As Ludogorets celebrated becoming Bulgarian champions once again last summer, history reared into view - only Tafea, from the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, could top their 14 successive titles. Yet the most dominant club in Europe have not reached the Champions League for a decade - seemingly too powerful for their domestic league but not strong enough to trouble the continent's elite, and highlighting the disparity in a delicate ecosystem. Only Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain have broken the English and Spanish clubs' hold on the trophy in the past 15 years. It would be a huge shock to see former champions Marseille, Ajax or Porto, for example, win the competition in the near future. Even more so Red Star Belgrade, PSV or Steaua Bucharest (now FCSB) from the latter days of the European Cup.

Source: BBC February 17, 2026 07:38 UTC