If it wasn’t in black and white then we’d hardly believe it
So this happened today…
BREAKING | City complete Club record £12m deal for Xherdan Shaqiri #WelcomeShaqiri #SCFC pic.twitter.com/YpTaFEHURU
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) August 11, 2015
And the purchase of the Swiss midfielder means that Stoke now have more Champions League winners than Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal put together.
Chelsea have the most with seven and then Stoke are next with a grand total of five, the same as Manchester United.
Liverpool have two with Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge while Arsenal’s only European medal winner is Petr Cech.
Yaya Toure is the only man at the Ethiad to have won the European Cup.
It’s hard to believe that the club used as a by-word for whether or not foreign players can ‘do it’ in English football will now have more men with medals secured in Europe than the aristocrats in Merseyside or Eastlands.
Although the stats don’t quite tell the whole story. There is one seriously major caveat.
They may have the trinkets but they’re about as worthy medal winners as Thomas Vermaelen or Josemi.
Stoke's "5 Champions League Winners" have played a grand total of 1 minute between them in those Champions League finals. #SCFC
— Nathan Murphy (@nathanmurf) August 11, 2015
So maybe keep your money in your pocket on betting that Mark Hughes is about to lead the Potters to European glory for a little while longer.
H/T Mirror
