A new edition of the Champions League is over. Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 thanks to a goal scored by Vinicius Junior and were crowned champion of the 2021-2022 UCL. El Merengue have already won 14 Champions League titles in their history.
It is believed that Liverpool have missed out on a record £93million total in UEFA prize money after the Reds were defeated by the Spanish team. However, Jurgen Klopp's side still banked a significant £89.2 million in prize money as a reward for their run to the final.
After the big match, the German coach said: "Where is the final next year, Istanbul? Book the hotel. I feel we will be back. The team will be competitive again next season". The truth is that Liverpool and its players missed the opportunity to break a large number of records.
The records Liverpool would have broken if they had become UCL winners
Liverpool
Liverpool missed the chance to become the first team to beat Real Madrid in a Champions League final. The last time El Merengue lost a final was in 1981 when the competition was known as the European Cup.
Had the Reds won, they would have become the second team with the most Champions League titles. The first place is occupied by Real Madrid with 14, in second place are AC Milan with 7 and the third place is occupied by the English team with 6.
Would have become the first English side to win the FA Cup Final, the Carabao Cup Final, and the UEFA Champions League Final in the same season.
During the Champions League era, no English side has won the competition twice in the space of five years. If Liverpool would have defeated Madrid, they would have two out of the last four Champions Leagues.
Jurgen Klopp
If Klopp would have helped Liverpool win the trophy, Germany would be the first nation to have four managers winning successive UCL campaigns (Klopp in 2019, Hans Dieter Flick with Bayern Munich in 2020, and Thomas Tuchel with Chelsea in 2021).
Players
Thiago Alcantara would have equaled Clarence Seedorf's record of winning the Champions League with three different teams. He won the 2010-2011 UCL with Barcelona and was instrumental in leading Bayern Munich to the title in the 2019-2020 season. Seedorf won the UCL playing for Ajax (1994-1995), Real Madrid (1997-1998), and AC Milan (2002-2003 and 2006-2007).
Alisson Becker could have become the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in two UCL Finals.
Luis Diaz could have been the first Colombian to play as a starter in a Champions League final and become champion. He could also have become the first Colombian to win three titles in the same season.
