The Old European Cup survives - No Champions League (1991)

[carlosperezesp]

Unthinkable. Allowing more teams than the champions of each league? Impossible, it wouldn't be fair. The European Cup is a tournament meant for champions. Yes, the early rounds might be a bore for the big teams, facing little difficulty in qualifying, scoring heavily, and with few surprises. But at least they serve to warm up and reach the final rounds with the necessary competitive tension to win.

Introduction:

• During the last decade, due to the fact that I couldn't play as many videogames as much as I wanted, I 'created' a system using dices, probabilities and weighted factors to 'simulate' football matches, so the best teams are more likely to win. And I've been playing and running my own leagues in Google Sheets just for fun, creating narratives around those games, etc. I mostly used this system to fictional leagues where I 'play God', but I thought of running some 'scenarios' with real information from real life and I've been satisfied with the result, it feels real as there is a balance between realistic/expected outcomes and surprises. I would like to share this scenario here, let's see.
• The POD here is that UEFA keeps the European Cup format until the present day, and no Champions League is created. This means the format stays the same: only the winners of the national leagues can compete (and the defending champions if they didn't win their league) and there are no group stages: only KO rounds until the final. I'll start with the 1991/92 season, where I only had to simulate a couple rounds (so I respected the qualifying stage results, etc), but in future editions I've drawn the matches of the qualifying stage myself.
• The rules that I will apply will be:
  • I'll use legit Elo ratings of the clubs that were supposed to participate in my European Cup for each year, draw the matches and simulate them with my system.
  • I'm going to restrict my thread to only the European Cup. So no UEFA Cup, no Cup Winners Cup, etc. I know this limits a bit the narrative, because this means the UEFA Cup would have more prestige than nowadays and it'd affect the timeline. If you think that only the winners go to the European Cup, this would've mean that teams like Sevilla or West Ham would'nt have won European titles, because it's most likely to have Real Madrid or Manchester City or Liverpool winning some of them in recent years if they don't qualify for the Champions League. So I will avoid mentioning that.
  • I'm going to respect the original winners of the different leagues and try to justify via narrative some things that could sound weird. Basically everything stays the same as in real life, the only thing is that only one team per country qualifies for the European Cup. Then, the dice will dictate the fate of the teams.

I'll post two seasons now and I'll add more soon, as I have played until 2006 or so.


1991-92: Benfica

Sven-Göran Eriksson completes his magnum opus with Benfica at Wembley. In his second stint with the club, the Swedish coach leads the Lisbon team to win their third European Cup.

Says Wikipedia: "Eriksson had to rebuild the team after the departures of Ricardo Gomes and Valdo to PSG. After two seasons as a substitute, Paulo Madeira played a notable role alongside William. To replace Valdo, the Swedish coach opted for the young Rui Costa, 19 years old, who had just returned from a loan spell at Fafe. Benfica also signed the Soviet internationals Vasili Kulkov and Sergei Yuran." ​

With the experience of being continental runners-up in 1990 (and before, in 1988 under Toni Oliveira), Eriksson's Benfica reaches Wembley after eliminating Sampdoria in the semifinals. There, they face Johan Cruyff's Barcelona, who arrive optimistically after a comeback at Camp Nou against Dynamo Kiev. The final is a true spectacle, where Benfica levels a two-goal deficit to finish 3-3 at the end of regulation time and 4-4 after extra time. In the penalty shootout, Barcelona is haunted by the ghosts of Sevilla against Steaua. Neno becomes the hero by saving the first penalty of the shootout, taken by the Catalans, and Benfica wins 5-3 to break, finally, the curse of Bela Guttman.

1992-93: Milan
PSV Eindhoven, led by Romario, eliminates the reigning champion Benfica. The Dutch team is sent packing in the quarterfinals after suffering a scandalous defeat against Milan at San Siro, who look truly invincible. The Rossoneri are coached by Fabio Capello, who successfully completes the transition after the departure of Arrigo Sacchi and the arrival of high-profile signings such as Papin, Savicevic, or Lentini, along with Dutch trio of Van Basten, Rijkaard, and Gullit. In the semifinals, Milan easily fulfills expectations and defeats CSKA Moscow with a double 7-0, allowing them to go to the final in Munich as the favorite. The Russians, by the way, have eliminated Barcelona after a surprising victory at the Camp Nou in the previous round.

