TI have UEFA Champions League hardest to win, and the fact that both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi Having won several tournaments is admirable, but the 2021/22 season showed that it takes more than just a star name to win a tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Dusan Vlahovic and Erling Haaland everyone saw their teams crash out of the tournament in the Round of 16, much sooner than anyone expected for these respective players.
Ronaldo and Messi are used to win the tournament while the last two names are expected to dominate it for years to come, however at the moment individual skill is not enough for a team that is losing in most other areas.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford as a prodigal son, but at 37 years old, Ronaldo is closer to the end of his career than anyone could have imagined.
He tried to change the nature of United’s defeat at Atlético Madrid, but he simply lacked the energy and quality to do so.
He barely got a shot on Jan Oblak’s goal and could now leave the club if they don’t qualify for the Champions League in 2022/23.
It’s entirely possible that the team that eliminated the aging Ronaldo was the team he terrified when he was in his prime. Diego Simeon said that Atletico Madrid Would have won two Champions Leagues if it wasn’t for Ronaldo, but even he can’t beat time.
Messi
Paris Saint Germain were favorites ahead of the tournament along with Manchester City, but no one was surprised when they collapsed catastrophically at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Messi was anonymous against the team he usually loves to score against, and the Parisian club lost again at the first knockout barrier, forcing those in charge of the Parc des Princes to reconsider their strategy.
Awesome blow to Manchester is all Messi can show in a Champions League campaign where he hasn’t really tarnished the notebook, which is not at all what the French club expected when they signed him.
Vlahovic
juventus actually improved over the course of the season, with Dusan VlahovicJanuary’s arrival was a key catalyst for this, however, he was unable to do anything to stop the Old Signora from easily getting rid of Villarreal and Unai Emery.
He failed to score in the second leg despite scoring in Spain in a 1-1 draw and, to be fair, he made chances for the team, but they didn’t convert them.
Vlahovic may have the stellar qualities needed to shine at the top level, but for Juventus to succeed in Europe they will need to surround him with more comparable quality.
Haland
HalandHis future will be decided before April, but he was part of Borussia Dortmund, who didn’t even make the playoffs.
Where the best players shine Haland I couldn’t even sit down at the table. He got into the Europa League, where there was more of the same with Glasgow Rangers easily beating the German giants.