The UEFA Champion's League (formerly known as the European Cup) is the most prestigious club competition in European football. Contested annually by the top clubs in Europe it is the highest accolade in European club football.
UEFA's Badge of Honour is awarded to clubs who reach the very pinnacle of Champion's League success by either winning five European Cups in their history or three consecutively. So far only five clubs have achieved the award of the UEFA Badge of Honour and been allowed to keep the trophy.
1. Real Madrid
The undisputed kings of the European Cup, Real Madrid were the first recipients of the Badge of Honour after amassing an amazing haul of six European Cup wins in the first ten years of the trophy's existence between 1956 and 1966.Even more amazing is the fact that they won the first five between 1956 and 1960 consecutively with the great Madrid side including Puskas and Di Stefano.
Never a club to rest on their laurels, Real Madrid have since won a further three European Cups in 1998, 2000, and 2002.
2. Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax were awarded their Badge of Honour after winning three consecutive European Cups between 1971 and 1973. Under coaches Rinus Michels and then Stefan Kovacs they perfected the style of Total Football allowing all players to fluidly fill all roles in the side whether attacking or defending. With a side brimming with world class players like Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens, Ajax were able to dominate both the Eredivisie and Europe during the early 1970s.Since then they have won both the UEFA Cup and the now defunct European Cup Winners Cup making them one of only three clubs to have completed the European treble.
3. Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich picked up where Ajax Amsterdam left off in the early to mid 1970s and were awarded their Badge of Honour for three consecutive European Cup triumphs between 1974 and 1976.Led on the field by such German luminaries of their day as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Franz Roth, Bayern Munich beat Atletico Madrid, Leeds United and St. Etienne in successive years to cement German club football's superiority at the time as their national side became World Cup champions in 1974.
Bayern Munich have went on to win the European Cup again in 2001.
4. AC Milan
Particularly dominant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, AC Milan received the award of their Badge of Honour in 1994 after winning their fifth European Cup. Having won their first two European Cups in 1962 and 1969, the Rossoneri had to wait another twenty years before winning it again in 1989 under Arrigo Saachi and then retained the trophy the following year with a 1-0 win over Benfica.The 1994 European Cup victory over Barcelona gave Milan the trophy they coveted the most after having been beaten in the previous year's final by Marseille and they have since went on to lift their sixth European Cup in 2003.
5. Liverpool
England's most successful ever club, both domestically and in a European context, took their European Cup tally to five in 2005 when they came from behind to beat AC Milan and write their name again into European football folklore.Back to back European Cup wins in 1977 and 1978 and further victories in 1981 and 1984 had taken Liverpool perilously close to the coveted select few in the Badge of Honour club but it was Rafael Benitez's side of 2005 who finally made it to five wins.
Domestic success may have been barren in recent years but Liverpool will always have their European record to feel proud of.
