LONDON: Cast your minds back to early 2007.
For the first time in the Champions League era, England had three representatives in the final four of Europe’s showpiece tournament.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea battled it out for European glory that spring, marking the zenith of English dominance on the continent — even if the only non-English team (AC Milan) went on to beat Liverpool to lift the trophy and avenge their 2005 defeat to the same opponents.
In the previous two seasons, the Merseyside club had shocked the Italians in the “Miracle of Istanbul” and, a year later, Arsenal were a red card away from conquering the mighty Barcelona in Paris.
Fast forward to 2008 and the same semifinalists from 2007 were in the mix again. This time it was an all-English final with Chelsea captain John Terry’s penalty slip handing United their third European triumph.
In 2009, for a third successive season, there were three English semifinalists (United, Chelsea and Arsenal), and for a fifth straight season a Premier League team in the final. On that May night in Rome, however, Barcelona were too strong for Alex Ferguson’s United.
And, had it not been for Andres Iniesta’s stunning 93rd minute semifinal equalizer for the Catalans at Stamford Bridge, we might have had a repeat of the previous year’s final.
Yet, after that — barring United’s stuttering appearance in 2011’s final and Chelsea’s smash-and-grab victory over Bayern Munich to lift a maiden Champions League trophy a year later — England’s reign was over.
Italian sides Inter (winners in 2010) and Juventus (runners-up last year and in 2015) have flown the flag for Serie A, but it has been a predominantly German-Spanish axis of dominance since the turn of the decade.
Munich’s three finals produced one victory over Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona have added two more trophies, and in three of Real Madrid’s wins (two of them back-to-back) they faced city rivals Atletico.
England’s sole representative in the quarterfinals of last season’s competition was Leicester City, who went down to Spanish opposition, which tells its own tale of recent Premier League mediocrity in Europe.
Now cast your mind back to earlier this week. With all five Premier League sides in the Champions League this season having breezed through to the last 16, Tottenham recovered brilliantly in Turin to stay even with Juventus. Most people’s favorites for the title, Manchester City, recorded the biggest away win by an English side in the knockout stages by hammering Basel 4-0 and, 24 hours later, Liverpool broke that record by smashing five unanswered goals past Porto.
With many tipping English sides to go deep in the competition, it is a remarkable turnaround.
What has changed?
Many experts have pointed to the English game’s lack of a winter break — so lauded on the continent — as an excuse for Premier League teams faltering in Europe after Christmas. That argument can be well and truly put to bed — at least until next season.
No, for the first time in several seasons, an air of stability surrounds England’s elite clubs.
The recent trend in English football of a quick fix — of chopping and changing or having a wholesale, top-to-bottom clear-out — has disappeared. When things have gone wrong in Europe, clubs are now standing by their managers, giving them time to build something in the recent mold of Madrid and Atletico. Owners are willing to wait for a dynasty to be built that can match the likes of Barcelona, Bayern or Juventus.
Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola all have multiple seasons under their belts, while Mauricio Pochettino has turned his young-gun Spurs, spearheaded by the mercurial Harry Kane, into rampant dark horses for Europe’s biggest prize.
And we certainly should not rule out Liverpool, who this season have a markedly better manager and team — led by talisman Mohamed Salah — than in 2005 when they shocked Europe to lift the trophy.
It is an old footballing adage, but stability breeds success.
That is most likely why an Arsenal in managerial and first XI turmoil failed to qualify and tension between players and an under-pressure Antonio Conte has meant Chelsea will go into their Barcelona clash as considerable underdogs.
Of course, the eye-watering sums of money being spent by Premier League clubs has helped and is the reason two of the league’s biggest spenders this season — Manchester City and Manchester United — are expected to go furthest.
But splashing the cash is not everything. We can only wait and see how Europe’s biggest spenders and perennial Champions League chokers Paris Saint-Germain go in the tournament, especially after losing their first-leg match against Madrid.
You need a settled, talented and well-led group of players to win this most coveted of prizes. For the first time in nearly a decade, a handful of English sides fits that description.
Do not be surprised if we see a repeat of those heady days of 2007 come spring this year.
