The European Theatre

[ArupinumMaivista]

The European Theatre
An alternate history of european club football

For decades, Europe has seen attempts by various bodies in football to bring forth clubs from different nations together in supposed regional compatitions. From the early days of the "World Championship" between the Scottish and English clubs, to the Nations' Cup in 1930. Yet, for all this time - the only coherent European competition had been the Mitropa Cup, which in itself acted as a continuation of the Austro-Hungarian Challenge Cup. Now though, it is 1948, and a young French journalist Jacques Ferran has just discovered something otherworldly in where else, but the New World itself. Indeed, South America was now seeing a wonder like no other in form of the South American championship of champions. Clubs from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador had all come together and played what was essentially a mini world cup, but for clubs. Astonished by this, Ferran and his colleague over at L'Equipe - Gabriel Hanot had agreed that if South America could organise a championship as grand as this one, then Europe should be worthy of something just as glamurous. Yet, many clubs refused to cooperate. A competition between clubs from various countries was nothing more but a distraction from the national championships. It looked like the french duo in Hanot and Ferran would need a spark to set something as grand as a European Cup into motion, and that spark occured on the 13th of december 1954.

Just months after winning their first ever English title - Wolverhampton Wanderers had enjoyed a glorious run of form in friendly matches that saw them win against Racing Club, Celtic, First Vienna and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Then, Wolves played what was presented by the British Media as a World finale between the English club and Hungarian side Budapest Honved. Led by the genious of Sandor Kocsis, Ferenc Machos, Ferenc Puskas, Lajos Tichy, Zoltan Czibor, Laszlo Budai, etc - Honved was widely regarded as the greatest footballing team in all of Europe, and the friendly game in itself was broadcast on a packed Molineux stadium back in Wolverhampton. Despite Honved's seemingly unstopable form though, Wolves managed to get an upper hand via some questionable tactics, and the two goals from Roy Swinbourne and a penalty by Johnny Hancocks was all that Wolverhampton needed to triumph against the mighty Magyars. Delighted from the results - Stan Cullis declared Wolves as the champions of the world, and that England remains as the World's genuine, original, unbeatable article... still the best of its kind in the world.

This did not sit well with the rest of Europe. Gabriel Hanot in particular was convinced that the greatest clubs in the world were actually Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Willy Meisl brought a good point in the fact that Honved was also beaten by Yugoslav side Red Star, and even calling Cullis a quagmire! With this match seemingly bringing more questions than answers, it was finally decided at L'Equipe that a European championship of Champions should take place the following year to decide just who was the master of Europe.

Invitations were sent left, right and centre. From the Home Nations, to Franco's dictatorship in Spain, to the Iron curtain over at Hungary and Yugoslavia. Despite some early protests from the governing bodies of the club champions' respective countries, the teams in the end participated for what would be the first ever edition of the European Cup.

The first match of the tournament would occur on the 4th of September, with Sporting CP welcoming Yugoslav side Hajduk Split over at Lisbon. In front of 30 thousand spectators, Sporting witnessed stern resistance from the white boys, and a great performance from Frane Matošić in the end helped Hajduk finish the opening match 3-3, only to thrash the Portuguese side back in Split, in front of 15 thousand supporters. Such electrifying atmospheres were soon enough becoming a norm for every other match in the competition, with Santiago Bernabeu, Stamford bridge and San Siro becoming homes of tens of thousands cheering individuals that watched their teams play.

The opening match of the European Cup
Sporting CP - Hajduk Split

Honved made a statement against Anderlecht after beating them 10-4 on aggregate and immediately setting a record for the most comprehensive win in the tournament, while the Home Nations' teams brought a spectacle as Chelsea and Aberdeen faced off in the quarters, where Aberdeen celebrated a 4-3 victory in Stamford Bridge.

The match between Aberdeen and Chelsea

Elsewhere, Milan overpowered Vienna and Irish minnows St. Patrick, and Reims had a nasty collapse against Honved as the Hungarian team bashed them 4-1 in Budapest. The most unknown side out of them all though, Hajduk, garnered respect from their Spanish opponents as they managed to pull off a memorable win against Real over in Split. Sure, it wasn't enough for them to advance, but it worked as a great swansong for Hajduk's prolific goalscorer Frane Matošić, who ended up using this game as a farewell from Hajduk after playing for them for 20 years.

"We will forever remember the glory days of Frane Matošić"

The final was soon enough set in Parc des Princes, Paris. In this final, Budapest Honved and its golden team would face off against the mighty Real Madrid, in what became a footballing spectacle. Sandor Kocsis immediately opened the scoring on the 5th minute, and it didn't take long for him to score once again on the 14th minute, getting Honved 2-0 up against their Spanish rivals. Undetered, Real Madrid continued to attack in waves, and Alfredo di Stefano replied only one minute after Honved scored for 2-0. Jose Rial's acrobatics soon enough equaled the scoring on the 30th minute and from then on, it was a tight affair as both teams exchanged shots. A persistent defense, and a lot of heart helped the Hungarians stay in the game for just long enough, and Ferenc Puskas sent a powerful shot towards the Spanish sides' goal, which on the 62nd minute sealed a win for Budapest Honved.

Puskas scores as the public goes mad

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It was Budapest Honved's greatest triumph in the club's history, during an era when this Hungarian team was at the top of the world. The European Cup in itself was a great success, with great interest surrounding the most glamurous games of the competition, and it was safe to say that Europe's answer to South America's Champions' Championship was one worthy of the continent. The next season only promises more spectacle, ranging from Real Madrid, to the Mighty Magyars. But, trouble is brewing in Hungary, and it has been for a long time...