In Athens, the Italians face the best Rangers of all time. Walter Smith's players have eliminated Leeds, Göteborg, and Olympique de Marseille (via penalty shoot-out) on their way to the final. Englishman Trevor Steven, who played from Marseille the previous season, plays a vital role in the midfield alongside the goals of Ally McCoist. The Glasgow team has already conquered the league and the league cup, and they will win the Scottish Cup just a few days after the final against Milan.

Only Capello's team prevents Rangers from achieving a historic title sweep. The Scots take the lead in the 20th minute, but Milan comes from behind before halftime, and they score a third goal in the second half to culminate a great season, which they will cap off with a triumph in Serie A.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

This looks amazing! Can't wait for 1994/95 when my club Hajduk Split appears. Their 2001/02 season might also be respectable, but now I am digging in way too deep haha. Definitely looking forward to what's next!

 

[Lascaris]

As long as as Panathinaikos beats Ajax in the semifinals in 1996. Also winning the cup optional 😜

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Good luck with that TL. And i'll admit, i think i might have been a bit too generous in my winners list for the UEFA and Cup Winners Cup in my own world. Then again, considering in my TL, that the foreign player limit is still there, expanded to 5 on the pitch at all times, and measures are taken to ensure parity and also different circumstences, then the chances of a smaller club winning trophies are higher, so it is justified.

anyways, wonder if to keep an even playing field, that the bosman ruling would be different, cause if it follows as OTL, then the European Cup would be pretty boring to watch.

 

[carlosperezesp]

This looks amazing! Can't wait for 1994/95 when my club Hajduk Split appears. Their 2001/02 season might also be respectable, but now I am digging in way too deep haha. Definitely looking forward to what's next!

Let's see I'll upload the next couple seasons hopefully tomorrow or the next day.

As long as as Panathinaikos beats Ajax in the semifinals in 1996. Also winning the cup optional 😜

We'll see. The thing is the path will likely be different in this timeline: since there is no group stage, it's possible that they meet in a different round, or they never face each other at all. KO rounds could get us into a different scenario.

Good luck with that TL. And i'll admit, i think i might have been a bit too generous in my winners list for the UEFA and Cup Winners Cup in my own world. Then again, considering in my TL, that the foreign player limit is still there, expanded to 5 on the pitch at all times, and measures are taken to ensure parity and also different circumstences, then the chances of a smaller club winning trophies are higher, so it is justified.

anyways, wonder if to keep an even playing field, that the bosman ruling would be different, cause if it follows as OTL, then the European Cup would be pretty boring to watch.

I'll have a look at your TL, I'm curious. And yeah, to make things easier for me I kept the Bosman ruling in. Which kind of makes sense as well. But yes, the initial stages could be a bit 'boring' for the big clubs unless they're paired with another giant.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

I'll have a look at your TL, I'm curious. And yeah, to make things easier for me I kept the Bosman ruling in. Which kind of makes sense as well. But yes, the initial stages could be a bit 'boring' for the big clubs unless they're paired with another giant.

Oh, i don't have a TL. It's all on the Alternate Football Wikis Thread:

Alternate Football Wikis

A thread where anyone can make their own wiki of a specific football team or competition

www.alternatehistory.com

 

[carlosperezesp]

1993-94: Spartak
Milan is the clear favorite to conquer the European throne for the second consecutive year, but the Rossoneri fall just short of reaching the final. Capello's team, which secures Serie A with a superb defense, struggles more than expected against theoretically inferior opponents, such as Anderlecht (whom they defeat in extra time) and Spartak Moscow. The Russians cause a catastrophe at San Siro by thwarting Milan's comeback and qualifying for the grand final with a goal from Onopko. It is the first time that a Russian club reaches a European Cup final!

In Athens, Barcelona awaits them after a becoming sort of comeback specialists. Like last year, they again overcome Dynamo Kyiv at Camp Nou, a performance they repeat in the quarterfinals against Porto. These efforts contrast with the apparent ease shown by the Blaugranas against Monaco, whom they crush 6-1 in the first leg of the semifinals to have an easy second leg and secure a spot in the final. Cruyff's team had strengthened with Romario this season, and the attacking duo formed with Stoichkov propels Barcelona to also conquer the league.

