Chris Wildgoose | Sports Journalist

We all remember Arsenal’s incredible 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ Premier League season, where already relegated Leicester City threatened to defy the odds on the final day and condemn Arsene Wenger’s side to defeat.

But goals from league top scorer Theirry Henry – his 30th of an astonishing campaign – and Patrick Vieira cancelled out Paul Dickov’s opener and ensured the Gunners maintained their immaculate record.

It’s an accomplishment that we are unlikely to ever see again in the Premier League; to go an entire campaign unbeaten is a phenomenal achievement – regardless of what league you play your football.

So, has anyone else around Europe claimed the ‘Invincibles’ title since Arsenal wowed the football world?

Yes, is the answer – and it happens more frequently than you might think.

Italian giants Juventus won their 28th Serie A title in Antonio Conte’s first season at the helm in 2011/12. The Old Lady won 23 of their 38 league games and almost claimed a domestic double, only to lose 2-0 to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final.

It was the beginning of a period of dominance for the Turin outfit, who have won five consecutive titles and currently occupy top spot in Serie A.

Between 10 January 2010 and 30 November 2013, FC Porto were arguably the world’s form team. The second most successful club in Portuguese Primeira Liga history lost just once in 104 league games – a 3-1 defeat at Gil Vicente on 29 January 2012. The Dragons had two ‘Invincibles’ campaigns in that time: 2010/11 under Andre Villas-Boas and 2012/13 under Vitor Pereira.

If it happens in Europe’s top leagues, it’s bound to happen in the so called ‘minor’ leagues, right?

Correct.

Rosenborg BK, 24-time champions of the Norwegian Eliteserien, went unbeaten in their 2010 season with former Tottenham Hotspur striker Steffen Iversen bagging 14 goals for Nils Arne Eggen’s side.

In Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb won their ninth consecutive title and 16th overall when they went undefeated in the 2014/15 campaign. Angelo Henriquez, on loan from Manchester United, top scored for the Croatian giants who have won two further crowns and currently lie second in the First Football League – six points behind unbeaten HNK Rijeka.

Like Zagreb, two-time UEFA Cup winners Dynamo Kiev went ‘Invincible’ in the 2014/15 season – the second time Ukraine’s most prestigious club have achieved the feat since Wenger’s star-studded squad. Kiev previously achieved the feat in 2006/07 under Anatoliy Demyanenko as they won 22 of their 30 league games.

Elsewhere across Europe, Sparta Prague won 16 of their 30 fixtures in the 2009/10 campaign to pip Jablonec to the Czech First League Crown by one point and, in the same season, Partizan Belgrade were ‘Invincible’ in the Serbian SuperLiga.

Partizan had achieved the feat once before in 2004/05 and fierce rivals Red Star Belgrade have also gone unbeaten on two occasions. The 1991 European Champions won 26 of their 30 league games in the 2015/16 campaign and were also ‘Invincible’ during the 2007/08 season but still finished second behind Partizan.

In Bulgaria, Stoycho Mladenov guided CSKA Sofia to an unbeaten campaign in 2007/08 with Brazilian striker Nei finishing the season as top goal scorer for the Reds. However, despite claiming their record 31st Bulgarian A Group crown, Sofia were excluded from European competitions the following season due to unpaid debts and have not won the league since.

Hungarian side Debrecen won 22 of their 30 Nemzeti Bajnoskag I matches during the 2011/12 campaign to claim their sixth domestic title and, in Moldova, Sherrif were ‘Invincible’ throughout the 2006/07 season as they secured their seventh National Division crown.

The ‘Invincible’ feat has also been achieved in Andorra and Iceland by FC Santa Coloma (2009/10) and Stjornan (2014) respectively, while in Cyprus two teams have gone an entire league campaign unbeaten. In 2005/06, Apollon Limassol repeated Arsenal’s accomplishment before Anorthosis Farnagusta replicated the feat two seasons later.

Europe’s top clubs have tried, failed and come oh so close to an ‘Invincible’ campaign.

La Liga giants Barcelona, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, suffered their only defeat of the 2009/10 season at Atletico Madrid on 14 February 2010. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goal was not enough for Pep Guardiola’s team as strikes from Diego Forlan and Simao claimed three points at the Vicente Calderon.

Bayern Munich lost just once in the Bundesliga during the 2012/13 campaign – Jerome Boateng’s 86th minute own goal against Bayer Leverkusen on 28 October 2012 condemned Jupp Heynckes side to their only league defeat of a treble winning season.

And there are still clubs across the continent who remain unbeaten this season. As well as HNK Rijeka in Croatia (as aforementioned), FC Copenhagen (Denmark), Hoffenheim (Germany), Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkey), Kukesi (Albania) and The New Saints (Wales) are all chasing their own ‘Invincibles’ dream.

Will any of them be able to hold their nerve as the campaign reaches boiling point and create a little piece of history?