We’ll be back early next week with our fourth annual World Club Ranking pre-season edition. In the meantime, we’ll return to a place where we haven’t been in a while. The past.
In 1995, we saw an end to three consecutive years in which the top ranked club of the year was the UEFA Champions Cup (now, Champions League) victor. Even with its performance in the 1994-95 Champions League, the Eredivisie wasn’t ranked high enough to have a member top the annual rankings. Therefore, despite Ajax’s 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the 1995 Champions League final, Ajax finished the year ranked number two behind the runner up of the 1995 UEFA Cup, Juventus, who lost to fellow-Italian club Parma 1-2 in aggregate in the final of that tournament. In the other European tournament of record, Real Zaragoza scored a goal in the final minute of extra time to score a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup.
In South America, the 1995 Copa Libertadores title was taken by Brazil’s Gremio, who defeated Atlético Nacional 3-1, 1-1 in the final for the cup. Int the Copa CONMEBOL, a Brazilian club fell in the final after winning the first leg 4-0, Atlético Mineiro lost the second leg by the same score to Argentina’s Rosario Central and lost 3-4 on penalty kicks at the end.
In North America, the Copa de Campeones y Subcampeones title was decided in a group including four clubs. In the third round match, Deportivo Saprissa drew 2-2 with fellow Costa Rican club Alajuense to secure the title.
Africa’s three cups were contested by clubs from six different nations as Orlando Pirates (SAF) defeated ASEC Adibjan (IvC) 3-2 in aggregate in the final of the African Champions Cup, JS Kabylie (Alg) defeated Julius Berger by the same score in the final of the African Cup Winners’ Cup and Etoile du Sahel (Tun) won the CAF Cup by defeating AS Kaloum Star (Gui) in the final of that tournament.
There also was a wealth of nations in Asia’s championships as Thai Farmers Bank (Tha) won its second consecutive Asian Champions Cup by beating Qatar’s Al Arabi 1-0 in the final and Japan’s Yokohama Flügels won Asia’s Cup Winners’ Cup with a 2-1 victory over Al Sha’ab (UAE).
World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – 1995
1. Juventus (Ita) – UEFA Cup- Runner-up; First Number One Ranking.
2. Ajax (Ned) – Champions League- Champion; Highest ranking since 1973.
3. Nantes (Fra) – UEFA- QF; Highest ever ranking.
4. AC Milan (Ita) – UEFACL- RU; Ninth consecutive Top 25 ranking.
5. Paris St.-Germain (Fra) – UEFACL- SF.
6. Lazio (Ita) – UEFA- QF.
7. LD Alajuelense (Crc) – Copa de Campeones y Subcampeones- Third Place; First ever ranking.
8. Deportivo Saprissa (Crc) – CdCyS- Champions; Only Top 25 Ranking.
9. Real Madrid (Esp) – UEFA- 3R.
10. Hajduk Split (Cro) – UEFACL- QF; Highest ever ranking.
11. Botafoga (Bra) – Highest ever ranking.
12. Deportivo La Coruña (Esp) – UEFA- 3R.
13. Lyon (Fra) – First Top 25 ranking.
14. Parma (Ita) – UEFA- Champion.
15. River Plate (Arg) – Copa Libertadores- SF.
16. Atlético Nacional (Col) – CL- RU.
17. Roda JC (Ned) – Only Top 25 ranking.
18. Croatia Zagreb (Cro) – Club World Cup- 1R.
19. Santos (Bra)
20. Osijek (Cro) – Only Top 25 ranking.
21. Atlético Junior (Col) – Only Top 25 ranking.
22. Cruzeiro (Bra) – First Top 25 ranking.
23. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) – UEFA- 1R.
24. San Lorenzo (Arg)
25. Auxerre (Fra) – CWC- QF.
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