But the Catalans struggle in the final, perhaps feeling the nerves from the lost final in 1992. The final is ugly and boring, and only a goal from Karpin in the 60th minute gives the victory to the team led by Oleg Romantsev, very solid in defense. The Moscow-based team celebrates four times in total during 1994: alongside victories in the national league and cup and the triumph in the European Cup, they also add the CIS Cup at the beginning of the year.

Oh, i don't have a TL. It's all on the Alternate Football Wikis Thread:

Alternate Football Wikis

A thread where anyone can make their own wiki of a specific football team or competition

www.alternatehistory.com

This looks nice Maybe I can add there some specific scenarios that I had in mind (like Spain playing in 1960 vs the URSS or the World Cup in 1954)

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

This looks nice Maybe I can add there some specific scenarios that I had in mind (like Spain playing in 1960 vs the URSS or the World Cup in 1954)

Feel free to do so, any sort of club, national team, tournament or a specific match is welcome to the thread 🙂

 

[Citycat]

This will be interesting and very different from OTL. Most of the English winners IOTL were not national champions - Man Utd in 1999, Liverpool in 2005, Chelsea in 2012 , Liverpool in 2019 and Chelsea in 2021. Only Man Utd in 2008 and Man City in 2023 were Premier League champions at the time of their European wins.

 

[carlosperezesp]

This will be interesting and very different from OTL. Most of the English winners IOTL were not national champions - Man Utd in 1999, Liverpool in 2005, Chelsea in 2012 , Liverpool in 2019 and Chelsea in 2021. Only Man Utd in 2008 and Man City in 2023 were Premier League champions at the time of their European wins.

Same with some of Spanish winners. Real Madrid won a couple of times IOTL after failing to win the league.

1994-95: Milan
In this edition, Legia Warszawa takes center stage as the great surprise of the season thanks to a mix of big upsets and easy matchups. In the second round, Pawel Janas's players shockingly eliminate PSG in two disastrous nights for the Parisians and some help from the referee. Capello's Milan, now without Van Basten, gets revenge against Spartak for their elimination the previous year, and destroys a Russian team that had already lost a few important players of the team after the summer. Barcelona throws away a 3-0 first-leg advantage to lose 3-0 at Old Trafford and ultimately falls in penalties, allowing Manchester United to advance to the semifinals. The Red Devils have a dreadful night in Poland, where no one seems capable of scoring even a single goal. In the return leg, Man United go all out at Old Trafford, but Legia holds firm: the overall result of 3-2 ensures that, for the first time, a Polish representative reaches the final of the European Cup. However, they prove no match for Milan. The Italian champions qualify for the final after brushing off a lackluster 0-0 at San Siro and winning 0-5 at Da Luz against Benfica. In Vienna, the Rossoneri rout Legia easily after scoring the first goal in the 12th minute. Milan's triumph this season allow them to equal the total titles (6) of Real Madrid.

A brief comparison:

Season	My TL	OTL
1991-92	Benfica (p.) 4-4 Barcelona	Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria
1992-93	Milan 3-1 Rangers	Marseille 1-0 Milan
1993-94	Spartak 1-0 Barcelona	Milan 4-0 Barcelona
1994-95	Milan 5-0 Legia	Ajax 1-0 Milan

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Shame. That Hajduk side even beat Legia that season 5-0 on aggregate.

 

[carlosperezesp]

Shame. That Hajduk side even beat Legia that season 5-0 on aggregate.

I saw that! I checked that after you mentioned it :/ But what can I say, the Gods didn't help Hajduk this time

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

But what can I say, the Gods didn't help Hajduk this time

...Do they ever?

