Steve Trittschuh was the first American to play in what is the UEFA Champions League, starting both games for Czechoslovakia’s Sparta Prague in a pair of 2-0 losses to Spartak Moscow in the first round of the 1990-91 European Cup.
Since then, 46 other Americans have played in Europe’s top club competition. The list includes Jermaine Jones, Kenny Saief and Malik Tillman, who filed switches of association to represent the USA after their first appearances in the Champions League. It doesn’t include players who have only appeared in the competition’s preliminary stage.
European Cup:
1990-91
1. Steve Trittschuh (Sparta Prague, Czechoslovakia, 2 games, 136 minutes
1991-92
2. Thomas Dooley (Kaiserslautern, Germany) 3 games, 270 minutes
UEFA Champions League:
1996-97
3. Jovan Kirovski (Bor. Dortmund, Germany), 2 games, 27 minutes
1997-98
Jovan Kirovski (Bor. Dortmund, Germany), 3 games, 178 minutes, 1 goal
1999-2000
4. Frankie Hejduk (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), 5 games, 325 minutes
5. Claudio Reyna (Rangers, Scotland), 4 games, 283 minutes
6. Tony Sanneh (Hertha Berlin, Germany), 6 games, 263 minutes, 1 assist
2000-01
Claudio Reyna (Rangers, Scotland), 4 games, 356 minutes
Frankie Hejduk (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), 1 game, 71 minutes
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