UEFA have confirmed that ten players that clocked the fastest sprint speeds during the 2022/23 Champions League.
Manchester City were crowned champions of Europe for the first time back in June, though did so without any of the ten quickest stars in the competition.
Inter were beaten in the final but likewise do not have any of the players listed on UEFA’s ten-person list.
Here’s who made the cut.
Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai is primarily known for his playmaking and chance-creating, but his supercharged physicality is a nice little bonus.
He will not compete in next season’s Champions League after making the move from RB Leipzig to Liverpool this summer, but you’d be brave to bet against him returning to the competition in the near future.
Bayer Leverkusen didn’t make much of a splash in last season’s Champions League amid a year of transition under Xabi Alonso, but Moussa Diaby was able to showcase his quickness in the group stage.
The France winger is currently being targeted by Aston Villa, who have had a bid knocked back already.
After a slow start to life back in his homeland, Karim Adeyemi ended his first season at Borussia Dortmund with his stock high once more.
The versatile forward grabbed their winner against Chelsea in the first leg of their last 16 tie. Just don’t ask what happened in the return fixture.
“Do you want to play in the Champions League? Play together in the f***ing Champions League?” Mikel Arteta screamed at Nuno Tavares during Arsenal’s failed charge to finish in the Premier League’s top four in 2021/22.
While the Gunners spent the next season in the Europa League, Tavares secured a loan move to Marseille. Ironically, he and OM were eliminated at the group stage by Tottenham.
Federico Valverde’s underrated pace comes in handy quite a fair bit for Real Madrid.
When he’s playing on the wing, he has the requisite speediness to beat a man. When he’s playing in midfield, he can cover ground in a way that the veteran Toni Kroos and Luka Modric can’t.
Anyone else instinctively think of Juan Sebastian when ready Veron’s name?
The young Brazilian winger has played just one season in Europe thus far, but has blown people away with his chalk-on-the-boots demolishment of touchlines.
Oh, what could have been for AC Milan and Rafael Leao last season.
After dispatching of runaway Serie A leaders Napoli in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, they were pitted against rivals Inter in the last four and were favourites to advance.
But star man Leao picked up an injury on the eve of the first leg and was rushed back to try and cut down a two-goal deficit in the second. Milan fell short and Inter jetted off to Istanbul instead.
Xavi managed to convince Ousmane Dembele to stay at Barcelona following a protracted contract sage from 2021 into 2022 and both have benefitted from the decision to stay put.
Barça were, however, prematurely dumped out of the Champions League at the group stage. Again.
Mykhailo Mudryk endured a mixed 2022/23 season, announcing himself as one of Europe’s top prospects with Shakhtar Donetsk but failing to hit the ground running after joining Chelsea.
He’s still trying to put all of his different skills together, but what’s for sure is he has lightning pace.
If you haven’t been paying close attention to the top speeds of these players so far, go back and look at the gap between the chasing pack and Alphonso Davies.
The Bayern Munich left-back was a staggering 0.5 km/h quicker than anyone else in last season’s Champions League. Bonkers.
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