Where do PSG rank among Europe's greatest dynasties? — SkimNews
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- Paris St-Germain begin their Champions League campaign Wednesday chasing a third successive European crown, placed at #10 in a ranking of Europe's most dominant eras dating back to 2024
- PSG's transformation came after president Nasser Al-Khelaifi declared "the end of the glitter" in 2023, with Luis Enrique ushering out the "flashy, bling-bling" era in favor of younger, mouldable players since Qatar Sports Investments arrived 15 years ago
- Real Madrid's 1955-60 side tops the all-time list with five successive European Cup triumphs after the competition began in 1955, featuring a world-star Alfredo Di Stefano
- Real Madrid's 2013-18 squad under Zinedine Zidane became the first club in the Champions League era to retain the trophy and lift three in a row, beating Liverpool in the 2018 final remembered for Gareth Bale's cameo and Loris Karius' blunders
- Ajax's 1968-73 era pioneered Total Football under Rinus Michels, winning three successive European crowns before Johan Cruyff followed Michels to Barcelona
- AC Milan's 1988-1995 dynasty, fueled by Silvio Berlusconi's takeover in 1986, won back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and '90 and reached another final in 1994, though they were banned the following year after refusing to replay an abandoned 1991 quarter-final
- Benfica won back-to-back European Cups in 1961 and 1962 under Bela Guttmann with teenage Eusebio, but have lost eight European finals since — a drought the article attributes to Guttmann's supposed 100-year curse
Why it matters: PSG sit 10th on the list despite only beginning their dynasty in 2024 — a third consecutive Champions League title would vault them past Bayern Munich, Barcelona and AC Milan into the elite tier alongside Real Madrid's three-peats and Ajax's Total Football era. The ranking underscores that European football's greatest eras share tactical identity and longevity, not just star spending.
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