Liverpool Football Club is a professional association football club in Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) competitions. Since 1964, they have won fourteen European and Worldwide trophies, more than any other British club. These consist of the UEFA Champions League (formerly known as the European Cup) six times, the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) three times, the UEFA Super Cup four times and the FIFA Club World Cup once.
Qualification for European competitions is determined by a team's success in its domestic league and cup competitions from the previous season. Liverpool competed in European competitions for 21 consecutive seasons until the 1985 European Cup final, the occasion of the Heysel Stadium disaster, following which the club was banned from European competitions for six seasons. Since being readmitted in 1991, they have qualified for the UEFA Champions League (the successor to the European Cup) fifteen times, the UEFA Europa League (the successor to the UEFA Cup) twelve times, and the (now-defunct) UEFA Cup Winners' Cup twice.
As a result of their victory in the 2005 Champions League final, Liverpool won the European Champion Clubs' Cup trophy outright and were awarded a multiple winner badge. Only two teams have won more Champions League titles than Liverpool: Real Madrid and AC Milan with fifteen and seven, respectively. Liverpool's total of three UEFA Cup wins has been bettered only by Sevilla, who have won the competition seven times. They have also won the UEFA Super Cup on four occasions; only Barcelona, Milan and Real Madrid (five each) have won the competition more. Liverpool won the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in 2019.
Bob Paisley is the club's most successful manager in Europe, with five trophies. Liverpool's biggest-margin win in Europe is an 11âÂÂ0 victory over Strømsgodset in the 1974âÂÂ75 European Cup Winners' Cup. In European competitions, Jamie Carragher holds the club record for the most appearances, with 150, and Mohamed Salah is the club's record goalscorer, with 50 goals.
Club competitions between teams from different European countries can trace their origins as far back as 1897 when the Challenge Cup was created for clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who did not meet under normal circumstances. The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, named after entrepreneur and sportsman Thomas Lipton, was established in 1909 and was contested between clubs from Italy, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland; the competition lasted for two years. The earliest attempt to create a cup for national champion clubs of Europe was made by Swiss club FC Servette. Founded in 1930, the Coupe des Nations featured clubs of ten major European football leagues and was deemed a success. Due to financial reasons, the competition was abandoned.
The first continental competition organised by UEFA was the European Cup in 1955. Conceived by Gabriel Hanot, the editor of L'ÃÂquipe, as a competition for winners of the European national football leagues, it is considered the most prestigious European football competition. When the European Cup was first played, Liverpool were in the Second Division, following relegation from the First Division after the 1953âÂÂ54 season, and thus were ineligible for the competition. During their time in the Second Division, two further competitions were created: the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was inaugurated in 1960 for the winners of domestic cup competitions.
In 1962, Liverpool were promoted to the First Division. Two years later, they won the Football League championship, thus making their European debut in the 1964âÂÂ65 European Cup. In the following years, further European competitions were inaugurated. The first, the UEFA Super Cup, was originally a match played between the winners of the European Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup. First established in 1973, it changed formats in 2000; since then, it has been contested between the winners of the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) and the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup), following the Cup Winners' Cup amalgamation into the latter. The Intercontinental Cup was a competition for the winners of the European Cup (later, the UEFA Champions League) and the South American equivalent, the Copa Libertadores. Established in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup was jointly organised by UEFA and the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL). It ran until 2004, when the FIFA Club World Cup, which includes the winners of all six confederations' regional championships replaced it.
Bill Shankly began managing Liverpool in 1959, and it was under him that the team first competed in European competition in 1964âÂÂ65, qualifying for the European Cup by winning the First Division championship the previous season. The club's first opponents were KR ReykjavÃÂk of Iceland, who they played in the preliminary round. Liverpool won 11âÂÂ1 on aggregate. The next round, against Belgian club Anderlecht, was the first time in Liverpool's history that they wore their now common all-red strip. The decision was made to change from red shirts, white shorts and socks by Shankly, who wanted his players to make more of a psychological impact on opponents. They beat Anderlecht and progressed to the semi-finals, where they met Italian team Inter Milan. Before the first leg at Anfield, Shankly asked two injured players to parade the FA Cup, which Liverpool had won the previous week, to intimidate the Italians. The team won the match 3âÂÂ1, but Inter won the second leg 3âÂÂ0, securing a 4âÂÂ3 aggregate victory. The second leg was controversial; Shankly described it as "a war". He felt that the referee, José MarÃÂa Ortiz de MendÃÂbil, had shown bias towards Inter, and the Liverpool players felt cheated by his decisions. The club's 1964âÂÂ65 FA Cup victory ensured qualification for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the following season, and in that competition, they reached their first European final. Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool's opponents, employed counter-attacking tactics that had paid dividends in previous rounds and did so again, with the West Germans beating Liverpool 2âÂÂ1 after extra time. Striker, Roger Hunt, described the defeat as "an off night" and said, "it was probably the most disappointing defeat over the years because we just didn't play.
