WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World 

This is the second in our series of annual WCR Top 25 Clubs for past seasons based on formulas we have been putting together over the past decade.

In the 1960-61 edition, Real Madrid remained on top of the rankings despite failing to win the UEFA European Cup for the first time in the competition’s history, falling in the Round of Sixteen.  Eventual winners Benfica finished in second place in the rankings, primarily due to having a mediocre league coefficient, despite Benfica’s accomplishments with Benfica.

Seven clubs from the previous season’s final Top 10 were in the 1960-61 Top Ten as well, including back-to-back Copa Libertadores champions Peñàrol, showing that even in the old days when there were clubs from diverse countries making the later rounds of the European tournaments, that diversity was based on the one-club-per-country rule, not to the lack of super clubs.

Below are the WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World for 1960-61, with a little information about what each club accomplished that season.

1.  Real Madrid (Esp) - Second year Number One; Second Year Top 10; Second Year Top 25 1960-61 European Cup Eighth-finalists; 1960-61 La Liga Champion; 1960-61 Copa del Rey Finalists  

2.  Benfica (Por) - 1960-61 European Cup Champions; 1960-61 Liga Portugal Champions

3.  Barcelona (Esp) - Second Year Top 10; Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 European Cup Finalists; 1960-61 La Liga Fourth Place

4.  Peñàrol  (Uru) - Second Year Top 10; Second Year Top 25; 1961 Copa Libertadores Champions; 1960 Primera División Champions

5.  Atlético Madrid (Esp) - Second Year Top 10; Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 La Liga second place; 1960-61 Copa del Rey Winners

6.  Dukla Prague (Tch) - 1960-61 Czechoslovak League Champions; 1960-61 Czechoslovak Cup Winners

7.  Stade Reims (Fra) - Second Year Top 10; Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Ligue 1 third place; 1960-61 Coupe de France Quarterfinalists

8.  Fiorentina (Ita) - Second Year Top 10, Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Cup Winners’ Cup Champion; 1960-61 Serie A seventh place; 1960-61 Coppa Italia Winner

9.  AS Monaco (Fra) - Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Ligue 1 Champions

10.  Rangers (Sco) - Second Year Top 10; Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Cup Winners’ Cup Finalists; 1960-61 Scottish First Division Champion

11.  Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) - 1960-61 English First Division Champion; 1960-61 FA Cup Winner

12.  RC Paris (Fra) - Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Ligue 1 second place; 1960-61 Coupe de France Quarterfinalists

13.  Juventus (Ita) - Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Serie A Champions; 1960-61 Coppa Italia Semifinalsists

14.  FK Austria Vienna (Aut) - 1960-61 Cup Winners’ Cup Quarterfinalists; 1960-61 Austrian Staatsliga Champions

15.  CSKA Sofia (Bul) - 1960-61 European Cup Eighthfinalists; 1960-61 Bulgarian Republican League Champions

16.  AGF (Den) - 1960-61 European Cup Quarterfinalists; 1960-61 Danish First Division Champions; 1960-61 Danish Cup (Landspokalturneringen) Winner

17.  Rapid Vienna (Aut) - Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Champions League Semifinalists; 1960-61 Austrian Staatsliga sixth place; 1960-61 Austrian Cup Winners

18.  Inter Milan (Ita) - 1960-61 Italian Serie A third place; 1961 Coppa Italia Quarterfinalists.

19.  Servette FC (Sui) - 1960-61 Swiss Nationalliga A Champions

20.  AC Milan (Ita) - Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Italian Serie A second place

21.  Wolverhampton Wanderers (Eng) - Second Year Top 25; 1960-61 Cup Winners’ Cup Semifinalists; 1960-61 First Division third place

22.  IFK Norrköping (Swe) - 1960 Swedish Allsvenskan Champions

23  IFK Malmö (Swe) - 1960-61 European Cup Quarterfinalists; 1960 Swedish Allsvenskan second place

24  Burnley (Eng) - 1960-61 European Cup Quarterfinalists; 1960-61 English First Division fourth place; 1960-61 FA Cup Semifinalists

25  ASK Vörwarts Berlin (GDR) - 1960-61 Cup Winners’ Cup Eighthfinalists; 1960 DDR-Oberliga Champions