The Top 10 – Panini UEFA Champions League 1999-2000

John Carew was a powerful and athletic striker known for his imposing physical presence, strong hold-up play, and effectiveness in the air. He often played as a traditional target man, using his strength and size to his advantage.

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Carew emerged as one of the competition’s breakout talents. He scored 5 goals in the tournament and helped the Norwegian club reach the second group stage, a notable achievement at the time! His performances against top European opposition showcased his potential and attracted attention across the continent, eventually earning him a transfer to Spanish giants Valencia and UCL finalists this seasons.

Carew had a solid career, but probably didn’t reach the potential he showed in his early career. He finished his career with 1 La Liga title with Valencia and 1 Ligue 1 title with Lyon. A nice rookie to get us started!

Geremi was a Cameroonian footballer renowned for his strength, pace, and adaptability. Best deployed as a defensive midfielder, Geremu was also capable of playing as a right-back, right midfielder. His versatility and work ethic made him a ideal as a midfield engine, and he posed a danger on the dead-ball.

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Geremi was part of the Real Madrid squad that clinched their eighth European title! He made 8 appearances throughout the tournament, contributing to the team’s success with his dynamic performances.

Geremi eventually moved onto Middlesbrough to find some first team football and was then signed by Chelsea during the Abramovich era. He remained in the Prem for 7 seasons for both Chelsea and Newcastle. However, his game time was inconsistent throughout this time.

With Cameroon, he was a mainstay with 118 caps! In his prime he won 2 AFCON titles with his countries. His major club trophies consist of a UCL, a La Liga, and 2 Prem titles. A player that is probably forgotten these days, but I think this a rookie worth collecting!

Deco was am extremely technical midfielder, celebrated for his vision, creativity, and technical ability. Known for his exceptional passing and ability to control the tempo of the game, he played a pivotal role in dictating the play and threading clever throughballs. His intelligence on the ball and knack for delivering assists and scoring spectacular goals made him a standout playmaker during his career.

In the 1999/2000 UEFA Champions League season, Deco was establishing himself at FC Porto. Porto managed to get to the quarter finals and Deco’s performances hinted at his potential talent. His displays in midfield showcased his skill, scoring 3 goals.

Deco was also apart of the famous Mourinho UCL title with Porto. He won countless trophies with an epic Barcelona team and then went on to win more with Chelsea! He even won trophies with Fluminense at the end of his career. Thats a total of 8 league titles spread among 4 teams and 2 UCL titles! This sticker is his second year sticker and a great one representing his first for Porto.

Mário Jardel was a Brazilian striker renowned for his exceptional goal scoring instincts. In fact, he was a goal machine! He was a classic poacher who thrived on precise service, particularly from the wings. Jardel’s ability to position himself effectively in the box and his clinical finishing made him one of the most prolific scorers of his era! His time at FC Porto was marked by an extraordinary goal-per-game ratio.

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Jardel was instrumental in FC Porto’s impressive run to the quarter finals. He emerged as the competition’s joint top scorer, netting 10 goals, a tally matched only by Rivaldo and Raúl that season.

This season, Jardel scored an incredible 55 goals in all competitions! While this may seem like a very good season in todays standards. Back in the early 2000s, these numbers were unheard of! Despite off-field problems that eventually caught up to Jardel, he finished his career with 389 goals in 541 games! This season was when he was probably at the peak of his powers, and I think worthy of the Top 10!

Roque Santa Cruz is an iconic Paraguayan striker renowned for his aerial prowess, intelligent positioning, and composed finishing. Santa Cruz combined physical strength with technical finesse. Santa Cruz began his European career with Bayern Munich, where his versatility and work ethic quickly earned him a place in the squad. Over the years, he became known for his ability to lead the line effectively, contributing both goals and assists.

In the 1999/2000 UEFA Champions League season, Santa Cruz was part of a strong Bayern Munich side that advanced to the semi finals! Despite his young age, Roque played 15 times in the competition, gaining valuable experience on Europe’s biggest stage. His involvement in high-stakes matches at such a young age highlighted his potential and set the foundation for a successful career at both club and international levels.

After leaving Bayern, Santa Cruz became a bit of a nomad, with notable seasons at Blackburn, Malaga and Man City. He is a cult hero at Blackburn, where he scored 23 goals in his first season! He is a hero in his home country, where he has been capped 112 times! He won 5 titles with Bayern and a UCL! A really cool rookie sticker to grab!

