Rangers the latest, but which previous notable teams have won the league unbeaten?

Rangers ended a 10-year-long wait to be crowned champions of Scotland on Saturday (May 15). The Scottish giants last won the league in 2010-11, their third in as many years. However, a period of turmoil saw them cede the league to Celtic for nine straight years. They made impressive strides under manager Steven Gerrard and were always favourites to win the league this year. That they won the trophy without losing a single league game through the season makes the win all the more sweeter. Yes, Rangers became the latest addition to the sides who have won a league season unbeaten.

Let’s look at five notable sides before Rangers to have achieved the feat

Arsenal – The 2003-04 Premier League season will always be remembered for the Gunners becoming ‘The Invincibles’. This side was arguably Arsenal’s best under legendary manager Arsene Wenger. Their 26 wins and 12 draws over the season saw them granted a unique Premier League trophy made of gold.

Celtic – Rangers’ Old Firm rivals pulled off an unbeaten league season in 2016-17. This was the same season Rangers got promoted back to the top flight after liquidation and the subsequent relegation. But the focus that year was all on Celtic. They won 34 and drew 4 matches and thus retained the league in dominant fashion.

Juventus – The mid-2000s were not kind to the Old Lady. The Calcipoli scandal saw them stripped of two league titles and relegated to Serie B. They would get promoted back in a season but the league title remained out of their reach. That was until 2011-12, when under Antonio Conte’s management, they won the league for the first time in years. That they did it undefeated (23 wins, 15 draws) was the cherry on the cake. It also kickstarted their cycle of dominance in Italy.

AC Milan – The arrival of Fabio Capello to replace the legendary Arrigio Sacchi had at AC Milan in 1991 was transformative. A side built on defensive solidity but boasting the likes of Marco van Basten up front was always likely to win the league. But they didn’t just take the title; they did so without losing a match. 22 wins and 12 draws saw them finish ahead of Juventus by 8 points.

Real Madrid – Yes, Los Blancos have an unbeaten season to their name. Granted, it was in 1931-32 when only 10 teams formed the Spanish first division. This meant that all teams played 18 matches, 20 less than teams in the modern era do. However, its still an impressive achievement – they won 10 and drew 8 matches.