Most League Titles Without International Cap: From Ulreich to Marriott
Who has won the most league championships without earning an international cap? This question, posed by Nick Williamson, leads us to explore a list of players who have amassed numerous league titles while never representing their country. Steve Bruce won three Premier League titles with Manchester United, but many players have surpassed that tally.
Contenders for the Title
Chai from Atlanta highlights Antonio Ruiz, who won four league titles and four European Cups with Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s. Bernd Dürnberger of Bayern Munich won five Bundesliga titles and four European Cups. Stefan Klos topped that with six top-flight titles: two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund and four Scottish Premier League titles with Rangers.
South Americans also feature prominently. Muriqui won the Chinese Super League four times with Guangzhou Evergrande, while Darío Conca won five top-flight titles in China, Chile, and Brazil, earning only a U20 cap. Danilo Gabriel de Andrade won seven top-flight titles in Brazil and Japan without a single cap.
James Dixon nominates Sebastiano Rossi, the Milan goalkeeper with five Scudettos and zero caps. Dan Almond points to James Richardson Spensley, who won six Serie A titles with Genoa between 1898 and 1904 but never played for England. Tommy Callaghan and John Fallon each won six league titles with Celtic in the 1960s without caps, while Graeme Whitton notes John Brown's eight titles with Rangers.
Matt Liddle mentions Sven Ulreich, who has won nine Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, mostly from the bench. Joe Stynes offers Sean Gannon, with 11 League of Ireland Premier Division medals across four clubs. However, the winner is Chris Marriott, who won 12 Welsh titles with The New Saints in 15 years.
Honourable Mentions
Fabio and Carlo Cudicini both won league titles without caps: Fabio with Milan in 1967–68 and Carlo with Chelsea in 2004–05 and 2005–06. Andrés Palop won a league title with Valencia and Euro 2008 with Spain without ever playing for his country.
Additional Lists
Three league titles, no caps: Ángel Atienza (Real Madrid), David Fairclough (Liverpool), Bernd Wehmeyer (Hamburg), Scott Nisbet (Rangers), Lorenzo Amoruso (Rangers), Arsenio Erico (Independiente and Nacional), Nicola Amoruso (Juventus), Oleguer (Barcelona and Ajax), Stevan Stojanovic (Red Star Belgrade), Scott Sinclair (Celtic).
Four titles: José Neto (Benfica), Jimmy Case (Liverpool), Fred Grim (Ajax), Sergio Brio (Juventus).
Five titles: Simone Padoin (Juventus), Filippo Galli (Milan), Georges Polny (Saint-Étienne), Rémy Vercoutre (Lyon), Gert Bals (PSV and Ajax), Guy Marchoul (Anderlecht), Craig Johnston (Liverpool).
Six titles: Humberto Fernandes (Benfica), Fernando Bandeirinha (Porto), Ismaily (Shakhtar Donetsk), André Ramalho (RB Salzburg and PSV).
Seven titles: Mikhail Kerzhakov (Zenit Saint Petersburg).
Eight titles: Manolín Bueno (Real Madrid).
Greatest Distance Between Two Derby Teams (Part Two)
Following last week's question, new answers include the Dockyard Derby between Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth at 172 miles. Tom Whelan attended the North Norway Derby between Tromsø and Bodø/Glimt, around 335 miles by car. SF Devereux notes that Club América and Necaxa, once a Mexico City derby, are now over 300 miles apart after Necaxa relocated.
David Shonfield mentions Zorya Luhansk and Shakhtar Donetsk, now 628 miles apart due to the war in Ukraine. Jed Saunders recalls a 2011 match between McMurdo Station and Rothera Research Station in Antarctica, 2,141 miles apart. Ross in Port Seton highlights the Trillium Cup between Columbus Crew and Toronto FC (428 miles) and the rivalry between Montreal and Vancouver (2,913 miles).
Tess Sherlock wins with the Distance Derby between Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix, 3,270 miles apart as the crow flies.
Origins of Celtic Park's Nickname 'Paradise'
In 2010, Stuart Webber asked about a football ground seen in the opening scenes of Tutti Frutti. Pete Morrison identified it as Celtic Park, noting a cemetery behind the ground. The nickname 'Paradise' originates from a journalist comparing the move from the original site to a new one as 'moving from the graveyard to paradise'.