Xavi Hernández was known for his exceptional vision, precise passing, and ability to control the tempo of the game. A product of FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, he became the linchpin of both club and country, orchestrating play from the midfield with unmatched intelligence and composure. He was the ideal player for the the tiki-taka system that brought immense success to Barcelona and the Spanish national team. He was simply impossible to get the ball off. Simple one or two-touch play made him the best midfielder in the world at his peak.

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Xavi was solidifying his role in Barcelona’s first team under coach Louis van Gaal. He made 10 appearances in the competition, helping Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals that season, ultimately being eliminated by Valencia.

Xavi spent an incredible 17 seasons with Barca winning a huge hall of trophies! He won an insane 8 La Liga titles and 4 UCL titles! He also won 1 World Cup and 2 Euros, being the talisman for Spain! This sticker is a second year sticker and definitely one to collect – although it won’t come cheap!

Rivaldo was an attacking midfielder and forward celebrated for his creativity, technical skill, and powerful left foot. Rivaldo had the ability to score from distance, execute precise free-kicks, and scoring spectacular goals. His vision and dribbling made him a constant threat to defences, and he often made defences pay!

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Rivaldo was a standout performer for Barca, scoring 10 goals in the competition, sharing the top scorer accolade with Raúl and Mário Jardel. He was Barcelona’s key man and was crucial to the journey to the semi-finals, where they were eventually eliminated by Valencia.

Rivaldo was in his peak at this time and he won the 1999 Ballon d’Or! For that reason he has ranked so high on the list!

Raúl González was a striker known for his exceptional positioning, intelligent movement, and clinical finishing. A product of Real Madrid’s youth academy, he became the embodiment of the club’s values and was known for his leadership and consistency on the field. Raúl’s ability to find space and score crucial goals made him one of the most prolific forwards of his generation!

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Raúl played a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s successful campaign, scoring 10 goals to become the tournament’s joint top scorers. He featured in all 15 matches, contributing significantly to the team’s progression through the stages. Notably, Raúl scored the third goal in the 3–0 victory over Valencia in the final, securing Real Madrid’s eighth European title!

In his career, Raúl won La Liga 6 times and the UCL 3 times! But for this season, and his contribution to Real Madrid’s UCL title, he ranks number 3 on the list!

Thierry Henry was legendary striker known for his blistering pace, technical finesse, and clinical finishing. Arsene Wenger had initially played Henry as a striker for Monaco, but lost his job soon after. Following managers deployed as a winger, trying to leverage his blistering place. In a full circle, Wenger signed Henry for Arsenal and unlocked his full potential as a striker! Henry’s ability to exploit spaces behind defences, combined with his composure in front of goal, made him one of the most feared attackers in world football and the greatest ever Premier League player!

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Henry was in his debut campaign with Arsenal. Despite his contributions, Arsenal finished third in their group, transitioning to the UEFA Cup, where they reached the final but lost to Galatasaray on penalties. Henry concluded the season as Arsenal’s top scorer with 26 goals across all competitions, marking the beginning of his prolific tenure at the club.

Henry is now Arsenal’s greatest ever player, scoring 226 goals for the club and winning multiple titles. This is a really great sticker as it marks his first for the club!

Andriy Shevchenko was a Ukrainian striker renowned for his clinical finishing, intelligent movement, and composure in front of goal. Combining explosive pace with technical finesse, he excelled at exploiting defensive gaps and converting chances with both feet and his head. Shevchenko was one of Europe’s most feared forwards during his prime.

In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, Shevchenko joined AC Milan and quickly became a key figure in their attack. Unfortunately, Milan were eliminated in the second group stage.

Shevchenko scored 29 goals in his first season for Milan and didn’t look back! He scored 173 goals for Milan in 7 seasons during an era of some of the strongest defences in the world! He was the best striker in Italy for a number of seasons but interestingly, he only won 1 Serie A title with Milan. He also won the UCL title in 2003 and the 2004 Ballon d’Or! He is a living legend in Ukraine with 48 goals in 111 caps!

This is a really top sticker that marks his first for Milan and marks a season where the world learned his name! Many people attribute this sticker as his rookie sticker, but he has earlier stickers for Dynamo Kiev.

Here is the Andriy Shevchenko true rookie sticker from the 1997/98 season