When Bayern Munich won their record eighth consecutive title, many records were broken by the Bavarians. While David Alaba and Thomas Muller both won a record nine Bundesliga titles, the latter also recorded 20 assists this season, the highest in Bundesliga history, drawing level with former Wolfsburg star Kevin de Bryune who got 20 in the 2014-15 season.
However, these two stars, along with the likes of Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng, have won the league title staying at one club. So today, we look at five players who won consecutive trophies with different European sides during their playing career:
Eric Cantona (four titles)
Eric Cantona was one of the Premier League’s most fierce and most notorious forwards during the initial years of the league. Most famous for his roundhouse kick on a Crystal Palace fan, Eric Cantona was the skipper of Sir Alex Ferguson’s dream team.
However, the French footballer had already won many accolades before coming to Old Trafford. He led Marseilles to the Ligue 1 title during the 1990-91 season, before moving to Nimes and then Leeds United. Cantona then led Leeds to the erstwhile First Division title in 1991-92 before moving to arch-rivals Manchester United and winning four titles with the Red Devils.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (five titles)
World football’s most successful journeyman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won titles wherever he has played, be it in Spain, Italy, France, or even England. Having started his career at Malmo as a youngster, before moving to Ajax, and winning the Eredivisie twice in three years, Zlatan moved to Juventus, where he won two Scudettos before the Calciopolli scandal.
However, he managed to retain three consecutive Scudettos between 2006 and 2009 after moving to Inter Milan, before moving to Barcelona and winning the La Liga in his first season in Spain. He wasn’t done though, because he moved to AC Milan during the 2010/11 season, and led them to another Scudetto. A trophy-less 2011-12 season coupled with the infamous calciopolli scandal has ensured that Zlatan has only five consecutive titles, instead of a staggering 13 consecutive league trophies.
Xherdan Shaqiri (five titles)
Shaqiri is one of football’s most underrated wingers, and yet he is one of Switzerland’s most decorated players. After winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool last season, while on the verge of sealing the Premier League title, one can easily forget that Shaqiri went from winning five consecutive league titles to playing for relegation-threatened Stoke City once.
Shaqiri broke into the FC Basel first team back in 2009, much like many Swiss internationals. He led the side to three consecutive Swiss Super League titles before the riches of Bayern Munich enticed him to a move to Germany. However, he could not displace the likes of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, and then Kingsley Coman, but won two Bundesliga titles before playing for Inter Milan, Stoke City, and now Liverpool. At just 28, Shaqiri can win a lot more trophies if he can seal a starting spot in a major European club.
Kingsley Coman (eight titles)
Kingsley Coman has seemingly been around since forever, yet he is just 24 years of age. The winger is one of the most talented players to have graced the modern game and has been racking league medals since the age of 16.
After winning the 2013/14 Ligue 1 title with Paris St. Germain, Coman moved to Italian Giants Juventus, winning the Scudetto, before moving on a two-year loan deal to Bayern Munich. Since joining the club, Coman has won five consecutive Bundesliga titles and has been a key cog in the Munich team, keeping the likes of Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho on the bench.
Arturo Vidal (eight titles)
Arturo Vidal is among the most sought-after midfielders, and has been at top clubs across Italy, Germany and currently Spain. Having started his European career at Bayer Leverkusen, leading the club to a second-place finish in the 2010-11 season, he earned himself a move to Juventus in 2011.
Vidal established himself as the best South American midfielder while at Juventus, after winning the Scudetto in his first season while his team went the whole season undefeated. He won three more Serie A trophies before moving back to Germany and winning three more titles with Bayern Munich. Vidal moved to Barcelona in 2018 and won yet another league title, his eighth in a row. With the Blaugrana on top of the table yet again, expect the Chilean to become the only player to win nine consecutive League titles.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Marco Berorello