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Dear readers, welcome to the European Theatre! In this timeline, we'll focus on the European Football competitions from the very beginning in 1955 to the modern day. Now, for this particular timeline, I will at first summarise the upcoming decades bit by bit, with some different champions along the way. Those of you who have been following by Brotherhood and Unity series might remember me rambling about including the Euro competitions in a different series of posts, and this series is exactly that. I hope that you will enjoy what I have been brewing up for you lot, and leave any feedback which I value a ton, since I am still relatively inexperienced in doing alt history timelines.
Anyway, the changes in this timeline are relatively minor, but still noteworthy:
1. The 1955 European Cup actually has the champions of their respective nations competing, instead of random clubs that were invited by L'Equipe. These include Holland Sport, Chelsea, Aberdeen, Hajduk Split, eventual champs Budapest Honved and St. Patrick's Athletic.
2. After WW2, Germany has remained intact, meaning that some East German teams will appear as simply german teams, and without their silly communist names (Karl Marx Stadt= Chemnitz FC, Dynamo Dresden= Dresden SC, Chemie Halle=Hallescher SC, Lokomotive Leipzig=VfB Leipzig, no BFC Dynamo or Vorwatz Frankfurt)
3. Like in my BaU timeline, Ireland remains together at least football-wise, so St. Patrick's Athletic are the champs here
4. The Czechoslovak Coup doesn't occur, leading to the country remaining Democratic, and with no establishment of Army club Dukla Prague
5. A little "Battle of Britain" occurs between Aberdeen and Chelsea, which I based on a friendly between the two back in 1956
6. Honved remarkably manages to win against a legendary Real Madrid side, although I might be stretching it with that one, seeing just how unstopable that team (Madrid) was

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1950s:
The Spanish reign supreme amidst tragedy
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Following Honvéd's triumph in the 1956 European final, the Hungarian nation was torn apart in a revolution that same year. Matyas Rakosi's regime, which he had been ruling over with an iron fist ever since the war ended had collapsed, with people taking to the streets. Budapest looked like it was once again in war, and the sight of Soviet Tanks entering the capital reached worldwide headlines. It was an ugly sight, and it encouraged the players of European Champion Honvéd to stay away from the country. Over night, the Mighty Magyars which practically filled the entirety of Hungary's Golden Team fled to the west, leaving Honvéd and the Hungarian National Team a mere shadow of their former selves.

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Nonetheless, The second iteration of The European Cup took place with an expansion to the format. The countries within the Iron Curtain entered their first representatives in CDNA Sofia, GWKS Warsaw, Slovan Bratislava and Dinamo Bucharest were all newcomers to the competition, joined by Spora from Luxembourg and Galatasaray from Turkey. Sofia especially surprised many by reaching the quarter-finals on their first ever attempt, and they were just narrowly beaten by Red Star Belgrade.

The first match between the Iron Curtains clubs

Reigning Champions Honvéd was narrowly beaten by Athletic Bilbao as the Spanish side was awaited by Manchester United, led by one Matt Busby. In two spectacular games, both sides had plenty of chances to take the lead, and it was the Red Devils who did just that with the help of young striker Tommy Taylor. In the semi-finals, United met with Rapid Vienna during their best years, while Fiorentina on the other side just barely won against Red Star. In the final though, Manchester United triumphed against Fiorentina with the help of Tommy Taylor when he chipped the ball into the net. It was the only goal in a game that was dominated by Manchester from start to finish. The Busby Babes have triumphed, and thus brought England its first European trophy.

1957-1960
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Sadly in the following season, the great Manchester United team would suffer a horrid accident during their departure from Munich. 8 players, along with 15 members of the fateful flight perished. This was the end of the Busby Babes. In the final, Italian side AC Milan met with favourites Real Madrid. In a tough match, which had to go on all the way to extra time - Real Madrid prevailed with Paco Gento scoring at the 107th minute, thus granting Real their first European trophy.

Matt Busby and his babes - the 1957 European champions

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The following Two seasons saw complete domination from Real Madrid, as they first beat Stade de Reims, then Eintracht Frankfurt for the 1960 final. Wolverhampton Rovers, the supposed "Champions of the World" from 1954 were surprisingly knocked out by Danish side KB, while CDNA Sofia and Young Boys surprised many by reaching the semis in the 58/59 edition of the Cup. Young Boys surprised by beating German side Chemnitz FC, while Sofia ripped apart KB in the quarters. Just Fontaine was the sensation of the tournament, having scored 10 goals in the competition for Reims, before they were eventually beaten by Madrid.

Just Fontaine in his Reims kit

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The 1959/60 season saw the first ever derby in form of the El classico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Catalan club, now with Czibor and Kocsis were a true concurrent for Los Blancos, but it was not even close as Madrid dominated Barça with a crushing 6-2 win on aggregate. Wolves had a much better time, having reached the quarter finals before being annihilated by Barcelona, while Eintracht Frankfurt became the first German team to reach the European final. 10 goals were scored in the eventual finale, where Madrid lifted the trophy up once more.

Inter-city Fairs Cup
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The domination by Spanish clubs wasn't only limited to the European Cup though. Indeed, the inaugural first two seasons of the Inter-City Fairs Cup saw Barcelona win the competition two consecutive times. First against Chelsea, then against Birmingham. The competition in itself though have teams which weren't champs a chance to show themselves to Europe, and Barça was doing that beautifully with their phenomenal squad.

