From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1979 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympiastadion, Munich, on May 30, 1979, that saw Nottingham Forest F.C. of England defeat Malmö FF of Sweden 1 - 0.
The 1979 European Cup had provided many great stories and had thrown up a final that no-one could have predicted when the competition had started the previous August. Unfortunately, with two of their best defenders - Bo Larsson and Roy Andersson - already ruled out with injury and with their captain and key midfielder Staffan Tapper breaking his toe in training on the eve of the final - Malmö FF resorted to the same defensive tactics that Bruges had used at Wembley twelve months earlier. With neither of the finalists being one of Europe’s giant clubs, Munich’s Olympiastadion was far from full for the Final, and the game itself was something of an anti-climax. There was, however, one memorable story still to be told. Back in February, Brian Clough had elected to spend the money that Forest had made from winning the league title and entering the European Cup for the first time on a forward from Birmingham City. Clough made Trevor Francis Britain’s first £1 million footballer when he took him to Nottingham, but UEFA rules stipulated that he could not play European football for another three months. The first game that Francis was eligible for, therefore, was the final itself and, with O’Neill and Gemmill both out through injury, he was picked to play his first ever European club game, albeit out on the right wing.
[edit] Match Summary
With Malmö FF sitting back in defence, the game was merely about whether Forest could break through. Despite constant pressure, the English side had still failed to score as first half injury time began, but then John Robertson, a man who before the arrival of Brian Clough at Nottingham had been an overweight and unremarkable second division player, but was now one of the most feared wingers in European football, beat two Swedish defenders on the left hand side before whipping in a cross that the previously inspired goalkeeper Jans Moller dared not come for, and there at the far post was none other than Trevor Francis to head the ball into the roof of the net.
And that was effectively the end of the match. Both Birtles and Robertson missed good chances in the second half, but it was immaterial, as Malmö FF never looked likely to score.
It may have been an unremarkable final, but it was certainly the end to a remarkable story. Under their maverick manager Brian Clough, Nottingham Forest, a relatively small English provincial club, had won European club football’s biggest prize. In a competition that had started with the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool taking part, it was Nottingham Forest who had run out winners. They had shown what man management and teamwork could achieve and they would be back the following season to defend their title, although Europe’s finest would be there to challenge them and they were unlikely to capitulate so easily next time around.
[edit] Match details
|
|
| Malmö FF |
|
|
| GK |
1 |
 Jan Möller |
| DF |
2 |
Roy Andersson |
| DF |
3 |
Kent Jönsson |
| DF |
4 |
Magnus Andersson |
| DF |
5 |
Ingemar Erlandsson |
| MF |
6 |
Staffan Tapper (C) |
|
 36' |
| MF |
7 |
Anders Ljungberg |
| MF |
8 |
Robert Prytz |
| MF |
9 |
Jan Ove Kinnvall |
| FW |
10 |
Tommy Hansson |
|
83' |
| FW |
11 |
Tore Cervin |
| Substitutions: |
| MF |
12 |
Claes Malmberg |
|
 36' |
| FW |
13 |
Tommy Andersson |
|
83' |
| Coach: |
 Bobby Houghton |
|
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Erich Linemayr
