Tout Puissant Mazembe

The site www.worldclubrankings.com published in late December, the 62nd annual ranking. This blog sets every year since 1960 (except between 1999 and 2006) a table of the top 25 clubs in the world, based on the last full season for each domestic league. And if Real de Madrid ranks on the highest step of the podium in 2012, TP Mazembe is the first African club by moving to the 13th place!

For most clubs, the statistic used takes into account the season 2011-12 in between two years. For leagues of which seasons are spread over a calendar year, the statistic is that of the 2012 season. Bonus points are also awarded to clubs that reached the semi-finals and finals of each continental tournament, e.g. UEFA Champions League, CAF or Copa Libertadores, etc.

This season, for the first time since 2007, the club that won the European Champions League is not the number one of the Top 25. European champion, Chelsea failed to finish higher than sixth in the Premier League and even with the bonus of the European Cup, the "Blues" ended the year in seventh place, the lowest position in the rankings for Annual European champion since the European champions Liverpool ended the 2005 season ranked 8th in the Premier League ...

The Leader's armchair of 2012 belongs to Real Madrid, which won the Liga espagnol, the Spanish league with 100 points, a record total. In addition, Real Madrid advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Both performances helped Real of Cristiano RONALDO to finish top of the rankings.

On the African side, there is the beautiful 13th place assigned to Tout Puissant Mazembe. The Congolese club beats tenors such as Arsenal and Benfica. A great performance as any African club has not been listed since 2007, when Al Ahly ranked the 18th place.

Here are the Top 25 for the 2012 season:

1. 1. Real Madrid (Spain). Champion of Spain, semifinalist Champions League. For the 30th consecutive year in the Top 25. Ranked first 4 times.
2. 2. Bayern Munich (Germany). UEFA Champions League finalist. Second Bundesliga. Fifth consecutive year in the Top 25.
3. 3. Barcelona (Spain). Semifinalist Champions League second championship in Spain. Ninth consecutive year in the Top 25. Fifth consecutive year on the podium.
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5. 4. Manchester City (England) Premier League Champion. Its best annual ranking ever achieved.
6. 5. Juventus (Italy). Champion Series A
7. 6. Manchester United (England). 16th consecutive year in the Top 25, the seventh consecutive year in the Top 10.
8. 7. Chelsea (England). Runner up World champion clubs. Ninth consecutive year in the Top 10.
9. 8. Borussia Dortmund (Germany). Bundesliga champion.
10. 9. Porto (Portugal). Champion Primeira Liga. Seventh consecutive year in the Top
11. 10. Boca Juniors (Argentina). Copa Libertadores finalist. Champion of Argentina Primera Division Apertura, 4th in the championship final in Argentina.
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13. 11. AC Milan (Italy) Quarter-finals Champions League runners-up Italy.
14. 12. Montpellier (France) - Champion of France League 1. Appears for the first time in the ranking.
15. 13. TP Mazembe (DRC). Semi-finalist in the CAF Champions League, Super League Champion Congo - First Club in DR Congo to be included in this classification.
16. 14. Arsenal (England) - 8th Champions League finalist, third of Premier League - 15th consecutive year in the Top 25.
17. 15. Olympiakos (Greece) - 8th finalist Europa League, Greece Super League Champion.
18. 16. Benfica (Portugal) - UCL - Quarter-finalist Champions League Vice-champion of Portugal.
19. 17. Paris St. Germain (France) Vice-champion of France First annual ranking since 1997.
20. 18. Corinthians (Bra) - Champion of South America, 6th in Series A Brazil.
21. 19. Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia). Eighth of finalist of Champions League. Russian Premier League champion. Ranked for the first time.
22. 20. Tottenham Hotspur (England) 4th of English Premier League.
23. 21. Schalke 04 (Germany). Quarter-finalist in the Europa League, third in the Bundesliga.
24. 22. Santos Laguna (Mexico) - Finalist CONCACAF Champions League and Champion Mexican Liga Clausura. Ranked for the first time.
25. 23. Valencia (Spain). Europa League semi-finalist, third in the Spanish league Primera Division.
26. 24. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine). Champion of the Ukrainian Premier League.
27. 25. Santos (Bra). Copa Libertadores semi-finalist; 8th place in Series A Brazil.