Last update 21 July, 2021 by Alberto Llopis
Created in 1865, he Nottingham Forest occupies a small part of the hearts of football fans thanks to his deeds achieved at the end of the years 70. And it is that not many teams may have boasted of having spent in just three years of being a team of the bunch of the second division national league to conquer Europe: That is the case of the owners of the City Ground.
“The Tricky Trees”, as they are also called the British Isles, They had been characterized as an elevator equipment alternating years in the top flight of English football, la antigua First Division, with years in the Second Division. Just, FA Cup straight seasons 1897/98 y 1958/59 and second place in the league 67 They highlighted in the honors of a team until then considered minor compared to Manchester or Liverpool.
Brian Clough, the man who led Nottingham Forest to be European champion
However, the early 70 I would assume the turning point of the Forest. Arrival at the club coach Brian Clough in 1975 He made to turn from 180 degrees to the club. After two years of settlement in the team, who managed to save the Third Division in season, he Nottingham Forest was going to finally achieve promotion in 1977 to the top flight of English football.
With a mixture based on veteran players and young unknown, Forest completed the following season dramatically achieving an amazing double of League and League Cup and getting to stay a total of 42 consecutive games unbeaten. Unprecedented success in the history of English football.
The following season would be better. While they could not regain the league title, He is second behind Liverpool, They managed to revalidate the League Cup and above all to proclaim themselves champions of the European Cup by defeating the Swedish Malmoe in the grand final. It was the first time a team spent three years up to first division, to achieve the best team on the continent.
To show the world that what has been achieved had not been the result of chance, he Nottingham Forest would repeat as European champion the following year (1980) the defeat in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu to Hamburg and also win the European Super Cup by beating Barcelona. El portero Peter Shilton and striker John Robertson were the key pieces of this team that surprised locals and strangers.
From glory to the catacombs
From there, Forest path back to the irregularity highlighting the semifinals of the UEFA obtained 1983 and won the League Cup in 1989. Finally, the goodbye of Brian Clough in 1993, after eighteen years in office coach, He marked the end of what was a glorious and memorable time, reminds his statue outside the stadium.
Nowadays, Forest survives in the Championship, although it is true that can boast of being one of the few teams that has more European Cups than national leagues.