Benfica and Sporting CP, but was never selected by Brazil.

2. Jimmy Case

Jimmy Case in action for Liverpool against West Brom in 1979. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Jimmy Case won three European Cups as a Liverpool player, starting in the 1977 and 1978 finals and coming off the bench in the 1981 showpiece. He also picked up three league titles with the Reds.

Despite his impressive performances in midfield, Case only played once in England colours and that was an appearance for the Under-23 side in 1976.

1. Filippo Galli

Filippo Galli of AC Milan (left) competes for the ball with Sampdoria's Roberto Maninci in 1993/94. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Filippo Galli formed part of not one but two brilliant back lines at AC Milan alongside the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti.

A three-time European Cup winner in 1989, 1990 and 1994, Galli started one final and came on as a substitute in the other two. He represented Italy at Under-21 level and also played for the Olympic side, but somehow never won a senior cap.

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