Liverpool are at it again in Europe. A 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Villarreal on Tuesday evening secured an aggregate 5-2 win for the Reds that is sending them to their third Champions League final in five years.
The Reds will pick up an historic seventh European Cup should they manage to defeat either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Paris on May 28, but if they do, one player in particular will be able to create his own piece of history. Midfielder Thiago Alcantara is one of the most decorated players in European football, having won countless titles with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but a Champions League victory in the French capital will elevate him to an ultra-exclusive club.
Should Thiago help steer Liverpool to victory in the final he will become only the second player in history to win the Champions League with three different clubs, emulating the record currently held by Dutch star Clarence Seedorf.
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The retired midfielder first won Europe's top club prize with Ajax in 1995 after the Amsterdam team edged past AC Milan with a 1-0 win. Seedorf joined Real Madrid, via Sampdoria, in 1996 and played a key role in helping Los Blancos win the Champions League in 1998 with another narrow 1-0 triumph, this time against Juventus. The Netherlands star joined AC Milan in 2002, forming a midfield partnership with Kaka and going onto further success. He collected his third Champions League medal in 2003 after Milan beat Juventus in a penalty shoot-out, even though he missed from the spot.
Liverpool denied Seedorf further glory in 2005 after the Reds came back from 3-0 down against Milan to complete the miracle of Istanbul with a spot-kicks victory, but Rafa Benitez' side could not deny him a fourth winners medal when the two teams met again in 2007. This time it was the Italian club who ran out 2-1 winners.
Thiago's first Champions League triumph arrived in 2011 when Catalan giants Barcelona, inspired by Lionel Messi, beat Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley stadium. His next European Cup winners medal was put around his neck in the colours of Bayern Munich, who overcame Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the 2020 final. The match was played behind closed doors in Lisbon, thanks to the global coronavirus pandemic.
But with Liverpool back at yet another final and Thiago hitting top form in recent weeks, the Spanish citizen stands on the brink of equalling Seedorf's unique record and confirming his own standing as a Champions League immortal.
