The best of Britain in Europe
Liverpool and Chelsea are the two British sides in European action tonight as the Champions League knock-out stages kick-off. There are a total of five Brit teams in the final 16 of the competition.
That quintet have some way to go to be crowned kings of the continent with the likes of AC and Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona among the top teams still to beat. And as the competition hots up, we pick out the best British sides of all time in Europe.
But do you agree with our hotlist or have we got it completely wrong? We want to hear your views...
Leeds United in the same mould as the rest. what a joke. they were the most cynical cheating shower of under achievers (exept Paul Madeley) always the brides maids.
Everton. Any team that loses an 11 point lead in the 1st Division & loses a goal start in the FA cup final do not have the werewithall to win anything, never mind the greatest prize of all.
And YES Aston Villa do deserve a mention as they were in the old 3rd Division 8 years before they won it
Posted by: steve | 20 February 2008 at 21:07
im a liverpool fan and see 84 in rome not mentioned..all the british winners were magnificent in their time....i couldnt choose the best...but what about a mention for aston villa great winners in 82...
Posted by: dave thomas | 20 February 2008 at 10:09
Man utd 99.
For me the treble winners have to be the best. look at the quality of the teams they had to overcome to win it! Add this to the competion they faced & overcome in the premiership & FA cup & you surely have the ultimate achievement.
Why no Villa?
Posted by: tricky | 20 February 2008 at 01:00
Good to see Everton back where they belong, in the second division of European football.
Only one British team to ever dominate Europe and thats Liverpool.
Posted by: rafa`s red men | 19 February 2008 at 22:42
typical it's all about man u
and liverpool what about the villa,god help us if chelsea
and arsenal ever win it.
Posted by: PAUL WAGSTAFF | 19 February 2008 at 22:13
Celtic were the first British club to win the European Cup (1967). Like Manchester United (1968), this club was not dependent on expensive imported players from around the globe. Every member of the Celtic team of 1967 was born within a twenty mile radius of Glasgow. Like the England team in 1966, Celtic had helped to demonstrate that home-grown British football could match the best in the world.
Posted by: John | 19 February 2008 at 19:47
In regards to the Leeds fan (johno), a treble winning team has to be among them. I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if that was the Leeds team, the '99 team was a great team and how can you say a team with such great players like the ones in '68 don't deserve to be there. I also think the man utd '58 team deserves a mention, they were destined to with the european cup and could have done in the following seasons if the disaster never happened. That was a great team and deserves a mention.
I would also like to say that the forest team, the celtic team, the liverpool team of the late 70s/ early 80s also deserve a mention in my post and I'm surprised Villa aren't there because they should be.
Posted by: AC | 19 February 2008 at 19:36
How can you leave out the Aston villa team 1980-82? League champions then european cup winners, they then went on to beat barcalona in the european super cup final, all the other teams are good but to leave out the other british winners of the europen cup is a shocking error.
Posted by: Andy Villa | 19 February 2008 at 18:23
What about the ASton Villa side that won it in 1982? Why don't they get a mention?
Posted by: | 19 February 2008 at 18:20
Only Liverpool and Forest can be named as the best British sides in Europe due to retaining the trophy.
Posted by: Andy Robinson | 19 February 2008 at 18:02
man utd. were lucky in both finals 68 99 the greatest team by a mile were Leeds United from 68 to 75 they were in 5 euro finals won 2 and were robbed by bent refs.in 2 others 1973 ecwc ref was banned for life afterwards. 1975 european cup final french ref was also banned afterwards. on liverpool have a better euro record. who made the choices man utd. fans
Posted by: johno | 19 February 2008 at 17:54
everton - 1985. league champions, cup winners cup winners, FA Cup runners-up. denied a chance to play in the european cup because of Heysel. One of the best teams ever - Reid, Steven, Sheedy, Gray, Southall etc
Posted by: efc | 19 February 2008 at 17:25
Come on Newcastle United. Intercities Fairs Cup in 68/69 was our last major trophy. EUFA cup soon via KK.
Posted by: jock | 19 February 2008 at 15:12
Liverpool a couple of years ago? Don't make me laugh. It was a great result against AC Milan and one of the great European finals but you can't mention in the same breath as the other teams in that line-up. There are far more accomplished line-ups that didn't even make the final than that.
Posted by: EvertonBlue | 19 February 2008 at 14:31
Chelsea'll be in that list come the end of the season. They look in top shape in Europe and, with most of their big players coming back from injury and the African Cup of Nations, the timing of the next round of Champions League matches will really suit them. And in Avram Grant, I think they've got the brains to do the honours. Come on Chelsea.
Posted by: Manny | 19 February 2008 at 13:27
What about the mighty Ipswich Town in the 70s and 80s in the pre-Tractor Boyz days?!?!?!?
Posted by: Noel | 19 February 2008 at 11:16
I know we didn't win the European Cup but what about the Leeds side from 1975? What a great side and they were only robbed by the referee who I believe was never allowed to officiate a game in Europe again after that one. Call me biased as a Leeds fan but a top, top side. I'm sure they'd have given the likes of Nottingham Forest a run for their money.
Posted by: EllandBack | 19 February 2008 at 09:35