Real Madrid is often hailed as the ‘King of Europe’ or the ‘Champions League royalty.’ With 15 titles, the term is well-earned; no other club comes close. AC Milan, in second place, has less than half that number. However, this season’s revamped Champions League seems to have left Real Madrid searching for its footing.
With just two wins and three losses in five matches, Real currently sits at an almost unbelievable 24th place. It’s a shocking position for the reigning champions, who entered the tournament as one of the favorites. Even more startling is the gap between their squad’s financial valuation and their performance.
According to Transfermarkt, Real Madrid’s squad is worth a staggering €1.36 billion—the highest among all clubs. Yet, in the Champions League points table, they rank 24th, creating a massive disparity of –23 between their squad’s value and their position.
Second on this underwhelming list is RB Leipzig. Despite their impressive showing in German football last season, Leipzig finds itself in 34th place out of 36 teams, having lost all five matches without earning a single point. Their squad ranks 13th in value, resulting in a gap of –21.
Next is PSG, sitting in 25th place and dangerously close to the relegation zone in the Champions League table. With the seventh most valuable squad, their value-position gap is –18.
In fourth place is Manchester City, who are enduring one of their worst runs under Pep Guardiola. City, with the second-most expensive squad (€1.26 billion), is 17th in the standings, making their disparity –15.
Performance Gaps in the Champions League
Real Madrid: –23
RB Leipzig: –21
PSG: –18
Manchester City: –15
Bayern Munich: –10
