The Stoke City team of 2015/16 boasted remarkable talent throughout their tenure in the Premier League.
Stoke City navigated through a challenging Championship season, ensuring their presence in the league for another year.
Stoke City virtually secured their spot in the division with a win over Plymouth Argyle last month, solidifying it with an impressive away victory against Southampton. As Steven Schumacher gears up for his inaugural full season at the helm of the bet365 Stadium, the summer will entail a crucial squad reconstruction, aiming to mold a team capable of contending for a Premier League return.
This underlines Stoke’s past glory days in the top flight, characterized by seasoned talent. Such quality was reaffirmed by a striking statistic unveiled after Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening.
The Premier League roster of Stoke City from the 2015/16 season.
Before the 2015/16 season kicked off, Mark Hughes aimed to build a squad capable of competing for European berths, following their ninth-place finish in the previous season. Stoke City acquired a diverse range of talents, including Xherdan Shaqiri, Glen Johnson, Ibrahim Afellay, and Joselu, all joining the bet365 Stadium for the upcoming campaign. This required a significant financial investment, with the club spending £45 million throughout the season, notably signing Giannelli Imbula from Porto. Despite already having players like Marko Arnautovic, Mame Biram Diouf, and Peter Crouch, Hughes sought to enhance his options for a higher league finish. However, their efforts proved futile as Stoke finished in the same position the following season, albeit with three fewer points, although they still managed to impress.
Joselu’s stint at Real Madrid unveils an astonishing statistic about Stoke City.
One of the summer signings was Joselu, who joined Stoke City from Hannover 96 for a reported fee of £5.75 million. The Spanish forward spent just one season with the club, scoring four goals in 27 appearances, before being loaned to Deportivo and then completing a permanent transfer to Newcastle United.
Despite not boasting a notably high goal-scoring record, the 34-year-old made a surprising move to Real Madrid, the 14-time Champions League winners, on loan in the summer. What was even more astonishing was his substitute appearance against Bayern Munich in the midweek, making him the seventh former Stoke player from the 2015/16 squad to feature in the semi-final of the European competition.
As initially reported by Richard Jolly, players from Mark Hughes’ squad during that season have featured in 10 out of the last 20 Champions League semi-finals, which is an astonishing statistic.
Bojan Krkic holds the record for the most appearances at that stage of the competition during his tenure with Barcelona, clinching the trophy twice. Xherdan Shaqiri also secured the title twice with Bayern Munich and Liverpool, while Ibrahim Afellay won the competition in the 2010/11 season.
Below is a list of the 2015/16 Stoke City squad members who have appeared in Champions League semi-finals:
Season | Player | Club | Opponent
2003/04 | Glen Johnson | Chelsea | AS Monaco
2004/05 | Glen Johnson | Chelsea | Liverpool
2004/05 | Ibrahim Afellay | PSV Eindhoven | AC Milan
2006/07 | Peter Crouch | Liverpool | Chelsea
2007/08 | Peter Crouch | Liverpool | Chelsea
2007/08 | Bojan Krkic | Barcelona | Manchester United
2008/09 | Bojan Krkic | Barcelona | Chelsea
2009/10 | Bojan Krkic | Barcelona | Inter Milan
2009/10 | Marko Arnautovic | Inter Milan | Barcelona
2010/11 | Ibrahim Afellay | Barcelona | Real Madrid
2012/13 | Xherdan Shaqiri | Bayern Munich | Barcelona
2018/19 | Xherdan Shaqiri | Liverpool | Barcelona
2023/24 | Joselu | Real Madrid | Bayern Munich
Champions League data highlights the significant decline of Stoke.
Since dropping out of the Premier League in the 2017/18 season, Stoke City has failed to make a significant push for a return to the top flight. Their highest Championship finish has been 14th, often settling for mid-table positions.
The latest season underscores the dramatic decline the club has experienced. Once boasting players who were former or future Champions League winners, Stoke now faced the threat of relegation to the third tier for the first time since 2002.
The upcoming transfer window holds immense importance for Stoke City, as they seek to rebuild and regain the ability to attract high-caliber players to the bet365 Stadium in the future.