 

[carlosperezesp]

1995-96: Real Madrid
In a way, it was a dream final. But we'll get to that. Milan, the biggest favourites, sign George Weah and Roberto Baggio to create an even more menacing team. Capello guides the Rossoneri to their second European Cup final in a row through a relatively easy route, with one big exception: Juventus. The two Italian giants are drawn together in the second round, and after a 3-3 draw in Delle Alpi, Milan wins 4-2 to advance. In that same round, Ajax loses against Besiktas (who even reaches the semi-finals!) and Nantes kicks out Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, Real Madrid was having a hard time in Spain: they are having trouble to stay in European spots and are out of the Copa del Rey. It doesn't matter that they're still alive in Europe. By the time they reach the Quarter-Finals, manager Jorge Valdano is out and Arsenio Iglesias is taking over until the end of the season. But Madrid survives against Porto and Dynamo Kyiv to make it to the final. A couple of days before the big day, the Spanish press break the news: Fabio Capello, already Serie A champion with Milan, will join Los Blancos after the summer. Does this affect Milan's performance in any way? Who knows. Anyway, it's the 'match of the century' for one reason: the two most decorated teams of the European Cup (with 6 titles each) face in the Stadio Olimpico to claim their 7th trophy. Milan plays 'at home' in Rome, but fail to score a single goal, some say because of Capello's recent news of joining the rival team. Milan is indeed superior, but a goal by the young striker Raúl in the 70th minute seals the victory, the first for Real Madrid after 30 years!

 

[carlosperezesp]

1996-97: Milan

After a somewhat predictable first round (well, Ajax loses against Slavia Prague and Rosenborg beats Partizan), Milan and Real Madrid are paired together in the first round. San Siro wants revenge after what happened last year in the final. The Rossoneri are not performing good under Oscar Tabárez, Capello's replacement, but the team is really motivated against Real Madrid. With Capello now sitting in Los Blancos' bench, Milan destroys the current title holders with a 7-0 victory. The return match at the Bernabéu is pretty much meaningless. However, things don't go really smooth at the domestic competitions for Milan, so Tabarez is fired in December and is replaced with former legend Arrigo Sacchi. It's pretty much the same story as last year: an interim coach brings the eventual champions to the final after Milan beats Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals. There, Auxerre awaits. The French team won the double last year under Guy Roux, but it has sold some of its key figures. Despite this, they manage to make Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps a fortress, beating Manchester United on penalties and winning 5-1 against Atlético de Madrid. In the final, however, there is not much to say, as Milan scores quickly in the first half. The match ends 2-0 for the Rossoneri to become European champions for their seventh time (with Sacchi winning his third European Cup!)

 

[carlosperezesp]

1997-98: Juventus
Milan and Real Madrid face each other once again, this time in the quarter-finals. Milan, led by Capello after a mixed season in Madrid, struggles through a challenging Serie A campaign. Under Jupp Heynckes, Real Madrid secures a 2-0 victory at home, followed by a draw at San Siro, securing their spot in the semis. Capello faces dismissal due to Milan's poor Serie A performance, culminating in a Coppa final loss.

In the semifinals, Real Madrid confronts another Italian powerhouse, Juventus. Despite a 3-2 home win, a solitary goal by Del Piero in Delle Alpi ensures Juventus advances to the final, leading to Heynckes' removal. On the opposite side of the draw, FC Bayern, guided by Giovanni Trapattoni, easily triumphs over their opponents. Trapattoni has successfully rebuilt a team that collapsed despite winning the UEFA Cup in 1996. The final, held in Amsterdam, witnesses Juventus claiming their second European Cup with an exhilarating 3-2 victory. Despite winning by just one goal, Juventus manages to hold off Bayern for the majority of the game.

 

[carlosperezesp]

1998-99: Ajax
Reigning champions Juventus have a turbulent season. Del Piero and Zidane get injured befored the winter, and as the Bianconeri underperform in Serie A, Lippi announces he'll leave Juve at the end of the season to coach Inter. But he'll be sacked in February, and Carlo Ancelotti replaces him. Under the new boss, Juve reaches the semifinals of the European Cup after beating lesser opponents. But in a historic first-leg match against Barcelona, Pippo Inzaghi scores four goals at Camp Nou, securing a remarkable 0-5 victory. Despite the adversities, Juventus earn a spot in the final for a second time in a row.

Their opponents, Ajax, have also overcome challenges, rebounding from a home defeat and beating Arsenal in Highbury. The Dutch giants are living a tough season. Louis Van Gaal is now in Barcelona, and most of the stars of previous seasons are also gone. Morten Olsen had guided the Amsterdam side to the Eredivisie title the year before, but this season things are going terribly bad for Ajax, so Olsen is sacked before the winter. Jan Wouters, the reserve-team coach, takes over and, despite unable to reverse the team's fortune in the league, leads Ajax to win the KNVB Cup and qualify for the European Cup final. At the Camp Nou, the underdogs conquer their fourth title thanks to a header by Shota Arveladze in the first half.

