Every Failed Juventus Champions League Campaign Since Victory in 1996

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo's best efforts, it is another year of disappointment in the Champions League for Juventus.

I Bianconeri's 2-1 win on Friday wasn't enough to stop them from crashing out against a team they shouldn't have gone out to - it's a story that has been told too often with the Italian giants since they last won the competition. After their exit, Maurizio Sarri claimed that Juventus are 'cursed' in Europe.

As it has turned out, the curse actually impacted Sarri more than most, as Juve have decided to cut ties with the Italian. As yet another opportunity in the Champions League has been squandered by Europe's nearly-men, we take a look back at every failed bid to win the competition since they last did so in 1996...

1. 1996/97 - Final

Juventus were building something special in 1996/97. Zinedine Zidane was pushed further up the field to influence games and he was doing just this, with Juve cruising to the final.

I Bianconeri were so impressive that they were overwhelming favourites against Borussia Dortmund in the final. But their 3-1 defeat would be the first of five times they would fall at the final hurdle in Europe's top competition.

2. 1997/98 - Final

Different year, same old story.

Juventus were conceding goals aplenty in the Champions League in 1997/98 due to their new attacking formation, but they were also finding the net with great regularity.

A 6-4 win on aggregate over Monaco took them through to another final, where they were considered favourites once more against a fairly average Real Madrid team.

But they failed to do themselves justice, again.

3. 1998/99 - Semi-Finals

During a season of change, Juventus scraped through to the semi-finals of the Champions League and were looking good against Manchester United as they raced into a 2-0 lead in the second leg.

Surely, Juve were heading to the final.

No. It was another season of heartbreak for the Bianconeri faithful as United came roaring back.

4. 2000/01 - First Group Stages

Juventus' return to the Champions League didn't quite go to plan as they won just one of their six group games. This saw them crash out of the competition in the group stages as they finished rock bottom of their group.

It was the earliest they had been knocked out of the competition.

5. 2001/02 - Second Group Stages

The 2001/02 campaign brought about mixed fortunes.

On the one hand, finishing bottom of their group in the second group stages was not what fans were expecting. But on the other, they were able to somewhat make up for this with their remarkable Serie A title win.

6. 2002/03 - Final

Marcello Lippi's men were back!

They were equally impressive in the league as they were in Europe, overcoming Real Madrid and Barcelona to reach the final.

It was the fourth time Lippi had led Juve to the final of the Champions League, but for the third time, the Bianconeri were defeated.

7. 2003/04 - Last 16

From a defeat in the final against Milan the season prior to a 2-0 defeat on aggregate in the last 16 against Deportivo La Coruna in 2003/04...it was not what fans were hoping for.

Things did not go to plan domestically either that campaign.

8. 2004/05 - Quarter-Finals

Ahh, the Calciopoli scandal season - one that saw Juventus' 28th league title taken away from them. The Champions League saw the Bianconeri progress to the quarter-finals, but they were unable to find the net in the second leg to progress past Liverpool.

9. 2005/06 - Quarter-Finals

Juventus' performances in the Champions League in 2005/06 were somewhat overshadowed by the fact they were stripped of the league title again and were relegated to Serie B - and understandably so.

But the Turin-based outfit were only able to reach the same stage as the year prior.

10. 2008/09 - Last 16

Of course, with their relegation came radical changes at the club, notably a number of high-profile departures. But they fought back and finished the 2007/08 Serie A season in third place.

Juve actually beat Real Madrid home and away in the group stages on their return, but the quarter-finals proved to be a step too far as Chelsea edged past them in the round of 16 stage.

11. 2009/10 - Group Stages

It's fair to say Ciro Ferrara and then Alberto Zaccheroni both failed to deliver in 2009/10.

A seventh-placed finish, knocked out of the Coppa Italia and knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages....it doesn't get much worse than that.

12. 2012/13 - Quarter-Finals

There wasn't much to write home about for Juventus in 2012/13. After all, it was a campaign once again dominated by match-fixing scandals.

Antonio Conte was banned from the touchline for his involvement, but Juve were still able to win the Scudetto - finishing the campaign unbeaten.

The Bianconeri made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League as well, but they were...well, brushed aside by Bayern Munich.

13. 2013/14 - Group Stages

A record breaking season for Juventus in the league.

But on the European stage, the Bianconeri came up short again. It was another year of stuttering and their exit in the group stages meant they had not gone further than the quarter-finals in the competition since 2002/03.

They did, however, reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.

14. 2014/15 - Final

With Max Allegri at the helm, Juve won their fourth straight league title, as well as achieving Coppa Italia glory.

But, that's right, the nearly-men were at it again.

Reaching the final of the Champions League in impressive fashion, the Bianconeri were full of optimism. But conceding in only the fourth minute of any game, let alone the final, was never going to be beneficial. They went on to lose 3-1 to Barcelona.

15. 2015/16 - Last 16

Juventus showed their champions mentality in 2015/16, retaining the league and cup double in very impressive fashion. This was a team capable of competing in the Champions League, a team that should have gone deep into the tournament.

Having reached the final the season prior, fans were keen to see more of the same, but they just missed out on a spot in the quarter-finals after losing a gripping tie with Bayern Munich.

16. 2016/17 - Final

By this point, it had become all too predictable.

Title win, Cup win, record after record set domestically.....but nothing to show for it in the Champions League.

Juventus' domestic success is undeniable, but their inability to step up and deliver in the biggest games on the biggest European stage since they last won the competition back in 1996 has cost them again and again.

17. 2017/18 - Quarter-Finals

Sometimes, just sometimes, there's not much else a team can do when a player is just too good.

That man is Cristiano Ronaldo.

His overhead kick was so special that even the Juventus fans stood up and applauded him for his effort. The Portuguese forward dominated the tie, scoring three times across the two legs (including one last-gasp strike to send Real Madrid through).

18. 2018/19 - Quarter-Finals

This time, Ronaldo was lining up in the black and white colours of Juve, but he wasn't able to stop a flying, youthful Ajax side from progressing.

These are the types of matches the Bianconeri have often failed to win during their failed quest for Champions League glory in almost 25 years.

19. 2019/20 - Last 16

Juventus were expected to have more than enough quality to overturn a 1-0 deficit to a Lyon side who finished the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season in seventh.

But the script had already been written again.

The nearly-men, the team that should have delivered on the big stage, but didn't. The difference this time? A distinct lack of energy.

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