The Elite Few: A History of European Football Trebles

A look back at the history of European football's treble winners. In the world of football, achieving a treble—winning the league title, domestic cup, and Champions League in a single season—is a feat of immense difficulty. Only a select few clubs have achieved this remarkable accomplishment. Celtic Glasgow, in 1967, were the first to achieve this feat, defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in the European Cup final. Their success was followed by Ajax Amsterdam in 1972, who also overcame Inter Milan, this time with a Johan Cruyff brace. PSV Eindhoven, under the guidance of Guus Hiddink, added their name to the list in 1988. Manchester United, under Sir Alex Ferguson, became the first English club to win the treble in 1999, culminating in a dramatic Champions League final victory against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou. FC Barcelona achieved the treble twice, in 2009 under Pep Guardiola and in 2015 under Luis Enrique. Inter Milan, led by Jose Mourinho, secured the treble in 2010, and Bayern Munich repeated the feat in 2013 and again in 2020. Most recently, Manchester City, also under Pep Guardiola, completed the treble in 2023. These teams' achievements stand as testaments to their exceptional talent, unwavering determination, and strategic brilliance.