How do you build a champion? In domestic European soccer, the answer is still "spend more money than everyone else." The dominant teams over the past decade -- Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and a combination of Real Madrid and Barcelona -- are the teams that spent more than their competitors.
The only team to consistently break this rule, in the wrong direction: Manchester United. Unless you're almost actively trying to be bad at spending, having the biggest pile of money will eventually allow you to climb to the top of the table.
But the Champions League is something different for a number of reasons. First, it puts all of the big spenders against each other. And second, the knockout stages last for no longer than seven total games. Across a 34- or 38-game season, financial advantages usually win out. Over seven matches, however? There's a lot more randomness, and finishing, shot-stopping, individual performances, specific gameplans and stylistic matchups have an outsized effect on who ends up lifting the trophy.
So, with the semifinals of the European Cup kicking off next week, here's a more interesting, slightly more specific question: How do you build a Champions League champion?
