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Barcelona defender Dani Alves claims third Champions League medal but trails European greats such as Paolo Maldini in all-time medals list

By Adam Skinner For Mailonline

Published: 12:50 EDT, 8 June 2015 | Updated: 02:48 EDT, 9 June 2015




As Barcelona lifted Europe’s top prize for the fifth time in Berlin, Dani Alves became one of football’s most decorated players.

Barcelona joined Bayern Munich and Liverpool in becoming five-time winners of the competition and their 32-year-old right back celebrated his own personal landmark as he claimed the eighth European medal of his career.

Alves' first taste of European success came with former club Sevilla. They lifted the UEFA Cup before it became the Europa League in 2006, with a thumping 4-0 victory over Steve McClaren’s Middlesbrough, and they retained the trophy the following year. He also won the UEFA Super Cup with Sevilla in 2006. Dani Alves shows off the eighth European medal of his illustrious club career at Sevilla and Barcelona Alves got into the habit of winning European trophies at Sevilla where he won two UEFA Cups and a Super Cup

After moving to Barcelona in 2008, the Brazilian won the Champions League in his first season before winning it twice more and adding two more Super Cup medals to his collection.

But he still remains two medals behind Europe's most decorated player.

And If rumours of an impending move away from the Catalan club are true, Alves can kiss goodbye to another Super Cup success next season. Eight medals is nothing to scoff at though and sees Alves into third on the all-time list. So who else is Alves now dining with at football's top table? .




Paolo Maldini

Alves has some way to go to match the legendary Italian defender’s record, who won the European Cup twice before winning the Champions League three times after its inception in 1992.

A 16-year-old Maldini made his AC Milan debut in 1985 and his first European cup win came four years later.

He repeated the success in 1990 and 1994, and captained the 2003 and 2007 Champions League winning sides.

Maldini could have had six if not for Liverpool’s almighty comeback in Istanbul in 2005 and he was a Champions League runner-up in 1993 and 1995. Maldini can also add five UEFA Super Cups to his embarrassment of riches.

Total European medals:10. Paolo Maldini (centre) holds the Champions League trophy aloft after Milan beat Barcelona 4-0 in 1994

Alesandro Costacurta

A crucial part of the same Milan backline as Maldini, Costacurta also won Europe’s biggest prize on five occasions and was a runner-up twice.

However, Costacurta played no part in the 2007 final as Milan avenged defeat by Liverpool two years previous with a 1-0 win, but earned a winners medal anyway.

Costacurta won four UEFA Super Cups, leaving him one behind Maldini as the most decorated European player of all time.

Total European medals: nine. Allesandro Costacurta (second left) with his team-mates and the Champions League trophy in 2007

Francisco Gento

Winger Gento was ever-present in the Real Madrid dynasty that won the first five European Cups in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960.

The Spaniard scored in the 1957 and 1958 finals, and captained Real to victory in 1966 after the majority of the team that dominated the early years of the competition had disbanded.

The UEFA Super Cup did not start until 1972 so Gento could not add to his tally in that competition.

Total European medals: six. Six-time European Cup winner Francisco Gento scoring against Manchester United in a friendly in 1954

Clarence Seedorf

The only player in the history of football to win the Champions League with three different clubs, Seedorf won his first Champions League medal with Ajax in 1995 before moving to Real Madrid and claiming the trophy again in 1998.

After a trophyless two years at Inter Milan, the Dutch midfielder moved to the red half of Milan where he won the competition in 2003 and 2007, as well as the UEFA Super Cup in the same years.
 Clarence Seedorf (left) in Champions League action for AC Milan against Barcelona's Lionel Messi

Phil Neal

One of the most successful English players of all time, Neal won four European Cups, one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup, all with Liverpool.

He scored a penalty in the 3-1 win against Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1977 European Cup final in Rome.

And Neal converted the second spot-kick of a penalty shootout against Roma in the 1984 final as Liverpool were crowned European champions again at the same ground.
 Phil Neal (right) with the European Cup in 1984 after scoring a penalty in the shootout against Roma in the final

Alfredo Di Stefano and the Real Madrid team of the 1950s

Spearheaded by Argentine-Spanish legend Di Stefano, six Real players were ever-present as the Spanish giants won the first five European Cup competitions.

Juan Alonso, Rafael Lesmes, Marcos Alonso Imaz, Jose Maria Zarraga, Hector Rial and Juan Santisteban all won the first ever European Cup and did so for another four years on the bounce.

Benfica broke their dominance in 1961.

Total European medals: five each. Alfredo Di Stefano was instrumental as Real Madrid propelled themselves to European greatness in the 1950s

 
Barcelona defender Dani Alves claims third Champions League medal but trails Paolo Maldini in all-time medals list





