The Top 10 Treble-Winning Sides in European Football History - Ranked
By Ali Rampling
Bayern Munich's Champions League victory on Sunday evening made the German champions one of just nine male sides to have completed a treble (a pure European treble mind, none of this Europa League or League Cup nonsense) - and only the second club to do so twice.
The 1-0 win over PSG completed a stunning season for Die Roten, and puts them in some pretty illustrious company when it comes to fellow treble winners.
Let's take a look at how they compare to the rest of Europe's treble winners...
10 - Frankfurt (2001/02, 2007/08)
Just as Germany were becoming a force to be reckoned with on the international stage, Frankfurt became the first women's side in German football to complete a treble.
They first achieved the feat in 2002, winning the Frauen-Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and the Champions League with victory over Umeå IK in the final.
Frankfurt repeated the feat six years later, with Umeå IK once again the defeated finalists in the Champions League in front of a record crowd of over 27,000. The 2007/08 Frankfurt squad in particular is one to savour, featuring three-time world player of the year Birgit Prinz, future USA centurion Ally Krieger and future Germany captain Saskia Bartusiak.
9 - PSV (1987/88)
If this list was based purely on implausibility and unconventionality, PSV's treble would be battling it out for top spot.
The 1987/88 season was Guus Hiddink's first full season as a manager, and the club had to contend with the loss of talismanic midfielder Ruud Gullit, who had departed the club for Milan in the summer.
But that couldn't stop PSV, who breezed to the league title, nine points clear of second place Ajax, before beating Roda JC in the KNVB Cup. In the European Cup, they didn't even bother to win a game after the second round, progressing on away goals following draws in both legs in the quarter and semi finals. PSV sealed their first European Cup triumph with victory over Benfica on penalties, following a 120-minute stalemate.
8 - Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (2011/12, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2018/19)
Lyon's Women's side have completed no fewer than four trebles, winning the Division 1 title, Coup de France and Champions League. The club have set standards in professionalism and ambition over the course of the last decade, gradually hoovering up the very best talent across the world to create a European super team.
However, the side that captured their maiden treble and inaugural European crown was predominantly more of a home grown squad, featuring the magnificent Elodie Thomis, and the imperious centre half Wendy Renard - who has been at the heart of the Lyon backline for each of their four trebles.
The only thing that marks Lyon down is the standard of their league. They have won 14 consecutive league titles - partly thanks to the sheer quality of their squad, but partly down to the lack of competition in their league. This means two out of their three trophies en route to claiming a treble are almost expected.
7 - Inter (2009/10)
Jose Mourinho inspired a tactical masterclass of a treble during the 2009/10 season as Inter become the first Italian side to pull off such a feat.
They did not win any of their trophies at a canter either - this was a hard fought treble. Inter narrowly beat Roma to the Serie A title by two points, before beating the same opponent 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final.
Mourinho's 10-men parked a double decker bus to sneak past Pep Guardiola's seemingly unbeatable Barcelona side in the semis, before a Diego Milito double saw off Bayern Munich in the final. Inter have only won one trophy in the 10 years since, demonstrating just what an achievement this treble was.
6 - Ajax (1971/72)
For artistic beauty alone, this Ajax side would be knocking on the door of the top two. Rinus Michels' Total Football brain child, spearheaded by the great Johan Cruyff, celebrated their second successive European Cup and third consecutive KNVB Cup in 1972, and added the Eredivisie title to wrap up a flawless campaign.
Boss Michels actually left halfway through the season for the bright lights of Barcelona, but Stefan Kovacs carried on from where his predecessor left off to emphatically guide Ajax to the title with just one league defeat all campaign.
The Dutch outfit beat Inter in the European Cup final thanks to a Cruyff double and overcame FC Den Haag in a 3-2 thriller to win the KNVB Cup.
5 - Manchester United (1998/99)
In terms of manner, style and sheer entertainment, Manchester United's treble is difficult to top. Were it not for the finest of margins, the Red Devils could have finished the season empty handed. Instead, they won the lot.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side were trailing against Tottenham on the final day of the season - defeat would have seen them surrender top spot to Arsenal - they required a replay, extra time, a Dennis Bergkamp missed penalty and an iconic Ryan Giggs wonder goal to progress to the FA Cup final, and had to muster one of the most remarkable finishes to a football match to secure the Champions League title.
Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both scored in stoppage time to turn defeat into a famous victory over Bayern Munich. And what a United team this was; the class of 92, Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Dennis Irwin. So good in fact that Danny Higginbotham and Jonathan Greening couldn't even get a game.
4 - Arsenal Ladies (2006/07)
Arsenal had won trebles a plenty in the noughties as Vic Akers' side completely dominated English football. But a European crown had eluded them - and understandably so. Women's football in Germany and Sweden was streaks ahead of the domestic game in England.
Having already strolled to the league and League Cup, the Gunners faced two-time Champions League winners Umeå IK - a fully professional outfit complete with the world's greatest player in Brazilian icon Marta - in the Champions League final.
But Arsenal's plucky part-timers beat their Swedish opponents 1-0 over two legs thanks to a stunning long range strike from Alex Scott. They then overcame Charlton at the City Ground two weeks later to complete a unique quadruple. And then they had to go to work on Monday.
3 - Celtic (1966/67)
Celtic became the first side in football history to complete a European treble in 1967. And they did so with an entire crop of homegrown talent.
The Hoops won every competition they competed in during the 1966/67 season to complete a remarkable quintuple, winning the First Division, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, the Glasgow Cup and the European Cup. Jock Stein's side also scored a world-record 196 goals across the five competitions.
The team are affectionately termed the 'Lisbon Lions', having beaten Inter 2-1 in Lisbon to become the first British side to win the European Cup.
2 - Bayern Munich (2012/13, 2019/20)
Any club that completes a domestic treble on two occasions deserves to be given near enough top billing. Bayern achieved the same feat in 2013 and in 2020, but in vastly different circumstances.
In 2014/15, Bayern were battling with Borussia Dortmund. Jurgen Klopp's side were reigning Bundesliga champions, but Bayern beat them to the league title by a staggering 25 points. They knocked Dortmund out en route to claiming the DFB Pokal, and beat their rivals in the Champions League final too, just for good measure. This was the crowning glory for Bayern's fabulous Franck Ribbery and Arjen Robben inspired side, as they completed the first treble in German football history.
During the 2019/20 season, Bayern were battling with themselves. They were written off by critics after a slow, defensively frail start to the Bundesliga season. But the permanent appointment of Hansi Flick in December proved a masterstroke, with Bayern unbeaten in 2020 and scoring for fun as they hoovered up the league title, DFB Pokal and Champions League despite the disruption of a pandemic.
1 - Barcelona (2008/09, 2014/15)
Barcelona are the second male side to complete two classic trebles, and they did so with such class and a style of play so distinctive it completely revolutionised football.
Guardiola's team tiki taka-ed their way to the Copa del Rey, La Liga title and the Champions League during his debut season in senior management. Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and co stormed to the league title by a nine point winning margin - thanks in part to their 6-2 demolition of rivals Real Madrid. Champions League glory was assured after passing Manchester United off the park and little Lionel popping up with a header to seal a 2-0 victory.
Barcelona were at it again in 2015 - different manager, same outcome. Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o were out, Luis Suarez and Neymar were in as Barcelona enjoyed another season of domestic dominance, before beating Juventus 3-1 in the Champions League final.