In the next four seasons, they competed in the European Cup and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but failed to progress past the third round in either competition. A tie against Dutch team Ajax during the 1966âÂÂ67 European Cup was to prove pivotal in the history of Liverpool in European competition. Ajax beat Liverpool 7âÂÂ3 on aggregate. However, the style of football that Ajax played â a patient passing game, inspired by Johann Cruyff â convinced Shankly that Liverpool had to replicate this style to be successful in Europe. Liverpool reached the semi-finals of the 1970âÂÂ71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, losing 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate to Leeds United. They competed in the 1971âÂÂ72 European Cup Winners' Cup, despite losing the 1971 FA Cup Final, as the FA Cup winners, Arsenal, had also qualified for the European Cup by winning the league championship. Liverpool were eliminated in the second round by Bayern Munich of Germany, losing 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The changes made to Liverpool's tactics came to fruition during the 1972âÂÂ73 UEFA Cup. The club reached their second European final, where they faced Borussia Mönchengladbach of Germany. Liverpool won the first leg 3âÂÂ0 as a result of two goals from Kevin Keegan and one from Larry Lloyd. Victory in this first leg meant Liverpool only needed to avoid losing by three or more goals in order to win the final. This influenced their tactics â The Times reported that Liverpool employed a "holding action" against the "attacking Germans". The tactics worked, allowing Mönchengladbach only two goals, granting Liverpool a 3âÂÂ2 aggregate victory. Liverpool also won the First Division championship that season, and as a result, qualified for the 1973âÂÂ74 European Cup, where they were eliminated in the second round by Red Star Belgrade of Yugoslavia. The defeat marked a shift in emphasis in the style of Liverpool's play to a more patient approach. At the end of that season, Shankly retired.
Shankly was succeeded by his assistant, Bob Paisley, in 1974. Liverpool competed in the Cup Winners' Cup during Paisley's first season and defeated Strømsgodset of Norway 11âÂÂ0 at Anfield. This remains the club's largest margin of victory in all matches. They lost in the next round to Hungarian side Ferencváros on the away goals rule. In 1975âÂÂ76 the club entered the UEFA Cup after a second-place finish in the First Division. Victories over Hibernian (Scotland), Real Sociedad (Spain), à Âlàsk Wrocà Âaw (Poland), Dynamo Dresden (East Germany) and Barcelona (Spain) took Liverpool to their third European final. Crucial to their progress was goalkeeper Ray Clemence, who made two important penalty saves against Hibernian and Dresden, saving Liverpool from elimination on the away goals rule on both occasions. Their opponents in the final were Club Brugge of Belgium. Liverpool recovered from a two-goal deficit to win the first leg at Anfield 3âÂÂ2, with Ray Kennedy, Jimmy Case, and Keegan scoring a goal each in a span of six minutes. A 1âÂÂ1 draw at the Jan Breydel Stadion in Bruges meant Liverpool won 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate, earning their second UEFA Cup.
As the 1975âÂÂ76 league champions, the club entered the 1976âÂÂ77 European Cup. They defeated Crusaders of Northern Ireland and Trabzonspor of Turkey to reach the quarter-finals, where they faced the runners-up from the previous season, Saint-ÃÂtienne. The French team won the first leg 1âÂÂ0. The second leg at Anfield began well for Liverpool when Keegan scored in the first two minutes. Saint-ÃÂtienne equalised to make the score 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate in their favour. Kennedy scored for Liverpool, but the away goals rule meant they still needed another goal to win the tie. With six minutes remaining, David Fairclough was brought on to replace John Toshack; he immediately scored in front of the Kop, ensuring a 3âÂÂ2 aggregate victory for Liverpool. In the semi-finals, they defeated FC Zürich of Switzerland 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate to reach the final, where they met their opponents from the 1973 UEFA Cup Final, Borussia Mönchengladbach. The final was held in Rome, four days after the club had lost the 1977 FA Cup Final to Manchester United. Before the match, Paisley announced that striker Toshack would be fit to start. However, he was not named in the matchday squad. This change upset the Germans' game plan and allowed Keegan to torment his marker, Berti Vogts. Liverpool won 3âÂÂ1 to become European champions for the first time.
By winning the European Cup, they qualified for the European Super Cup and played the winners of the Cup Winners' Cup, German team Hamburg SV, who had just signed Keegan. Liverpool won the tie 7âÂÂ1 on aggregate. Liverpool entered the 1977âÂÂ78 European Cup as champions and received a bye in the first round. They defeated Dynamo Dresden and Portuguese team Benfica in the second round and quarter-finals, respectively. In the semi-final, the club again met Borussia Mönchengladbach, who won the first leg 2âÂÂ1. Liverpool won the second leg 3âÂÂ0, progressing to a second successive European Cup final, this time against Club Brugge at Wembley Stadium in London. In the final Kenny Dalglish, who had been signed to replace Keegan, scored the winning goal after receiving the ball from a Graeme Souness pass. The 1âÂÂ0 victory meant Liverpool became the first British team to retain the European Cup. They faced Anderlecht in the 1978 European Super Cup, but failed to retain the trophy, losing 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate against the Belgian side. Liverpool were eliminated in the first round of the 1978âÂÂ79 European Cup by English champions Nottingham Forest. Nottingham Forest won the tie 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate, and went on to win the competition. Liverpool entered the 1979âÂÂ80 European Cup as English champions but were again eliminated in the first round, this time beaten 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate by Dinamo Tbilisi of the Soviet Union.
Liverpool participated in the 1980âÂÂ81 European Cup as English league champions, defeating Finnish champions Oulun Palloseura, Scottish club Aberdeen and CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria to qualify for the semi-finals, where they faced three-time champions Bayern Munich. The first leg at Anfield finished goalless. In the second leg at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Ray Kennedy scored in the 83rd minute and, although the German side equalised, Liverpool went through to the final on the away goals rule. They faced Spanish side Real Madrid in the final, held at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Alan Kennedy scored the only goal to give Liverpool a 1âÂÂ0 victory, which secured the club'sâÂÂand Paisley'sâÂÂthird European Cup. As champions of Europe, Liverpool competed in the Intercontinental Cup against South American champions Flamengo of Brazil. Liverpool lost the match 3âÂÂ0. The club's defence of the European Cup in 1981âÂÂ82 was ended by CSKA Sofia in the quarter-finals. Another quarter-final exit occurred in the 1982âÂÂ83 European Cup when Polish club Widzew à Âódà º eliminated Liverpool 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate. Paisley retired as manager at the end of the season and was succeeded by his assistant, Joe Fagan.
Liverpool entered the 1983âÂÂ84 European Cup as league champions for the fourth time in five seasons. Victories over Odense of Denmark and Spanish champions Athletic Bilbao brought Liverpool to face Portuguese champions Benfica in the quarter-finals. Liverpool won the first leg at Anfield 1âÂÂ0. In the second leg, their tactic of withdrawing Dalglish into midfield put Benfica's game plan into disarray, leading to a 4âÂÂ1 match victory and a 5âÂÂ1 aggregate victory. Their opponents in the semi-finals were Dinamo BucureÃÂti of Romania. The tie proved a brutal encounter, characterised by Souness breaking the jaw of the Bucharest captain LicàMovilÃÂ, and was won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate by Liverpool.
Fagan's first season in charge of Liverpool had been a successful one. When they reached their fourth European Cup final, they had already won the Football League Cup and the league championship; victory in the European final against Italian side AS Roma would complete an unprecedented treble. The final was played at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, and Liverpool went ahead in the 13th minute when Phil Neal scored, though Roma equalised towards the end of the first half. The score remained the same throughout full and extra time; Liverpool won the subsequent penalty shoot-out, with Alan Kennedy scoring the winning penalty after goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar had put off Francesco Graziani, causing him to place his penalty over the crossbar. After the game, gangs of Roma fans assaulted Liverpool supporters travelling back to their hotels. Success in the European Cup entitled Liverpool to compete in the 1984 Intercontinental Cup. However, they were unable to beat the winners of the Copa Libertadores, Independiente of Argentina, who claimed a 1âÂÂ0 victory.
Liverpool entered the 1984âÂÂ85 European Cup as champions, and once again progressed to the final, where their opponents were Juventus of Italy. They aimed to win their fifth European Cup and keep the trophy. The 1985 European Cup Final was held at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels. The choice of venue had been criticised due to the dilapidated state of the stadium, and the club tried to persuade UEFA to change the venue. Before the kick-off, Liverpool fans breached a fence separating the two groups of supporters and charged the Juventus fans. The resulting weight of people caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 people and injuring hundreds more. Despite calls for an abandonment, the match was played, as it was felt that further trouble would be caused otherwise.
Juventus won the match 1âÂÂ0; Michel Platini scored from the penalty spot to give Juventus their first European Cup. UEFA laid the blame for the incident solely on the Liverpool fans: the official UEFA observer stated, "Only the English fans were responsible. Of that there is no doubt". Three days after the final, UEFA banned all English clubs from European competition for an indefinite period. Liverpool were initially given an additional three-year ban. Fagan retired after the 1984âÂÂ85 season and was succeeded by Dalglish, who took over as player-manager.
The ban on English clubs in European competitions ultimately lasted for five years, and even when the ban was lifted in 1990, Liverpool were not re-admitted; they had to serve an extra year. The ban prevented them qualifying for the European Cup in 1986, 1988 and 1990 (as league champions), the UEFA Cup in 1987 (as league runners-up), and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989 (as FA Cup winners). The only international matches of a somewhat competitive nature played in that time were in the Dubai Champions Cup against the champions of Scotland; Liverpool defeated Celtic on penalties in December 1986, then lost to the same opposition by the same method in April 1989, nine days prior to the Hillsborough disaster.
Liverpool were allowed to return to European competition in the 1991âÂÂ92 season, a year later than other English clubs. They qualified for the UEFA Cup as runners-up in the English league. Their manager by this stage was Graeme Souness, who had taken over towards the end of the previous season following Dalglish's resignation. Their first match, in the UEFA Cup, was against Finnish side Kuusyi Lahti, which they won 6âÂÂ1. A 6âÂÂ2 aggregate victory set up a tie against Auxerre of France in the second round who they beat 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate. The club defeated Swarovski Tirol of Austria in the third round 6âÂÂ0 on aggregate before losing to Genoa (Italy) 4âÂÂ1 over two legs in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool's victory over Sunderland in the 1992 FA Cup Final qualified them for the 1992âÂÂ93 European Cup Winners' Cup, but this campaign was short-lived, as they were eliminated in the second round by Russian side Spartak Moscow. Liverpool finished no higher than sixth in the Premier League during the next two seasons, thus failing to qualify for European competition. In the 1995âÂÂ96 season, they entered the UEFA Cup, but again progressed no further than the second round, this time losing to Brøndby of Denmark.
As runners-up to League champions Manchester United in the 1996 FA Cup Final, Liverpool were able to compete in the 1996âÂÂ97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. This proved the club's most successful campaign since their return to European competition, as they reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate by Paris SaintâÂÂGermain. In the next two seasons, Liverpool played in the UEFA Cup but were eliminated at an early stage of the competition, by Strasbourg and Celta Vigo, respectively. A seventh-place finish in the 1998âÂÂ99 FA Premier League meant the club did not qualify for Europe in 1999âÂÂ2000.
Having finished fourth in the 1999âÂÂ2000 FA Premier League, Liverpool qualified for the 2000âÂÂ01 UEFA Cup. Their victory in this competition marked a third win for a club. The entire season was the club's most successful since the 1983âÂÂ84 season, as they won a cup treble consisting of the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Their opponents in the final in Dortmund were Alavés of Spain. The match was tied at 4âÂÂ4 in extra time when Alavés defender DelfàGeli scored an own goal to give Liverpool victory on the golden goal rule. The performance of Gary McAllister, whose free-kick resulted in the winning goal, was praised as "outstanding" by Trevor Brooking. This was the club's first European trophy since their European Cup victory in 1984. As UEFA Cup winners, Liverpool played in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup against Champions League winners Bayern Munich and won 3âÂÂ2.
In the 2001âÂÂ02 season, Liverpool returned to the European Cup, now called the UEFA Champions League, for the first time since the Heysel disaster. A 2âÂÂ0 victory over AS Roma in the second group stage meant they progressed to the quarter-finals. They faced German club Bayer Leverkusen and won the first leg 1âÂÂ0. The outlook for the second leg appeared to be to Liverpool's advantage, as their counter-attacking style of play had served them well during away matches throughout the season; however, they lost the second leg 4âÂÂ2 and were eliminated 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
A second-place finish in the 2001âÂÂ02 FA Premier League entitled Liverpool to participate in the Champions League for a second successive season, but they only finished third in their group and were eliminated from the competition. The third-place finish meant they entered the 2002âÂÂ03 UEFA Cup. Liverpool beat Dutch team Vitesse Arnhem and Auxerre to set up an all-British tie with Scottish team Celtic. A 1âÂÂ1 draw in the first leg meant Liverpool would progress to the semi-finals if they did not concede a goal in the second leg at Anfield. However, Celtic scored before half-time and again in the second half to win 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Liverpool entered the UEFA Cup for the 2003âÂÂ04 season, after Chelsea beat them on the final day of the previous league season to claim the fourth place needed to qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool were eliminated in the fourth round by eventual runners-up Marseille of France. At the end of the season, manager Gérard Houllier was replaced by Rafael BenÃÂtez.
Liverpool had finished fourth in the 2003âÂÂ04 season, which qualified them to compete in the Champions League in the 2004âÂÂ05 season. A poor start in the group stages, with two losses in their first five games, had the club facing elimination. A 3âÂÂ1 victory over Greek side Olympiakos, however, eventually ensured their passage to the knock-out rounds. Liverpool beat Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus to reach the semi-finals, and progressed to the final after they beat Chelsea 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate; the goal scored by Luis GarcÃÂa was referred to as a "ghost goal" by Chelsea manager José Mourinho, as it was unclear whether the ball crossed the goal line. Liverpool's performances in Europe contrasted strongly with their league form, where they struggled to finish in the top-four and thus ensure qualification for the next Champions League season.
Liverpool faced six-time European champions AC Milan in the final at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul on 25 May 2005. Trailing 3âÂÂ0 at half-time, they scored three goals in a six-minute spell in the second half to level the score at 3âÂÂ3. There were no goals during extra time, so the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. With the shoot-out score at 3âÂÂ2, Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek saved Andriy Shevchenko's penalty to give Liverpool victory. The nature of Liverpool's comeback victory has led to the match being referred to as the "miracle of Istanbul." As this was the club's fifth European Cup victory, Liverpool were allowed to keep the European Champion Clubs' Cup permanently, and a new trophy was commissioned for the following year's competition. The victory also entitled Liverpool to compete in the 2005 UEFA Super Cup at Stade Louis II, Monaco in August. They defeated UEFA Cup winners CSKA Moscow of Russia 3âÂÂ1 (a.e.t.) to win their third Super Cup. Their success in the Champions League meant Liverpool also qualified for the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship, where they lost 1âÂÂ0 in the final to Brazilian team São Paulo.
A fifth-place finish in the Premier League in 2004âÂÂ05 meant Liverpool were not guaranteed entry into the Champions League, and faced the prospect of not being able to defend their European title. UEFA eventually ruled that they were allowed to defend their title but have to start in the first qualifying round, with no country protection, meaning they could face any team from England in any round. This turned out to be the case â Liverpool advanced through three qualifying rounds and were drawn with Chelsea in the group stages. They progressed from their group as winners but were beaten by Benfica in the first knock-out round.
In the 2006âÂÂ07 Champions League, Liverpool progressed from the group stages and beat holders Barcelona, PSV and Chelsea to face Milan in a rematch of the 2005 final. The Liverpool team, which contained only five players from the 2005 final, enjoyed more possession than in 2005, but two goals from Filippo Inzaghi gave Milan their seventh European Cup in a 2âÂÂ1 win.
Liverpool were eliminated from the 2007âÂÂ08 Champions League in the semi-finals by Chelsea, who they had beaten in the semi-finals in 2005 and 2007. A fourth-place finish in the 2007âÂÂ08 Premier League secured their entry into the 2008âÂÂ09 Champions League. Liverpool reached the quarter-finals and again faced Chelsea, but lost 7âÂÂ5 on aggregate.
A second-place finish in the 2008âÂÂ09 Premier League entitled Liverpool to compete in the 2009âÂÂ10 UEFA Champions League, but their campaign was short-lived; they finished third in their group, and were eliminated from the competition. They entered the 2009âÂÂ10 UEFA Europa League, progressing to the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Atlético Madrid of Spain on the away goals rule after the tie finished 2âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Rafael BenÃÂtez left the club at the end of the 2009âÂÂ10 season and was replaced by Roy Hodgson. A seventh-place finish in the 2009âÂÂ10 Premier League meant Liverpool would be competing in the 2010âÂÂ11 Europa League. They beat RabotniÃÂki of Macedonia and Trabzonspor of Turkey to progress to the group stage, where Liverpool were drawn alongside Napoli, FC Utrecht and Steaua BucureÃÂti. They won two games and drew four to finish top of their group with ten points and progress to the round of 32. They were drawn against Sparta Prague in the next round. Before the tie was played, however, Hodgson was replaced by former manager Kenny Dalglish, who initially served as a caretaker manager. A 1âÂÂ0 aggregate victory ensured progression to the round of 16, in which Liverpool lost 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate to eventual runners-up Braga. A sixth-place finish in the 2010âÂÂ11 Premier League meant the club failed to qualify for European competition for the first time since 1999. On the following season, victory in the League Cup final ensured Liverpool a place in the 2012âÂÂ13 Europa League.
Liverpool qualified for the knockout phase of the 2012âÂÂ13 Europa League after winning their group at the group stage, but were eliminated from the competition at the round of 32 by Zenit Saint Petersburg on the away goals rule after a 0âÂÂ2 loss away and a 3âÂÂ1 win at home. A seventh-place finish in the 2012âÂÂ13 Premier League and a failure to secure qualification via domestic cups meant Liverpool failed to qualify for any European competition in the 2013âÂÂ14 season. A second-placed finish in the 2013âÂÂ14 Premier League, ensured Liverpool qualified for the group stage of the 2014âÂÂ15 Champions League. One win out of six in the group stage meant they were eliminated and demoted to the knockout phase of the 2014âÂÂ15 Europa League. The campaign was short-lived, as Liverpool were eliminated by Beà Âiktaà  in the round of 32.
Finishing sixth in the 2014âÂÂ15 Premier League qualified Liverpool directly to the group stage of the 2015âÂÂ16 Europa League, where they faced Sion, Bordeaux and for the first time, Russian side Rubin Kazan. During the group stage, manager Brendan Rodgers was replaced by Jürgen Klopp. After winning the group, Liverpool qualified for the knockout phase, beating FC Augsburg in the round of 32 before facing bitter rivals Manchester United in the round of 16, the two clubs' first meeting in Europe. Liverpool defeated them 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate and victory led to a quarter-final tie with Klopp's former team Borussia Dortmund. After a 1âÂÂ1 draw in the first leg at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund went 3âÂÂ1 up in the return leg at Anfield with 33 minutes remaining, requiring Liverpool to score three goals due to the away goals rule. Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren (with a last minute winner) provided the necessary goals, as Liverpool completed the comeback and qualified for their first European semi-final since 2010. There they faced Villarreal, completing a second comeback after overturning a 1âÂÂ0 defeat in the first leg at El Madrigal to qualify for the final with a 3âÂÂ1 aggregate win. Liverpool played Sevilla in the final at St. Jakob-Park, Basel, on 18 May, losing 3âÂÂ1. A 4th-place finish in the 2016âÂÂ17 Premier League qualified Liverpool for the 2017âÂÂ18 UEFA Champions League and saw them return to Europe's premier club tournament for only the second time in 8 years during the 2010s.
Liverpool 7âÂÂ0 win away to Maribor in the third round of matches of the group stage of the 2017âÂÂ18 UEFA Champions League was the club's record away win in European competitions and also the biggest away win by an English team in the competition's history. They also defeated Spartak Moscow at home by the same scoreline on the last matchday to qualify top of their group, proceeding to defeat Porto 5âÂÂ0 at the Estadio de Dragao in the round of 16, before holding them to a 0âÂÂ0 draw on the return leg. Liverpool then defeated domestic rivals Manchester City 3âÂÂ0 and 2âÂÂ1, and in the semi-finals, defeated AS Roma 5âÂÂ2 at Anfield, before a 4âÂÂ2 away loss led to a 7âÂÂ6 aggregate win, taking them to the final, against holders Real Madrid. Liverpool lost the final 3âÂÂ1 but finished 4th in the 2017âÂÂ18 Premier League to qualify for the next year's edition. Liverpool reached the Champions League final for the second consecutive year in 2018âÂÂ19 after overcoming a 3âÂÂ0 deficit in the first leg of their semi-final against Barcelona to win 4âÂÂ0 in the second leg at Anfield, with the match being considered one of the greatest Champions League comebacks of all time. Liverpool beating fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur, 2âÂÂ0 in the final, securing the club's sixth European title and first European trophy since 2005. Victory qualified Liverpool for the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, which they won for the fourth time after extra time on penalties against Chelsea. In December 2019, Liverpool won the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time. After defeating Mexican club Monterrey 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-final, Liverpool defeated Brazilian club Flamengo 1âÂÂ0 in the final, with Roberto Firmino scoring the winning goal in both games.
The following season, Liverpool were eliminated in the round of 16 by Atlético Madrid after a 4âÂÂ2 defeat across two legs after extra time. Liverpool qualified for the 2020âÂÂ21 edition group stage by winning the Premier League. The club reached the quarter-finals where they were eliminated 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate by Real Madrid. Liverpool finished third in the 2020âÂÂ21 Premier League, meaning the team qualified for the premier European competition for the fifth consecutive year. Mohamed Salah became the club's record goalscorer in Europe after he scored twice in a 3âÂÂ2 away win versus Atlético Madrid on 19 October 2021. He surpassed the previous record of 30 goals by Steven Gerrard. Liverpool's 2âÂÂ1 victory against AC Milan at the San Siro in their final group game meant they became the first English club to win all six Champions League group games in the competition's history. The club reached a 10th European Cup final after a 5âÂÂ2 aggregate win over Villarreal in the semi-finals. Liverpool lost the final 1âÂÂ0 to Real Madrid, which was overshadowed by the club's fans experiencing difficulties entering the stadium in Paris.
The club qualified for the 2022âÂÂ23 UEFA Champions League after finishing second in the league. A 4âÂÂ1 defeat by Napoli in their opening match of the group stage was followed by five wins, to ensure they finished as runners-up in their group. Liverpool were drawn against defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16, in a rematch of the 2022 final. Despite taking an early two-goal lead in the first leg at Anfield, after goals from Salah and new signing Darwin Núñez, they lost 5âÂÂ2. A 1âÂÂ0 defeat in the reverse fixture saw Liverpool lose 6âÂÂ2 on aggregate and was the third time in successions they had been knocked out of the competition by Real Madrid.
A 5th place in the Premier League meant Liverpool would be competing in the Europa League the following season for the first time since the 2015-16 season. They reached the quarter-finals where they were eliminated 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate by Atalanta. A third place finish in the Premier League qualified Liverpool for the Champions League in 2024âÂÂ25. At the end of the season, Klopp resigned as manager and was replaced by Arne Slot. Liverpool finished top of the new league phase, winning seven out of eight matches and were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. A Harvey Elliott goal in the last minute gave Liverpool a 1âÂÂ0 victory in the first leg. However, they lost the tie 4âÂÂ1 in a penalty shootout in the second leg at Anfield.
Key
Key to colours: