Yes, they’re back. I like doing these things, but it’s such a pain to compile them, particularly the way I did it. By way of explanation, teams get three points for each win, one for each draw, plus extra points for winning cup or league titles. I didn’t give teams extra points for competing in the “top leagues.” If you’re shocked that, say, Manchester United is so low in the rankings, then keep in mind that they’re not in first place in the league, and the only silverware they’ve won is the Community Shield. Any thoughts?
1. Barcelona (44-12-4). Titles won: European Supercup, Club World Championship, Spanish Supercopa. Still competing: Copa Del Rey. After getting knocked out of the Champions League and having their La Liga title all but wrested from their grasp, this could go down as the most disappointing season ever for a team that could still finish with three trophies and the most wins in all competitions. Best possible finish: 1st
2. Real Madrid (43-7-5). Titles won: La Liga (basically). Still competing: None. Madrid are currently in second in the rankings, but will likely drop below Chelsea or Bayern (or both) after one of those teams wins the Champions League final. Best possible finish: 2nd
3. Bayern Munich (37-5-10). Titles won: None. Still competing: Champions League, DfB Pokal. Winning the Champions League would be great, and winning the DfB Pokal would give Bayern some form of payback over Dortmund for winning the league. No treble this year, though. Best possible finish: 1st
4. Chelsea (31-14-11). Titles won: None. Still competing: Champions League, FA Cup. Chelsea’s surprise trip to the Champions League final still has them with a shot of finishing No. 1 on this list, though it’s unlikely. Best possible finish: 1st
5. Borussia Dortmund (30-7-8). Titles won: Bundesliga. Still competing: DfB Pokal. Dortmund’s poor play in continental competitions is the only thing keeping it from being a contender for top spot. Best possible finish: 4th
6. Porto (28-8-8). Titles won: Portuguese Superliga, Portuguese Supercup. Still competing: None. Porto were surprisingly bad in Europe this year, but will take home the Superliga title and Supercup once again. Best possible finish: 4th
7. Monterrey (25-10-13). Titles won: CONCACAF Champions League. Still competing: Mexican Primera. The two-time Champions League winners are also in the mix for their fifth Primera title. Best possible finish: 2nd
8. Benfica (32-9-7). Titles won: Portuguese League Cup. Still competing: None. Benfica will likely drop in the rankings once league titles and cups are decided elsewhere. Best possible finish: 7th
9. Athletic Bilbao (23-11-12). Titles won: None. Still competing: Europa League, Copa Del Rey. A victory in the Copa Del Rey would give Athletic 24 such trophies, second only to Barcelona (who they are playing). Beating Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final would give them their first continental title. Best possible finish: 4th
10. Manchester United (32-8-11). Titles won: Community Shield. Still competing: Premier League. Winning the Premier League would probably be the only thing that would salvage what has been a miserable season, at least by United’s standards. Best possible finish: 4th
11. Al-Sadd (21-7-13). Titles won: AFC Champions League. Still competing: None. Best possible finish: 7th
12. Manchester City (35-7-11). Titles won: None. Still competing: Premier League. Best possible finish: 4th
13. Zenit St. Petersburg (24-15-5). Titles won: Russian League. Still competing: None. Best possible finish: 9th
14. Liverpool (24-11-12). Titles won: League Cup. Still competing: FA Cup. Best possible finish: 9th
15. Atletico Madrid (23-11-14). Titles won: None. Still competing: Europa League. Best possible finish: 6th
16. AC Milan (27-13-9). Titles won: Supercopa Italia. Still competing: Serie A. Best possible finish: 5th
17. Lyon (24-4-14). Titles won: Trophee des Champions. Still competing: None. Best possible finish: 11th
18. Tigres UANL (21-13-8). Titles won: Mexican Primera Apertura. Still competing: Mexican Primera Clausura. Best possible finish: 4th
19. Arsenal (30-8-14). Titles won: None. Still competing: None. Best possible finish: 14th
20. Juventus (24-15-0). Titles won: None. Still competing: Serie A, Coppa Italia. Best possible finish: 5th
Keep an eye on: Santos (Brazil), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Jeonbuk Motors (Korea), Paris St. Germain, Montpellier (France), Napoli
Only Love Soccer 