European Cup Trivia

[ursus arctos]

Purchased out of bankruptcy in the mid 70s after a combination of over-expansion, the oil shock recession and low-cost competition from Asia did them in.

[Alex Anderson]

So the 1976 European Cup final was the crushing of the Prague Spring - corporate equivalent - and the 1982 European Cup final was Czechoslovakia beating the USSR at the World Ice Hockey Championships (Adidas are the Soviet Union, Bayern are the Red Army and Le Coq Sportif's power is confined to sheer grooviness - the type that always wins in the end).

And, talking of reckless over-expansion, over the last few pages we've become so besotted with away kits we've forgotten the numbers of those pages: To take up the slack ...










It's all-white with the three stripes winning at Hampden again, all-white Milan overcoming fellow Latins in England for a second time and Porto doing it in Teutonia once more against red&whites.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Le Coq Sportif were announced as Carlisle's new kit suppliers in 2005 and met with a resounding 'EH, YER WHAT' from our fan base. It is fair to say it had been some time since their heyday as a brand.

We were quickly won over and they are now fondly remember for three reasons - 1) the gear itself was top notch (I've still got some training gear which has stood the test of time, but I'm limited to how much I can wear by my intervening personal downsizing) 2) it coincided with a successful period for the club (4th division winners and subsequent good season in the 3rd) and 3) the sub Primark trash that we've suffered since.

[denishurley]

They're having a bit of a renaissance now too, they had Fiorentina and St-Etienne and are just about to take over the France rugby team contract.

[Alex Anderson]

Two teams that have lost the European Cup final and a nation that's lost three IRB World Cup finals. See, that's how Le Coq Sportif stays trendy - never sell-out by actually going all the way.

Argentina 1986 we'll conveniently forget about ...

[Alex Anderson]

For those of us who've never seen our team in the final, but are nevertheless completely obsessed by it, there's one particularly pathetic exercise you can perhaps indulge in.

See if you crazy kids can work out just - sheesh - just what on earth I'm up to here (guess I'm just bonkers) and, more importantly, can you do this for other clubs who've never reached the ECCC/UCL final but have an all-time roster which proves they really, really wanted to?


Stefan Klos (Borussia Dortmund 1997)

Basile Boli (Olympique de Marseille 1993)*
Julien Rodriguez (AS Monaco 2004)
Sergio Porrini (Juventus 1997)

Pedro Mendes (Porto 2004)
Jonas Thern (Benfica 1990)
Graeme Souness (Liverpool 1978, 81 & 84)
Robert Prytz (Malmö FF 1979)
Genarro Gattuso (Milan 2003, 2005 & 2007)

Trevor Francis (Nottingham Forest 1979)*
Dado Prso (AS Monaco 2004)

SUB:
Peter van Vossen (Ajax 1995)

*scored the only goal, at Munich's Olympic Stadium.


I'm guessing Man City and PSG might be in with a good shout ...

[beak]

clubs who've never reached the ECCC/UCL final but have an all-time roster which proves they really, really wanted to?

A six-man bench, if I am allowed the (asterisked) unused subs:

Ronnie Simpson (Celtic, 1967)

Alan Kennedy (Liverpool, 1981 & 1984)
Sol Campbell (Arsenal, 2006)
Ronny Johnsen (Manchester United, 1999)
Pat Heard (Aston Villa, 1982)

Chris Waddle (Marseille, 1991)
Dietmar Hamann (Liverpool, 2005)
Kevin Keegan (Liverpool, 1977)
Jon Dahl Tomasson (Milan, 2005)

Patrick Kluivert (Ajax, 1995 & 1996)
Andy Cole (Manchester United, 1999)

Subs:
Nicky Butt (Manchester United, 1999)
Geremi (Real Madrid, 2000 & 2002)
Terry McDermott (Liverpool, 1977, 1978 & 1981)
Michael Owen (Manchester United, 2011)*
Craig Bellamy (Liverpool, 2007)*
Peter Withe (Aston Villa, 1982)

[Kevin S]

Does the appearance in the final have to have been before they joined Rangers/Newcastle/whoever? I.e. we are looking at teams who like to sign players who have already played in a final?

[beak]

Please don't take this from me.

Also, can't believe I forgot bloody Frank Clark.

[Alex Anderson]

Does the appearance in the final have to have been before they joined Rangers/Newcastle/whoever? I.e. we are looking at teams who like to sign players who have already played in a final?

Before or after, Kevin - us alt historians will take it any way we can cobble it together.

I'm now thinking Everton ... a club who feel my pain ... Wayne Rooney* ...

[Alex Anderson]

... Also, can't believe I forgot bloody Frank Clark.

You're just showing off now, dogbeak - it's the 68-69 Fairs Cup semi all over again ...

Unused subs can stay unused subs - I'd keep yer asterisks for guys who've scored in the final coz, from what I can see, bring on McDermott (V Monechengladbach in 77) and Withe (V Bayern in 82), and Newcastle's European Cup Finalists are kicking Rangers' European Cup Finalists' asses by 5-2.

Even your first two outfield defenders scored in the final (both in Paris) ...

[Alex Anderson]

Thought Rangers might be the only Scottish club able to complete an Alt European Cup Finalist XI but not so sure now. Without really thinking about it - and pinching dobgeak's goalie - I got Ronnie Simpson, Des Bremner, Bertie Auld and George Best* for Hibs and ...



1997*




1967 & 70




1967* & 1970*




1992


*scored

[ad hoc]

Haven't we done this before on this thread?\

Anyway, as far as I can ascertain Wednesday's very thin squad would include 3 goalkeepers (none of who actually got off the bench)

Goalkeepers
Woods (Forest 79)
Bolder (Liverpool 84)
Carson (Liverpool 05)

Defenders
Anderson (Forest 79 & 80)
Nicol (Liverpool 84 & 85)
Petrescu (Steaua 89)

Midfielders
Heard (Villa 82)
Waddle (Marseille 91)

Forward
Francis (Forest 79)

[Alex Anderson]

I don't remember it on this thread ad hoc - although ursus did start this one with European Cup Final scorers who played in the original NASL and I switched off for a bit when everyone started discussing the spelling and origin of the word "ghetto".

But - more importantly - Jim Craig of Celtic's Lisbon Lions had half a dozen games for Wednesday from 1972-74, according to Wik ... erm - my sources - according to my sources.

And Wim Jonk was just fu**ing annoying. Played for PSV and Ajax around the time they were winning European Cups, and Inter fekin Milan. He won two European trophies too. But always seemed to leave the right Dutch club at the wrong time and could only win UEFA Cups.

[Kevin S]

A quick three for Spurs that needs some more work but I've put it up now because Berbatov, amusingly, reached the final with the club he left to join Spurs and the club he left Spurs to join. Spurs playing the failure filling in Berbatov's Champions League sandwich.

Luka Modrić (Real Madrid 2016, 2017)
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid 2014, 2016, 2017)
Dimitar Berbatov (Leverkusen 2002, Man Utd 2009)

[Alex Anderson]

Souness was at Spurs as a yoof.

Erm ... Sol Campbell scored in a Champs League final.

Steve Archibald played up front for Barca in the 86 final ...

[Kevin S]

Getting there...


Ray Clemence (Liverpool, various)

Sol Campbell (Arsenal, 2006)
Toby Alderweireld (Atléti, 2014)

Terry Yorath (Leeds 1975)
Luka Modrić (Real Madrid 2016, 2017)
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid 2014, 2016, 2017)
Chris Waddle (Marseille, 1991)

Dimitar Berbatov (Leverkusen 2002, Man Utd 2009)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal 2006)
Teddy Sheringham (Man Utd 1999)

[Alex Anderson]

Christ. How could I forget. Teddy Sheringham.

[Kevin S]

Struggling for defenders. Not sure about Souness - no senior Spurs appearances?

Edit - got another one. Toby Alderweireld.

[Kevin S]

Tell you what though - Yorath, Modric, Waddle, Bale is a terrifying midfield.

[ursus arctos]

Souness didn't have any senior appearances for Spurs

We can put Edgar Davids at the back.

[Kevin S]

That will do nicely ursus.

[Kevin S]

Ray Clemence (Liverpool, various)

Sol Campbell (Arsenal, 2006)
Toby Alderweireld (Atléti, 2014)
Edgar Davids (Ajax/Juve various)

Terry Yorath (Leeds 1975)
Luka Modrić (Real Madrid 2016, 2017)
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid 2014, 2016, 2017)
Chris Waddle (Marseille, 1991)

Dimitar Berbatov (Leverkusen 2002, Man Utd 2009)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal 2006)
Steve Archibald (Barca 1986)

Sub
Teddy Sheringham (Man Utd 1999)

[ursus arctos]

Likely period bias, but I would take Archibald over any of those forwards.

[Capybara]

For my lot I'm frustratingly stuck at ten who appeared in winning finals:

Valdes (2006, 2008)

Stiles (1968)
Anderson (1979, 1980)
Reiziger (1995)

Karembeu (1998)
Souness (1978, 1981, 1984)
Murdoch (1967)
Johnston (1984)

Ravanelli (1996)
Boksic (1993)

but have a number of non-playing substitutes including Geremi, Heard, Hodgson, Turnbull and Greening.

If I'm allowed a player who won it as manager (Clough) or a manager who played and won it (Karanka) I can get a full eleven.