A brief comparison:

Season	My TL	OTL
1991-92	Benfica (p.) 4-4 Barcelona	Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria
1992-93	Milan 3-1 Rangers	Marseille 1-0 Milan
1993-94	Spartak 1-0 Barcelona	Milan 4-0 Barcelona
1994-95	Milan 5-0 Legia	Ajax 1-0 Milan
1995-96	Real Madrid 1-0 Milan	Juventus (p.) 1-1 Ajax
1996-97	Milan 2-0 Auxerre	Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Juventus
1997-98	Juventus 3-2 Bayern Munich	Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus
1998-99	Ajax 1-0 Juventus	Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich

 

[carlosperezesp]

1999-00: Manchester United
This edition witness one of the biggest surprises of all time. Rosenborg, Norwegian champions for their 7th time in 1998, hires again Nils Arne Eggen in 1999 to see if the Trondheim can be more competitive in Europe. And what a ride. Rosenborg reaches the final after an amazing campaign, making Lerkendal Stadion a true fortress. They win there 4-0 against Steaua in the first round, 5-0 against Feyenoord in the second round, and they also beat Bayern 3-1 in the semifinals, not to mention a 0-0 draw against Ajax in the quarter-finals that was good enough to advance thanks to the away-goal rule.

However, the Cinderella story comes to an end in Paris. After years of success in England, Alex Ferguson finally makes Manchester United champions of Europe. More than the final itself, fans will remember forever their 5-2 victory against Milan at Old Trafford. In Paris, it's so easy for them: Gary Neville and Dwight Yorke make it 2-0 for United before half-time. In the second half, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer scores the third with 13 minutes to go, and despite John Carew's goal a few minutes later, Cole scores another one for the Red Devils. It's United's second European Cup ever in an unforgettable season where they also reclaim the Premier League title.

 

[carlosperezesp]

2000-01: Manchester United
Manchester United are the biggest favourites to win after last year triumph, but they don't have an easy path to defend their title. Lazio and FC Bayern are the two other big candidates, and coincidentally, the Red Devils face both of them. Same as last year, United lose the first leg in Italy but are able to come back at Old Trafford to secure a spot in the semis, where they deliver an excellent performance against the menacing German champions.

Their rivals in the big final are Deportivo de La Coruña. The 'Super Depor' won LaLiga for their first time ever the previous year, and have quite a successfull European campaign thanks to an easier route than Man United. Deportivo is a strong team despite their unknown players, with Djalminha, Diego Tristán and Juan Carlos Valerón among others, and have taken Spanish football by surprise. However, they succumb against Alex Ferguson's pupils right at the verge of half-time. Teddy Sheringham scores at the 43th minute and Andy Cole adds another goal in injury time, and Depor don't recover from the psychological blow in the second half. With their second triumph in a row, the Red Devils join the pantheon of top teams of all time as they achieve something that wasn't done since Sacchi's Milan in 1989 and 1990.

 

[carlosperezesp]

2001-02: Real Madrid
The 'Galácticos' live up to their name. With a stacked lineup, comprising legends such as Zidane, Figo or Roberto Carlos, Real Madrid faces a very complicated path to the final. They beat Red Star and FC Bayern before escaping alive from Munich. Then, a comeback against PSV in the quarter-finals and an agonic triumph against Roma in the semis allow 'Los Blancos' to seal their ticket to Scotland.

A match against Manchester United was what everybody wanted, but the dream final is 'ruined' by Tirol Innsbruck. The Austrian side, without stars but coached by a young Joachim Löw, achieves an amazing feat after great triumphs against Boavista and Sparta, but is outplayed by Real Madrid in Hampden Park. Everything was resolved in the first half. Figo opened the score at the 12th minute, but Radoslaw Gilewicz tied the match in the 32nd before Makélélé put Real leading again right before half-time. Madrid dominated the rest of the match easily and claimed la Octava.

Some unavoidable butterflies: IOTL, Tirol ceased to exist after this season despite winning the Austrian Bundesliga because of bankruptcy. I'll give them some cash after reaching the final, which will allow them to survive for a couple of years and participate in the next European Cup edition.

And a summary of winners from the POD: