The world was a strange place in 2020. Amid the spread of Covid-19, lockdowns were enforced and normal life was not normal any more.
Football was affected, too. Stopped altogether at first, it was then played in empty stadiums upon its resumption, creating a strange atmosphere and images which now seem utterly bizarre just a few years later.
But the show did go on and for the teams that were successful in those times, there were some happy memories as well.
Here, a look at the clubs that won trophies during the pandemic…
Olympiacos
Olympiacos finished the regular season on top of the Greek Super League in 2019/20 and went on to win the title in the play-off phase after three months of inactivity due to Covid-19.
With the remaining fixtures played behind closed doors, some fans risked injury by climbing onto apartment blocks and other high vantage points in order to catch a glimpse of their teams in action. Olympiacos finished 18 points clear of PAOK in second to take the title for an incredible 45th time.
Flamengo
Originally due to be played between May and December, Brazil’s Série A was rescheduled in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Instead, the competition took place between August 2020 and February 2021. Flamengo clinched the title in an empty Estádio do Morumbi despite defeat to São Paulo on the final day. Back in Rio de Janeiro, thousands of fans celebrated on the streets.
Defensa y Justicia
Days before football was suspended across the globe, Boca Juniors finished the 2019/20 campaign as Argentina’s Primera División champions.
The following season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Argentine side Defensa y Justicia beat compatriots Lanús 3-0 to win the delayed 2020 Copa Sudamericana final, which was played behind closed doors in Córdoba in January 2021.
Celtic
Celtic clinched the Scottish title for a record-equalling ninth time in a row in 2019/20, but the Hoops’ Premiership triumph was something of an anti-climax in an incomplete campaign.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the season was suspended in March 2020 and did not resume. Instead, average points per game were used to decide the positions and Celtic were named as champions. The Hoops had been 13 points clear of second-placed Rangers with eight games remaining, albeit having played one more match than their Glasgow rivals. Later in the year, Celtic beat Hearts on penalties after a 3-3 draw to win the Scottish Cup in a delayed final played behind closed doors at Hampden Park in December 2020.
Real Sociedad
The 2020 Copa del Rey final was an all-Basque affair. Originally scheduled for April 18th, 2020, it was put back due to the Covid-19 pandemic and eventually played the following year.
It had been hoped that the delay would allow for a full stadium and a special atmosphere for the match between Real Sociedad and Athletic Club, but the game still ultimately went ahead behind closed doors in Seville. Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty was the only goal in a 1-0 win for the San Sebastián side.
Napoli
Napoli beat Juventus 4-2 on penalties in the 2020 Coppa Italia final after the two teams drew 0-0 over 120 minutes at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
The match was played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions, but back in Naples, thousands of fans ignored rules on social distancing as they took to the streets to celebrate the win.
İstanbul Başakşehir
Istanbul’s big three clubs – Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş – have dominated Turkish football for decades, but in 2019/20 the Süper Lig was won by another team from the city: İstanbul Başakşehir.
The competition was suspended in March 2012 and resumed three months later, with the final eight rounds of matches played behind closed doors. İstanbul Başakşehir took the title for the first time in late July, finishing four points clear of Trabzonspor.
Sevilla
Sevilla are seven-time winners of the UEFA Cup/Europa League and one of those victories came during the pandemic in August 2020.
Luuk de Jong scored twice as Julen Lopetegui’s side beat Inter 3-2 in Cologne, with the match played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s first trophy in the post-Arsène Wenger era came in the FA Cup in August 2020 as the Gunners beat Chelsea 2-1 at an empty Wembley Stadium, thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Back at Wembley later in the month and behind closed doors again due to Covid-19 restrictions once more, Mikel Arteta’s men beat Liverpool on penalties to claim the Community Shield.
Porto
Portugal’s Primeira Liga was suspended on March 12th, 2020 due to the Covid-19 due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the competition did not resume until early June.
Porto beat Sporting CP in Lisbon to take the title, their 29th, with two matches to spare. And in December, the Dragons defeated Benfica 2-0 to win the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Portuguese Super Cup) in a game played behind closed doors in Aveiro.
Juventus
Juventus won Serie A for the ninth season in a row in 2019/20, sealing the title by a point from rivals Inter on the final day after a 2-0 win over Sampdoria.
Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi clinched the win at an empty Juventus Stadium, although some supporters did gather outside. Juve’s record run was ended the following season as Inter claimed the title, with the Bianconeri back in fourth.
Palmeiras
Originally due to be played in November 2020, the final of the Copa Libertadores was put back to late January due to Covid-19.
The match eventually went ahead on January 30th at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro in front of a reduced crowd of 5,000 fans and in it, Palmeiras beat Santos 1-0 to claim the title for a second time. And later in the year, the São Paulo club won it again, this time defeating Flamengo 2-1 in front of over 55,000 at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario.
Real Madrid
Sergio Ramos called it the “Covid Liga” and said that the different nature of the competition served as extra motivation for Los Blancos.
Barcelona had led at the halfway stage, but faltered after sacking coach Ernesto Valverde in January. Madrid, with Zinédine Zidane in charge for a second spell, went on to take the title by five points and took advantage of the Covid-19 restrictions to crack on with the renovations of their Santiago Bernabéu home, playing at the smaller Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano arena at their training ground instead.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s long wait for another title ended in June 2020 as the Reds were confirmed as champions of England’s top flight for the first time since 1990.
Jürgen Klopp’s side sealed the title after Manchester City’s loss to Chelsea on June 25th and that night, thousands of Reds supporters ignored lockdown guidelines to celebrate the triumph outside Anfield. Liverpool’s players lifted the trophy the following month, but were unable to celebrate with the fans due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Once again, thousands of supporters partied outside the stadium.
Paris Saint-Germain
Unlike many other leagues across Europe, Ligue 1 opted to suspend the competition following the outbreak of Covid-19. Paris Saint-Germain were 12 points clear of Marseille with a game in hand at the time, so the Parisians were declared champions in 2019/20.
And PSG added a cup double when football did return, beating Saint-Étienne 1-0 in the final of the Coupe de France and edging out Lyon on penalties in the Coupe de la Ligue showpiece, with both of those games played in front of small crowds. Thomas Tuchel’s side narrowly missed out on a quadruple, losing the Champions League final by a single goal to Bayern Munich in Lisbon in August.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League in 2019/20, completing a second treble triumph seven years after their clean sweep of titles in 2012/13.
Hansi Flick’s side secured the German title in June as Robert Lewandowski’s goal earned a 1-0 win at Werder Bremen. The Pole was also on target twice as the Bavarians beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 to win the German Cup at an empty Olympiastadion in Berlin in early July and Flick’s side added the Champions League title in August as Kingsley Coman’s strike earned a 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon. The final stages were played in the Portuguese capital and in the last eight, Bayern had thrashed Barcelona 8-2.
