History of European Cup Football

European Cup football, more commonly known as the Euro Cup, is one of the longest standing traditions in all of sports and as such, has some remarkable roots of which to speak. The beginnings of the Euro Cup can be drawn back to the days when soccer was rarely, if ever, played under lights. In 1953, the Wolverhampton Wanderers of England experimented with the use of floodlights during some of their friendly matches against other powers around the world. With their lights in place, the Wanderers began to take on all comers for their experimental matches, thus bringing more fervor to the idea of a tournament that encompassed all of Europe.
After Wolverhampton was able to defeat a number of teams across Europe, then manager Stan Cullis proclaimed his side as the “Champions of the World”. Naturally, other squads took offense to this assertion, thus prompting even more support for the continent-wide competition. Two short years later, in March of 1955, the United European Football Association’s governing body met and approved the competition, which would take place the following year.

Since its somewhat humble beginnings, the European Cup has grown into one of the most popular and fiercely contested sporting events in the world. The first five years of competition were dominated by traditional Spanish power Real Madrid, which featured stars like Gento and Jose Santamaria. During those early years, the competition was just as important to the losers as it was to the winners, as Real Madrid’s complete domination prompted other nations and clubs to elevate their level of play. English teams in particular made an effort to get stronger as a result of the predominant effort from Real Madrid.

It did not take long for European Cup football to become an establishment among fans on that continent. The fifth of Real Madrid’s consecutive titles was won 7-3 over West German power Eintracht Frankfurt. That game was broadcasted across Europe by the BBC, as well as other European television stations. More impressively, the game still holds the record as the highest attended contest in Euro Cup final history as more than 135,000 fans packed Glasgow, Scotland’s Hampden Park to witness the match. At this point, it was clear that the European Cup had both succeeded in promoting excellent football, as well as in helping improve the interest in the game among fans all over Europe.

Real Madrid’s early dominance was aided by one of the most tragic events in European Cup history. One of the few sides to pose any challenge to Madrid was the young Manchester United team out of England. They had assembled a talented young corps of players known as the “Busby Babes” who, in 1957, helped lift Manchester United into the semi-finals of the European Cup. In 1958, they again led their side to the semi-finals, but tragedy stopped their dream over the airspace in Munich, Germany. Overall, eight members of the team were killed in a plane crash over the German city, while many others were injured. That incident decimated the up and coming franchise and left no real challenger to the power of Real Madrid.

The history of the Euro Cup has seen the rise and fall of many great teams, with just about every area in Europe having some representation at the winner’s table. The Iberian Peninsula maintained its football domination even after Real Madrid, as fellow Spaniards Barcelona claimed two titles immediately following Madrid’s reign. Later, the competition would be dominated by Italian side Milan, who ushered in the rise of Italian soccer. Scottish team Celtic got into the action, as did other squads across Europe. Manchester United ultimately got their redemption ten long years after their tragic fall when they claimed the first title for England in the 1968 competition.

Overall, the importance of the European Cup football competition can be seen in how it caused football to take hold all over Europe. Though certain countries and areas and had teams dominate the competition for a short period of years, nearly every side in Europe got into the act at one point or another. From Germany to England to Spain and Italy, the Euro Cup quickly became the number one priority of all teams. It brought together fans and helped promote a sense of pride for one’s side, as well as one’s nation. That is the lasting impact of the Euro Cup, which continues to run today, long after its somewhat meager beginnings in 1955.