Aarran Summers 

Many Scandinavians have won the UEFA Champions League. We take a look at the careers of the finest five from the region. 
 
5. Brian Laudrup 
 
A Champions League winner with AC Milan, although he was not selected for the final, Brian Laudrup contributed in seven games during the Italian’s side winning season. The Dane was admired by his coach Fabio Capello and was one of two Danes’ to win the trophy that year – with teammate Jon Dahl Tomasson also part of the set-up. Although he too did not feature in that 4-0 thumping of Barcelona.

Tomasson would later play Liverpool on that famous night in Istanbul where he scored a penalty in the shootout; this was Laurdrup’s only opportunity. In fact, for Brian, this trophy is the accolade that alluded his brother, arguably one of the greatest Danish players of all time, his brother, Michael.

An exquisite footballer, Laudrup had talent in abundance. Despite concerns over his consistency, he was a sharpshooter of the ball and a man revered in his home nation for his Champions League success and his international triumph with Denmark in the 1992 European Championships and 1995 Confederations Cup, the latter named at the time as the King Fahd Cup. 
 
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
 
Arguably one of the greatest players to have never won the Champions League, it is a mystery why a player of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s quality has yet to win Europe’s grandest prize.

Now playing at AC Milan again, the 38-year-old has never actually featured in Champions League Final. A powerful and accurate striker, beIN SPORTS Senior Football Analyst, Andy Gray, once labelled Ibrahimovic as the greatest scorer of great goals. His consistency and excellent technique are second to none.

Ibrahimovic’s time of winning the Champions League is fast running out, but his importance and legacy to the competition is widely felt and will remain so in years to come. 
 

3. Eidur Gudjohnsen
 
Very few Icelandic players have graced the Champions League, and only one has won the competition. Eidur Gudjohnsen added his name to the competition’s record books by playing his part in Barcelona’s incredible treble-winning season in 2009.

Gudjohnsen was an unused substitute as Lionel Messi and company ran Manchester United ragged in Rome. He made five appearances in the competition that season but was unable to score. Gudjohnsen also featured in Europe for Chelsea, AEK Athens and Club Brugge.

Very few can say that they have played with Messi and Brazilian legend Ronaldo, which Gudjohnson did at PSV Eindhoven. Very few can say they have also played under Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, while scoring the winning goal in both managers’ maiden home league victories. A Champions League winner in his own right, Gudjohnson will forever remain in the history books. 
 
2. Henrik Larsson
 
A well-rounded striker, Henrik Larsson is one of the most respected greats of the footballing world. A Champions League winner in 2006 with Barcelona, Larsson’s role in their victory over in Arsenal in Paris was crucial.

The Swede assisted both goals after coming in just after the hour mark. It was a sensational performance for a striker who had not featured under Frank Rijkaard so much that season. His performance was heavily praised by the beaten Gunners captain, Thierry Henry.

Known for his speed and composure, Larsson scored several outrageous clubs for club and country. Not particularly tall, Larsson was a great header of the ball and possessed superb physical strength. The Champions League title was Larsson’s only accolade in the competition, but he certainly played in part in securing a magical night for Barcelona in the French capital. 
 
 1. Peter Schmeichel
 
Arguably one of the best Scandinavian goalkeepers, to grace the competition, Peter Schmeichel was an extraordinary talent. A tremendous goalkeeper for Manchester United, Schmeichel won the competition on that famous night at the Camp Nou against Bayern Munich.

Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Schmeichel was a robust and imposing figure in between the posts. He possessed excellent reflexes and positioning. One crucial save in the competition was his famous ‘star jump’ save to deny Ivan Zamorano. An unconventional save learned from his Handball playing days.

It was that style and his ability to stop teams all on his own that makes Schmeichel arguably the best player from Scandinavia to feature in the Champions League, as well as one of the greatest players the Champions League has ever seen.