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Changes in this timeline:
1. Manchester United wins the European Cup while being led by Busby. I think the result makes sense, seeing how special that team was before the Munich tragedy.
2. The ICFC is shown as a UEFA competition, just because I think it's fun to give recognition to the teams that played in this tournament back then, before it was adopted as the UEFA Cup
3. Instead of Schalke, Chemnitz is the German Champion of 1958, and a butterfly effect occurs which has CSKA/CDNA Sofia reach the semis in the 58/59 European Cup

 

[QTXAdsy]

Scottish clubs in the late 50's and for most of the 60's were at their peak at that time playing in Europe, wonder what changes we'll see here? Dundee almost made it to a final in 1962 and could have been the first British club to win the European Cup at there not been for some dodgy Italian tactics when they lost to Milan.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Dundee almost made it to a final in 1962 and could have been the first British club to win the European Cup at there not been for some dodgy Italian tactics when they lost to Milan.

I never knew that. Hopefully with this timeline, I'll bring in some (logical) changes that will bring different champs, like with Man Utd. In '57 and to a lesser extent Honvéd in' 56, although as I said - I am really stretching it with that one.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1960s

The European Cup​

The 1960s saw some massive changes within the footballing sphere. Many countries, in particular from eastern europe, brought in profesionalism in their domestic leagues, which was an effort to keep their clubs competitive in the rapidly developing European competitions. Germany did it, Yugoslavia did it, and even Greece was getting in on the action. Still, the undisputed masters of Europe were head and shoulders above anyone else - Real Madrid. Led by the likes of Di Stefano and Puskas, Los Blancos from Madrid have just finished off their decade by winning their 3rd consecutive European Cup, and they were entering the 1960/61 iteration of the European cup as overwhelming favourites.

The 1960/61 edition of the European Cup though, saw Barcelona finally win against their Madrid rivals for the first time in a European Competition. Benfica though, led by the incredible Eusebio - dominated the first two years of the decade, with the Eagles winning two consecutive European Cups, first against Barcelona; then against Real Madrid. Tottenham Hotspur had their first appearance in the European Cup, where they were narrowly defeated by the eventual champions. Benfica had a great chance to win their third consecutive trophy in 1963, but they were stopped by the unlikely Scottish side Dundee, who played valiantly against them, following a tough game against AC Milan. The Dee thus made themselves the first Scottish side to win the European Cup, and consequently the second British side to do so. Dundee's great campaign was followed by the Grande Inter side, which comprehensively beat Real Madrid in '64, before narrowly triumphing against Benfica a year later. Grande Inter's downfall came just two years later, when the Lisbon Lions surprised them with their Beautiful, tactical football. Celtic's triumph already followed a surprise a year earlier, when Partisan's golden generation managed to beat Real Madrid after defending like mad, thus becoming the second ever Eastern European side to win the European Cup. Manchester United, still led by the great Matt Busby, prevailed against Benfica 11 years after that faithful Munich accident, but many hoped that this was enough to heal the wounds of that disaster.
Finally, the final two seasons of the decade saw AC Milan thrash Ajax 4-1, but the Dutch sides made their mark a year later when Feyenoord prevailed with Total Football, thus ushering a new era in Europe.

The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup​

The new decade of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup continued with the Spanish Era of domination. The first five years of the competition saw three Spanish sides as champions, with the only different champs being Roma in '61, when they defeated Birmingham, and Ferencvaros becoming Hungary's second ever European Champion. Barcelona won their third trophy of the competition a year later, and Dinamo Zagreb also made themselves known after narrowly beating Leeds, thus bringing the Blues their only European trophy, and one which they will continously wag in front of their rivals for many years to come. The 60s started with one era of domination, and they would end with another one - with English sides Newcastle Utd. and Arsenal both winning the competition. Poor Leeds though could only watch as they came so awfully close for two consecutive years, only to be narrowly beaten both times.

The Cup winners Cup​

The new European competition - the Cup winners Cup, began its life this decade when Fiorentina won two consecutive cups. Fiore won against two formidable sides in Rangers and Atletico Madrid, and they were more than happy to have a piece of that European pie, just like the Spurs after demolishing Nurnberg a year later. Nonetheless, 1860 Munich soon became the first German side to win a European competition when they narrowly defeated West Ham United, all thanks to the efforts of Franz Beckenbauer, who swept his way through West Ham's offense. Borussia Dortmund had their moment in the sun just a year later, when they defeated Liverpool, who were slowly entering their golden generation. The 1966/67 season looked like another German team could win the competition, when Bayern Munich qualified for the final against Rangers. But, a sturdy defense helped Rangers in the end to finally take their first trophy. AC Milan also won the CWC, exactly one year before also winning the EC, and Slovan Bratislava gained notoriety as the only Czechoslovak club to win in Europe, while the noisy neighbours from Manchester managed to take their sole European trophy in their cabinet, after barely winning against Gornik Zabrze.

Changes in this timeline:
1. Franz Beckenbauer doesn't get slapped by an 1860 Munich player when he was a teen, thus leading to him playing for his boyhood club. Consequently, 1860 Munich becomes a German powerhouse of sorts during the 60s.
2. Hansa Rostock wins the 1962 German Championship
3. Bologna wins the 1966/67 Serie A, which in return makes this their last ever title
4. Dundee doesn't get cheated by the ref in the 62/63 semi-final. Special thanks to QTXAdsy for providing me the details.
5. Partisan Belgrade somehow doesn't collapse against Real Madrid, thus winning their only European trophy
6. Carl Zeiss Jena wins the 68/69 Bundesliga, not Bayern.
7. There is no replay for the 61/62 CWC final, and Fiorentina wins its second consecutive trophy
8. Rangers don't have their goal dissalowed against Bayern, which has them win their first European trophy.
7. With Beckenbauer in their team, 1860 Munich wins against West Ham

 

[QTXAdsy]

The fact that we almost did have two Scottish clubs from the same city winning European trophies that season in OTL is something that tells you how strong Scottish clubs were at the time.

Speaking of which, Aberdeen did nearly come close to ending Celtic's first 9-in-a-row run in 1971 which had they done so would have some ramifications for the next decades in Scottish football as without that run, Rangers wouldn't be pressured to try and do their own 9IAR run which would ultimately lead to their downfall with hindsight. Funnily enough, Aberdeen were just a win away from winning the league at Ibrox in 1991 and who knows if Rangers weren't so dominant then that you could have seen the New Firm of Aberdeen and Dundee United remain legit forces in Scottish football in which could have seen the league being a four horse race rather than just a typical two horse race that we have now.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The fact that we almost did have two Scottish clubs from the same city winning European trophies that season in OTL is something that tells you how strong Scottish clubs were at the time.

And what are the odds, it would've been the two biggest rivals in Scottish Football. I have a similar moment coming up in the 70s actually.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1960s

The European Cup​

The 1960s saw some massive changes within the footballing sphere. Many countries, in particular from eastern europe, brought in profesionalism in their domestic leagues, which was an effort to keep their clubs competitive in the rapidly developing European competitions. Germany did it, Yugoslavia did it, and even Greece was getting in on the action. Still, the undisputed masters of Europe were head and shoulders above anyone else - Real Madrid. Led by the likes of Di Stefano and Puskas, Los Blancos from Madrid have just finished off their decade by winning their 3rd consecutive European Cup, and they were entering the 1960/61 iteration of the European cup as overwhelming favourites.

The 1960/61 edition of the European Cup though, saw Barcelona finally win against their Madrid rivals for the first time in a European Competition. Benfica though, led by the incredible Eusebio - dominated the first two years of the decade, with the Eagles winning two consecutive European Cups, first against Barcelona; then against Real Madrid. Tottenham Hotspur had their first appearance in the European Cup, where they were narrowly defeated by the eventual champions. Benfica had a great chance to win their third consecutive trophy in 1963, but they were stopped by the unlikely Scottish side Dundee, who played valiantly against them, following a tough game against AC Milan. The Dee thus made themselves the first Scottish side to win the European Cup, and consequently the second British side to do so. Dundee's great campaign was followed by the Grande Inter side, which comprehensively beat Real Madrid in '64, before narrowly triumphing against Benfica a year later. Grande Inter's downfall came just two years later, when the Lisbon Lions surprised them with their Beautiful, tactical football. Celtic's triumph already followed a surprise a year earlier, when Partisan's golden generation managed to beat Real Madrid after defending like mad, thus becoming the second ever Eastern European side to win the European Cup. Manchester United, still led by the great Matt Busby, prevailed against Benfica 11 years after that faithful Munich accident, but many hoped that this was enough to heal the wounds of that disaster.
Finally, the final two seasons of the decade saw AC Milan thrash Ajax 4-1, but the Dutch sides made their mark a year later when Feyenoord prevailed with Total Football, thus ushering a new era in Europe.

View attachment 838073

The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup​

The new decade of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup continued with the Spanish Era of domination. The first five years of the competition saw three Spanish sides as champions, with the only different champs being Roma in '61, when they defeated Birmingham, and Ferencvaros becoming Hungary's second ever European Champion. Barcelona won their third trophy of the competition a year later, and Dinamo Zagreb also made themselves known after narrowly beating Leeds, thus bringing the Blues their only European trophy, and one which they will continously wag in front of their rivals for many years to come. The 60s started with one era of domination, and they would end with another one - with English sides Newcastle Utd. and Arsenal both winning the competition. Poor Leeds though could only watch as they came so awfully close for two consecutive years, only to be narrowly beaten both times.

View attachment 838074
View attachment 838075

The Cup winners Cup​

The new European competition - the Cup winners Cup, began its life this decade when Fiorentina won two consecutive cups. Fiore won against two formidable sides in Rangers and Atletico Madrid, and they were more than happy to have a piece of that European pie, just like the Spurs after demolishing Nurnberg a year later. Nonetheless, 1860 Munich soon became the first German side to win a European competition when they narrowly defeated West Ham United, all thanks to the efforts of Franz Beckenbauer, who swept his way through West Ham's offense. Borussia Dortmund had their moment in the sun just a year later, when they defeated Liverpool, who were slowly entering their golden generation. The 1966/67 season looked like another German team could win the competition, when Bayern Munich qualified for the final against Rangers. But, a sturdy defense helped Rangers in the end to finally take their first trophy. AC Milan also won the CWC, exactly one year before also winning the EC, and Slovan Bratislava gained notoriety as the only Czechoslovak club to win in Europe, while the noisy neighbours from Manchester managed to take their sole European trophy in their cabinet, after barely winning against Gornik Zabrze.

View attachment 838077​

Changes in this timeline:
1. Franz Beckenbauer doesn't get slapped by an 1860 Munich player when he was a teen, thus leading to him playing for his boyhood club. Consequently, 1860 Munich becomes a German powerhouse of sorts during the 60s.
2. Bologna wins the 1966/67 Serie A, which in return makes this their last ever title
3. Dundee doesn't get cheated by the ref in the 62/63 semi-final. Special thanks to QTXAdsy for providing me the details.
4. Partisan Belgrade somehow doesn't collapse against Real Madrid, thus winning their only European trophy
5. Carl Zeiss Jena wins the 68/69 Bundesliga, not Bayern.
6. There is no replay for the 61/62 CWC final, and Fiorentina wins its second consecutive trophy
7. Rangers don't have their goal dissalowed against Bayern, which has them win their first European trophy.
7. With Beckenbauer in their team, 1860 Munich wins against West Ham

Massive Typos in the Cup Winners Cup section! With Bayern Failing to win the CWC in '67, they still get to participate in 1967/68 because they won the 1967 DFB Pokal. Thus, It is Milan As Champions of CWC, Valência is the runner-up, while Bayern is in the semis. Rangers as defending champs end in the semis, so Cardiff is demoted to the quarter finals.

Then, for 1969/70, with Carl Zeiss Jena winning the Bundesliga in this timeline, Bayern participates in the CWC since they won the DFB Pokal. There is no doubt in my mind that Bayern would surely demolish Man City/Gornik Zabrze had they participated in the CWC that year.

So, the (late) change for this timeline is That Bayern Munich Wins the 1969/70 Cup Winners Cup.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1970s in European Football

The European Cup
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The 1970s began with what could only be described as an era of Dutch domination. Ajax, with a star-studded squad that later on stunned many in the 1974 World Cup, and with its "Total Football" demolished everyone who came in their way. Amateur underdogs Panathinaikos, Grande Inter Milan and Derby County all had their chances against the Sons of God, but Ajax proved to be the class of the decade, until Atletico Madrid's triumph in 1974, where they faced off against Dresden. The Friedrichstowners, led by Walter Fritzsch, played an aggressive and fast style of football that quickly made them one of the most popular sides back in Germany, but such style of play was just not fit for a competition like this one. Dresden's players were burnt out by the time the second half began, and Atletico eventually completed a comeback win where 3-1 wasn't an unlucky occurence, but Dresden's reality. The next year saw another German side attempting to take the Euro throne - with Bayern Munich facing off against Leeds United. In a highly physical match that saw dissalowed goals and rough starts on each teams' players - Leeds managed to prevail to become England's second champion of the continent. Just one year later, in Glasgow - Saint Etienne managed to dethrone Real Madrid as the Greens escaped with their heads intact thanks to the famous Glasgow square posts. Thus, France got its only European champion. The following three years saw a period of English excellence, as Liverpool made themselves known as THE team from England. The reds demolished Borussia Gladbach and Club Brugge in the two finals they appeared in, and Nottingham Forest also placed themselves among the greats after beating Malmo. Incredibly, the Forest have managed to not only become one-off champions of England, but also managed to win in Europe. Finally, the decade ended with Hamburg SV facing off against the rebellious team from Yugoslavia. Led by Tomislav Ivić, Hajduk Split played the same style of football that dominated the European scene 10 years ago, and the Masters from the sea managed to prevail following an epic comeback in which they were at one stage 2-0 down on Hamburg. With this, Yugoslavia got its fourth European champion, with Red Star Belgrade winning the UEFA Cup just a year earlier.

UEFA Cup
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The Inter cities Fairs Cup continued on with the English teams dominating the competiton, as Leeds managed to win against Juventus thanks to the away goals rule. And as the 70 wore on all the way to 1974, the English clubs continued their reign over the competition, even when the UEFA Cup was introduced in 1971. Spurs, Wolves, Liverpool. England ruled over Europe, with their closest challengers coming from either Germany or Italy. Then, Feyenoord broke the circle as they won thanks to that famous Total Football, this time against Tottenham. Another great side from this decade, Borussia Monchengladbach, dominated Twente in the 1974/75 edition of the tournament, which proved to be the the Prussians' only European trophy, unfairly so, given how good that team was in this era. Nonetheless, if the UEFA Cup wasn't being dominated by Liverpool, then it was being dominated by Bayern Munich. The two clubs won 4 out of the 9 iterations of the UEFA Cup during this decade, followed by Juventus and their triumph in 1978, while their local rivals Torino were busy reaching the quarter-finals in the European Cup. Finally, just a year before Hajduk's triumph in Europe - Red Star managed to upset Borussia Gladbach as the Stars managed to narrowly beat their German rivals. It was well-deserved though. Red Star had come close to winning many times in Europe, and the effort had finally payed off.

Leeds' and Juve's paths to the finals of the Inter Cities Fairs Cup

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Cup winners' cup​

And so, we are left with the Cup winners Cup, where the most succesful side wasn't Liverpool, nor was it Bayern, nor was it Ajax. No, it was Anderlecht! Indeed, the Purple and Whites were the only team of this tournament to win more than once through the course of the decade. Not just that, but they almost made it 3 times in a row if it wasn't for Hamburg beating them in 1977. In general, this competition saw the German clubs reaching their highest successes, with even underdogs Magdeburg managing to take an unlikely win against Milan. Glasgow Rangers also brought Scotland its only trophy in this decade, following their golden age just a decade prior, and Dynamo Kyiv became the first team from the Soviet Union to lift up a European trophy, Finally, led by Johan Cruyff - Barcelona won its first trophy almost 15 years. The club that was disgraced for so long by Franco's regime finally got its moment in the sun, having beaten Fortuna Dusseldorf, followed by Valencia after defeating Arsenal. Thus, the 70s end with the Spanish, Germans and English dominating the game, followed closely by the Dutch and Yugoslavs. Nonetheless, the decade started and ended with Total Football prevailing - first with Ajax, then Hajduk.

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Changes in this timeline:
1. Obviously, Bayern doesn't dominate the European Cup like they did in OTL, but they still remain a big team thanks to the UEFA Cup and CWC exploits.
2. Dresden gets to be the Bundesliga champion in 1973, thus their appearance in the 73/74 EC final is justified... Somewhat, it's still an admitedly far-fetched for them to somehow win it against the dominant Bayern side. But then again, in this TL, Bayern does lack the defending prowess of Franz Beckenbauer.
3. With Torino being champs of Italy in 1977, Juve gets to win the UEFA Cup the following year.
4. Red Star doesn't get massacred by the referee in the 1979 UEFA Cup finals, thus they manage to somehow win the whole thing against Gladbach
5. Hajduk Split, with the help of Tomislav Ivić, manages to win the European Cup. HIstorically, their 1979/80 campaign was their best chance to win the competition, but some poor luck and dodgy refereeing robbed them of doing so against Hamburg. In this TL though, they manage to do it, with their famous 3-2 win against Hamburg now happening in the final, and not in the quarter-finals. I know, it might be unrealistic, but I will definitely make a post about it that details the whole thing a bit more.

Now that the 70s are done, my focus switches to the early 80s, where things will get extra spicy in Heysel 1985. Stay tuned!

 

[QTXAdsy]

Wonder what will happen with Heysel here? Actually, Scottish teams in Europe could be seen as something as a renaissance for them as we had either Aberdeen and Dundee United IOTL though more so the latter could have had plus there is a plausible fact that Rangers could have won the 1988 European Cup had Terry Butcher not broke his leg in which looking at the path they had to get to the final you could see them doing it.

If Wales qualify for the 1982 and 1986 WC's like they should have done IOTL not to mention a Euro 1984 appearance which they were a inch away of reaching then you could see the demand for Wales forming a a league earlier ITTL which brings in all the Welsh clubs playing in England back.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

If Wales qualify for the 1982 and 1986 WC's like they should have done IOTL not to mention a Euro 1984 appearance which they were a inch away of reaching then you could see the demand for Wales forming a a league earlier ITTL which brings in all the Welsh clubs playing in England back.

Maybe one day...

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

there is a plausible fact that Rangers could have won the 1988 European Cup had Terry Butcher not broke his leg

I could see that happening, but PSV also had a stellar team. Not to mention the fact that this timeline will see THAT Liverpool and THAT Everton side participating in the European Cup.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The early 1980s
"You will never walk alone"
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Following Hajduk's European triumph against Hamburger SV, Tomislav Ivić finally capped off his 8 year long saga with the team from Split with a whopping 10 trophies. 5 cups, 4 titles and one European cup put a definitive crown on what would soon turn out to be one of Europe's greatest managers. With his departure to Anderlecht, Ante Mladinić had massive shoes to fill as he takes the wheel of the unlikely European Champion, led by the likes of Slaviša Žungul, Vujović brothers, Ivan Gudelj, Blaž Slišković, Zoran Simović, Vedran Rožić, Jurica Jerković and Ivica Šurjak. The 1980s would begin with the Yugoslav champs defending their title with an experienced squad, mixed with young talent.

Tomislav Ivić being carried by his players

The European Cup
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The first edition of the European Cup in this decade began with two established powers clashing in Liverpool and Real Madrid. The final saw a tense and relatively goalless affair as Liverpool continued to attack whenever they saw an opportunity, while Real Madrid would counterattack whenever Liverpool's offense would foulter. Los Blancos had their fair share of opportunities, but in the end it was Liverpool who managed to lift up the trophy for the third time in their history. Inter, with the goalscoring prowess of Slaviša Žungul and Bayern after beating reigning champs Hajduk, both finished in the semis, while the quarter-finals were dominated by the clubs behind the Iron curtain.

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The next year saw England rule the continent once again, this time with Aston Villa. The Villans, who haven't won the English Division 1 for 70 years had not only managed to beat the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United, but have also managed to beat Bayern Munich. CSKA Sofia enjoyed their greatest ever season in Europe as they not only managed to dethrone Liverpool, but also shocked Bayern by beating them 4-3 back in Sofia. Indeed, it seemed like the 80s would end up being the decade of the underdog, Franz Beckanbauer, after playing for almost 20 years, would finally achieve the dream of lifting the European trophy after having played for 1860 Munich, Inter Milan and New York Cosmos before finally returning to Germany via Hamburger SV. The Dino, led by der Kaiser has joined the exclusive club of teams that shall forever have their names edged in the history of the game, and it would signal the end of Beckanbauer's glamurous career.

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As the mid 80s approached, Britain's footballing prowess had seemingly reached its peak as Scottish football entered a renaissance after almost a decade of mediocrity. Indeed, Dundee United, after taking their first ever Scottish Premier League trophy managed to take it all the way to the final after beating a sturdy Roma. The all-British final, held in Stadio Olimpico in Rome proved to be a chess game between the two teams, but Liverpool managed to lift the trophy in the end, after a tense penalty shootout. With Liverpool winning the European Cup for the fourth time, the Reds are now the most successful club of the competition, with Ajax, Real Madrid, Benfica Inter Milan and Manchester United all lagging behind.

The Cup Winners Cup​

The European Cup Winners Cup would start off with a surprise, as Dinamo Tbilisi reached glory following their great win against German side Carl Zeiss Jena. This was the second time a Soviet club had won the Cup Winners Cup, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

The Tbilisi and Jena players moments before the final

The rest of the early parts of the decade though saw the prominent Teams of the Continent lifting the trophy, with the underdogs always either falling short or only finishing in the quarter-finals, as was the case with Finnish side Haka, PAOK and Newport County. Still, the competition wasn't without its surprises. Aberdeen, led by one Alex Ferguson stunned many by beating the Kings of Europe - Real Madrid. This triumph saw the Dons lift up their first ever Euro trophy, and in what fine style as well! It's not every day that you get to say you've beaten Real Madrid.

UEFA Cup
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We now reach the UEFA Cup, where the underdogs reign supreme, until one of the big boys show up to bully them into submission. Fortunately, there was no bully to speak of in the first four years of the decade, especially with Ipswich getting to lift their only continental trophy after just narrowly beating Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. A year later, HSV, the eventual European champs of 1983 suffered a great shock as IKF Goteborg managed to beat the Germans comprehensively! The very same year saw Red Star Belgrade make a massive comeback against Valencia by beating them 5-4 on aggregate after losing against the Spanish side 4-0 in the first leg, while Radnički Niš enjoyed their greatest season in European football by reaching the semi-final.

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Tomislav Ivić, after taking over as manager of Anderlecht achieved glory once more, this time in the UEFA Cup after beating Benfica. Romanian side Universitatea Craiova, along with the Bohemians from Prague both came off as unlikely underdogs, but not in the scale of PAOK from Thessaloniki in 1984. The Black-Whites inspired many by beating the likes of Bayern Munich and taking it to Austria Vienna, before missing out via a dodgy penalty, while reigning champs Anderlecht came awfully close to winning once more if it wasn't for Nottingham Forest's persistent defense. Hajduk Split on the other hand, led by the genius of Blaž Slišković, Zlatko Vujović and Ivan Gudelj crawled their way from match to match, first beating Craiova, then Budapest Honved, then walking all over their Belgrade rivals Radnički and Czechoslovak powerhouse Sparta Prague. The final would end up being noteworthy as the first time the UEFA Cup would be written off via a penalty shootout, and Zoran Simović made the most of it as he saved Hajduk's net from Steve Hodge, before Ivan Gudelj sealed the deal, making the Master from the Sea the European champions, in front of 60 thousand spectators, over at Split.

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Changes in this timeline:
1. Dundee United doesn't get massacared by the referee against AS Roma, leading to the All-British final in 1984
2. PAOK, Hajduk Split and Nottingham Forest manage to achieve much better results without the dodgy refereeing, leading to Hajduk narrowly winning against Forest thanks to Zoran Simović's historically great form during the 1983/84 season, along with Zlatko Vujović and Blaž Slišković - who famously scored a goal from the corner while playing against Red Star.

 

[QTXAdsy]

Liverpool vs Dundee United, the all British final that never was. Would be funny to see how Liverpool and United fans would interact with each other in Rome.

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

I may have missed a POD but how do Dresden win the Bundesliga before the Wall came down?

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

I may have missed a POD but how do Dresden win the Bundesliga before the Wall came down?

After WW2, Germany has remained intact, meaning that some East German teams will appear as simply german teams, and without their silly communist names (Karl Marx Stadt= Chemnitz FC, Dynamo Dresden= Dresden SC, Chemie Halle=Hallescher SC, Lokomotive Leipzig=VfB Leipzig, no BFC Dynamo or Vorwatz Frankfurt)

I said this back in the first post. It's all an effort to make things more compact.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Liverpool vs Dundee United, the all British final that never was. Would be funny to see how Liverpool and United fans would interact with each other in Rome.

ABSOLUTE MAYHEM

But since we want to avoid Heysel in this TL, they miraculously behave well.

 

[QTXAdsy]

ABSOLUTE MAYHEM

But since we want to avoid Heysel in this TL, they miraculously behave well.

Actually, I think the opposite would happen as prior to Heysel Liverpool fans were for the most part actually well behaved and Dundee United fans received a fair play award in 1987 so it isn't far fetch the two sides could have enjoyed each others company. Plus Liverpool's time in Rome actually laid the groundworks for the Heysel incident in which Roma fans were being hellish to Liverpool fans during that final which made their supporters jumpy when dealing with Italian supporters...then came Juventus and we all know where this goes.

Without a bad time in Rome for Liverpool, the fans might not have the need to pick a fight with Juventus or perhaps have the final played elsewhere which should have been the case all along that UEFA should've done.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

The 1984-85 European Cup
"The Old lady's finest hour"​

Having won the European Cup for the fourth time, along with the English Division One - Liverpool entered the 1984/85 iteration of the Eurocup as overwhelming favourites, with the prospect of lifting their fith trophy greater than ever. The Reds were ready to take on their challengers, but that didn't mean that the competition was anything to scoff at. Athletic Bilbao, Dresdner SC and NK Rijeka all broke the status quo in their respective leagues, in particular Rijeka with the help of Nenad Gračan and Mladen Mladenović scoring goals almost every single match. Dresden also made their comeback in Europe's most prestigious competition after over a decade, and the Friedrichstadters, with Torsten Gutschow and Matthias Sammer as their prolific goalscorers, were ready to move.

First round​

Reigning champions Liverpool began their campaign with a comfortable win against Polish team Lech Poznan, with the Reds' Golden Generation continuing their march through Europe. Juventus on the other hand had an easy time against Ilves, and their next Opponent Grasshopper wasn't any tougher to beat. In general, the Bianchoneri had a relatively easy campaign compared to some of their opponents. Dresden's return started off with a bang as they beat Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen side on penalties, with Sammer proving to be the hero of the Black-and-reds. Finally, debutantes Rijeka brought glory to the town from the Kvarner Bay, with their 3-1 victory against Benfica proving to be enough for the Whites to continue to the Round of 16.

Rijeka's players celebrate their debut win in the Eurocup

Round of 16​

Just when Dresdners thought that they had sealed their path to the quarter-finals of the Tournament, a collapse of epic proportions followed in Franz Horr Stadium, when Austria Vienna netted the ball 5 times against their German counterparts. This dramatic comeback, while comedic for some, was tragic to others, and it brought in the myth of "Unlucky Dresden" to the European scale, after it first being seen in Germany for a good portion of its history. The sensation of the competition, Rijeka had their brief run in the Eurocup ending in tears as Liverpool demolished them 3-0 at Anfield, While Rijeka could only reply with a 1-0 in Kantrida. Nonetheless, Rijeka won the hearts of the Yugoslav folk with their gallant fight against the Reigning European Champions. Sparta Prague on the other hand had a hard time defeating Danish side Lyngby, while IFK Goteborg (predictably) walked over Irish champs Linfield.

The scenes from Austria's dramatic comeback against Dresden

Quarter-finals ​

For the first time since 1970, a Greek side placed itself in the semi finals of the European Cup. None other than Panathinaikos. The Greens were led by Ferenc Puskas all those years ago when they went up against Feyenoord, and now the Greeks fought like true heroes against Goteborg to once again see themselves in title contention. While they were eventually beaten by Liverpool in the semis, the Shamrocks' players could be proud of their great achievement. Before Panathinaikos, Liverpool also played against Austria, in what was a relatively simple task for the Reds as they underwent one of the easiest campaigns to the final ever seen in the European scene.

Panathinaikos Players celebrate as they place themselves in the semis

Semi-finals ​

Juventus had a slightly more difficult time as they just narrowly passed Bordeaux in the semis, after the French side beat the Soviet Dnipro, while Juve thrashed Sparta Prague, though at least Sparta's players didn't have to kick themselves for losing at the last possible minute like the year prior against eventual UEFA Cup champions Hajduk Split.

Final​

And so, the final of the European Cup would take place in Heysel, where the English champs Liverpool faced off against Juventus, led by the prowess of Michel Platini. The match itself was rather uneventful, with the Italians playing a slow chess game against their English rivals, while the fans were relatively well-behaved, bar a few brawls following the result. Indeed, Liverpool would not manage to lift up the cup for a second consecutive time, with Juventus' Platini scoring the single goal of the whole final. This would become the Old Lady's first ever European title, and that very same year the great Frenchman would lift the European cup once more with France.

Michel Platini and co. lifting Juve's first ever European Cup

The bracket

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Changes in this timeline:
1. NK Rijeka Wins the Yugoslav league, which they absolutely deserve. The Rijeka from this period was dubbed by the media as "Super Rijeka", in particular when they beat Real Madrid 3-1.
2. Dresden Wins the Bundesliga, and then suffer a collapse similar to their CWC collapse in the OTL again Rapid Vienna the very same year
3. No Heysel disaster occurs in this timeline, meaning that we won't see a ban on English clubs.

The next Competition is the UEFA Cup.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1984/85 UEFA Cup
"The Greek Maradona and Steve Jungle"​

Having won the previous UEFA Cup on penalties against Nottingham Forest, Hajduk Split was reaching an unprecedented status as a unlikely footballing force, in particular to the fact that out of the Big Yugoslav 4, they were the poorest team by a long shot. Yet even then, it seemed like the rebellious club from the Croatian south was practically punching above their weight whenever it mattered the the most. Now, as European champs (again) they were entering the new season along with three more clubs from Yugoslavia. New to the competition were several teams - in particular lovable Polish underdogs Pogon, and Greek side Iraklis. Indeed, for the first time, Europe would get to watch Vasilis Hatzipanagis in action. Otherwise known as the "Greek Maradona", the long-haired fellow had by now dragged Iraklis for 10 years, and the effort was paying off as Iraklis reached Europe for the first time since the 1976 Cup Winners Cup, and Vasilis managed to bring Iraklis to the clubs' only European victory by beating Pogon Sczeczin.

Hatzipanagis in action

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Championship defenders Hajduk Split began their campaign by demolishing Portuguese side Braga, and the Masters from the Sea enjoyed a healthy campaign until eventually losing out to Anderlecht in a penalty shootout for the Semi-finals.

The "Salute to the champ" by Torçida before Hajduk's first match against Braga

Iraklis' adventure came to a screeching halt as Standard Liege brought an end to the semi-gods, and their compatriots Olympiacos suffered the same fate against Universitatea Craiova. Craiova's campaign was ended by one of the many competitions' sensations - Željezničar (Railway Workers' FC ) from Sarajevo. The Blues managed to achieve their greatest ever result by reaching the Semi-finals of the tournament, where they were beaten by yet another surprise - Videoton from Hungary.

Videoton and Man United's players moments before the match

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Another great team to be beaten in the penalties ended up being Manchester United, when Hungarian Underdogs Videoton shocked the Red Devils. Queens Park Rangers had their own shock as well when they bottled a 6-2 lead against Partisan Belgrade, with the Black And Whites managing to take the win in the most spectacular of ways thanks to the magic of Dragan Mance, who would tragically lose his life just a few months after the cup.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Real Madrid, who were surprisingly beaten by compatriots Valladolid. The Pucelle reached their greatest result in the UEFA Cup by placing in the round of 16, where they were soundly beaten by Anderlecht. Finally, the eventual champions ended up being Inter Milan, as the Nerazzurri managed to beat Videoton 2-1 on aggregate over at San Siro, where Former Hajduk player Slaviša Žungul scored the winning goal. A few months later, the curly man would move to the USA to become the king of Indoors soccer - Steve Jungle.

Liam Brady and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge celebrate as Inter becomes the UEFA Champ of '85

Changes in this timeline:
1. Without Rijeka in the UEFA Cup, Valladolid takes their place as the sensation that somehow manages to beat Real Madrid. NK Osijek meanwhile enter the UEFA Cup for the first time and get pummeled.
2. Slaviša Žungul doesn't defect to The USA, so by the time he reaches 28 and gets to leave Yugoslavia, he joins Inter Milan - who were betting serious money on him IRL, along with AC Milan.