Custom Search

European Football

English Clubs in Europe



The history of English clubs in European football is an impressive one.

English clubs having been champions eleven times, level with Spain and Italy, despite the five year ban on English clubs from 1986-1990.

Overall there have been 29 triumphs for English clubs, one ahead of clubs from Spain and Italy.

Click on the club badges below to view their European football records,
or scroll down to read more about English clubs in Europe.
(Only clubs that have contested at least 3 campaigns are included);


UEFA badge
Arsenal Badge Astonvilla Badge Birmingham Badge Blackburn Badge
Chelsea Badge Derby County Badge Everton Badge
UEFA badge
Ipswich Town Badge
Leeds United Badge Leicester City Badge Liverpool Badge Man City Badge Man United Badge
Newcastle United Badge UEFA badge
Notts Forest Badge Sheffield Wednesday Badge Southampton Badge
Tottenham Badge West Brom Badge West Ham Badge Wolves Badge UEFA badge

UEFA Champions League / European Cup

UEFA's premier club competition began life as the European Cup in 1955 and retained its original format until it became the UEFA Champions League in the 1992/93 season.

The Football League barred League champions Chelsea from entering the inaugural competition in 1955-56, but allowed Manchester United to compete the following season, where they won through to the semi-finals.

The first English triumph in European football came at Wembley in 1968, when Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1 after extra time, thanks to 2 goals from Bobby Charlton, one from Brian Kidd and a wonderful solo goal from George Best.

Leeds United were the next English club to make the final (in 1975), but they lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich.

Two years later, Liverpool lifted the first of their European Cups, triggering a remarkable sequence in which English clubs were European football champions for six consecutive seasons.

Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith and Phil Neal (penalty) scored as Borussia Monchengladbach were beaten 3-1 in Rome.

A year later the Reds defended their trophy at Wembley, beating Brugge 1-0 courtesy of a Kenny Dalglish goal.

Nottingham Forest, under Brian Clough, were next, winning the 1979 final against Malmo in Munich and then overcoming SV Hamburg in Madrid the following year.

Liverpool were winners again in 1981, a goal by full-back Alan Kennedy enough to beat Real Madrid in Paris.

And then, in 1982, Tony Barton's Aston Villa withstood a barrage of Bayern Munich pressure to hold on for a 1-0 victory.

The following year, the English stranglehold was finally broken when SV Hamburg were champions, but in 1984 Liverpool were back for their fourth win, beating Roma on penalties in Rome.

English clubs were banned from European football following the Heysel tragedy, and there would be a 15-year gap, before Manchester United scored two injury time goals to beat Bayern Munich in Barcelona in 1999.

In 2005, Liverpool recovered from 3 goals down to secure an astounding victory on penalties.

Arsenal became the first London club to reach the final, but they lost out to Barcelona in 2006, and the following year AC Milan gained revenge for their 2005 defeat, beating Liverpool 2-1 in Athens.

2008 saw the first all English final where Manchester United defeated Chelsea on penalties, after a 1-1 draw.

United reached the final again in 2009, but were comprehensively outplayed by Barcelona.


Europa League / UEFA Cup / Fairs Cup

The Europa League began life as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a competition for teams from cities with international trade fairs. The first English club to reach the final was a London combined side, which lost to Barcelona in 1960.

Birmingham City then reached two finals, losing each time to Spanish opposition, first Barcelona, and the Valencia.

The first English winners were Leeds United in 1968, setting off a sequence of six English winners, as Newcastle, Arsenal, Leeds (again), Tottenham and Liverpool followed as winners.

In 1971 the competition became the UEFA Cup and there was an all English final with Spurs beating Wolves over two legs.

Ipswich won the Cup in 1981, before Spurs secured a second triumph in 1984.

After the Heysel ban, Arsenal were the first to reach the Final, losing out to Galatasaray in an ill-tempered affair in 2000.

The following year, Liverpool were convincing winners against Alaves.

In 2006, Middlesbrough reached the final by were soundly beaten by Sevilla in Eindhoven.

In 2009/2010 the competition was rebranded as the Europa League, and Fulham enjoyed a memorable season, beating Juventus on route to a final against Atletico Madrid, which they lost 2-1 after extra time.


European Cup Winners Cup

The now defunct Cup Winners Cup was a European football competition for national cup winners.

English clubs won the trophy on a record eight occasions, with Chelsea winning twice (1971, 1996).

The first English Winners were Tottenham Hotspur via a resounding 5-1 victory over holders Atletico Madrid in 1963.

Two years later, West Ham won at Wembley with a side featuring Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters (who would all star in England's World Cup winning team at the same venue a year later).

Manchester City were winners in 1970, and a year later Chelsea lifted the first of their Cup Winners Cups, beating Real Madrid, after a replay.

Everton won the trophy in 1985, and after the enforced absence of English clubs because of the Heysel ban, Manchester United were victorious in 1985, beating Barcelona.

There were wins for Arsenal in 1994, and Chelsea in 1998, the penultimate year of the competition.


English Winners in Europe

1963 Cup Winners' Cup TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
1965 Cup Winners' Cup WEST HAM UNITED
1968 European Cup
Fairs Cup
MANCHESTER UNITED
LEEDS UNITED
1969 Fairs Cup NEWCASTLE UNITED
1970 Fairs Cup
Cup Winners' Cup
ARSENAL
MANCHESTER CITY
1971 UEFA Cup
Cup Winners' Cup
LEEDS UNITED
CHELSEA
1972 UEFA Cup TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
1973 UEFA Cup LIVERPOOL
1976 UEFA Cup LIVERPOOL
1977 European Cup LIVERPOOL
1978 European Cup LIVERPOOL
1979 European Cup NOTTINGHAM FOREST
1980 European Cup NOTTINGHAM FOREST
1981 European Cup
UEFA Cup
LIVERPOOL
IPSWICH TOWN
1982 European Cup ASTON VILLA
1984 European Cup
UEFA Cup
LIVERPOOL
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
1985 Cup Winners' Cup EVERTON
1991 Cup Winners' Cup MANCHESTER UNITED
1994 Cup Winners' Cup ARSENAL
1998 Cup Winners' Cup CHELSEA
1999 Champions League MANCHESTER UNITED
2001 UEFA Cup LIVERPOOL
2005 Champions League LIVERPOOL
2008 Champions League MANCHESTER UNITED

English clubs were banned from European football from 1985/1986 to 1990/1991.

Liverpool were banned for an additional season.



Return From European Football to The Football Club Home Page

or Search the site

Custom Search



Enjoy This Site?
Then why not use the button below, to add us to your favorite bookmarking service?

Subscribe To This Site
XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

| Home Page | Blog |Privacy |Site Map |

© 2010 the-football-club.com, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.
the-football-club.com is not the official site of any of the leagues, clubs or players featured


The Football Club footer

Return to top

Copyright © 2007-2010.