European Finals Featuring Teams From the Same Nation
The European Cup commenced in the 1955/56 season, allowing just one club from each country to participate.
As the tournament progressed, it became common for two teams from the same league to compete, often including the defending champions as well.
This led to Real Madrid, who won the first five tournaments, contending alongside teams such as Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona in the European Cup. However, there were no finals featuring two teams from the same nation until the tournament was revamped as the Champions League, incorporating the top teams from Europe’s major leagues.
Conversely, the UEFA Cup allowed several teams from one league, often resulting in multiple one-nation finals even before it transitioned into the Europa League in 2009.
From the UEFA Cup to the Champions League, here’s a look at the European finals featuring two clubs from the same country…
Tottenham vs Wolves (UEFA Cup, 1972)
In 1972, Tottenham Hotspur faced Wolverhampton Wanderers in the inaugural UEFA Cup final, played over two legs.
Two goals from Martin Chivers gave Spurs a 2-1 victory in the first match at Molineux, and they secured the title with a 1-1 draw in the second leg at White Hart Lane.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (UEFA Cup, 1980)
The 1980 UEFA Cup final featured two Bundesliga teams, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach, competing over two legs.
In the first leg, Gladbach, with a young Lothar Matthäus, secured a 3-2 victory at home. However, Eintracht clinched the second leg with a narrow 1-0 win, taking the title on away goals.
Juventus vs Fiorentina (UEFA Cup, 1990)
The 1990 UEFA Cup final marked the first European showdown between two Italian clubs, with Juventus taking on Fiorentina over two encounters.
Juventus triumphed in the first leg with a 3-1 victory in Turin and secured the trophy after a 0-0 stalemate in the return match. Later that summer, Roberto Baggio transferred from Fiorentina to Juve, igniting riots in Florence.
Inter vs Roma (UEFA Cup, 1991)
Following a ban, English clubs returned to European competition in the 1990/91 season after the tragic Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, which resulted in the deaths of 39 fans.
Nonetheless, Serie A remained the strongest league in Europe, and the 1991 UEFA Cup final was once again contested by two Italian teams. Inter Milan emerged victorious, edging Roma 2-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 2-0 in Milan and losing 1-0 in Rome.
Parma vs Juventus (UEFA Cup, 1995)
In 1995, Parma faced Juventus in another all-Italian UEFA Cup final.
Roberto Baggio scored in both legs, but it was Parma’s Dino who made the difference as they triumphed 2-1 on aggregate.
Inter vs Lazio (UEFA Cup, 1998)
Starting from the 1997/98 season, the UEFA Cup final transitioned to a single-match format, replacing the previous two-legged setup.
Inter faced Lazio at the Parc des Princes, running out 3-0 winners in an all-Italian final thanks to goals from Ivan Zamorano, Javier Zanetti, and Ronaldo.
Real Madrid vs Valencia (Champions League, 2000)
In May 2000, Real Madrid squared off against Valencia at Stade de France in the inaugural Champions League final featuring two Spanish teams.
Los Blancos, dressed in black, dominated their La Liga opponents, with goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman, and Raúl securing a 3-0 victory, earning them an eighth European Cup title.
AC Milan vs Juventus (Champions League, 2003)
AC Milan and Juventus faced off in the 2003 Champions League final at Old Trafford, but with no goals scored, the match was decided by penalties.
The shootout saw half of the shooters failing to convert, but Dida saved three attempts while Gianluigi Buffon stopped two, leading Milan to a 3-2 victory in a lackluster final.
Sevilla vs Espanyol (UEFA Cup, 2007)
Sevilla’s admiration for the UEFA Cup was solidified with a win against Middlesbrough in the 2006 final, and they managed to retain the title the following year.
After a 1-1 draw at Hampden Park against Espanyol, both sides scored in extra time, finishing at 2-2; however, Sevilla triumphed 3-1 in the penalty shootout in this all-Spanish contest.
Manchester United vs Chelsea (Champions League, 2008)
In 2008, Manchester United faced Chelsea in an all-English Champions League final, which ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to penalties.
Chelsea appeared destined to win the shootout until John Terry slipped during his attempt, hitting the post. Nicolás Anelka’s effort was saved by Edwin van der Sar, allowing United to win the shootout 6-5 and secure the trophy for the second time under Sir Alex Ferguson, marking their third overall victory.
Porto vs Braga (Europa League, 2011)
During the 2010/11 season, Porto etched their name in history by winning the Primeira Liga unbeaten, alongside the Portuguese Cup, the Supercup, and the UEFA Cup.
As a result, it was no surprise when André Villas Boas’ squad came out victorious against Braga in an all-Portuguese Europa League final, albeit narrowly, with Radamel Falcao scoring the only goal of the match in Dublin.
Atlético Madrid vs Athletic Club (Europa League, 2012)
Marcelo Bielsa’s Athletic Club captivated many with their journey to the 2012 Europa League final, famously defeating Manchester United 5-3 on aggregate in the last 16.
However, they were outperformed by Atlético Madrid in an all-Spanish final held in Bucharest, with Radamel Falcao netting two goals and Diego adding another in a 3-0 victory for Diego Simeone’s side.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund (Champions League, 2013)
Bayern Munich, having lost the previous season’s Champions League final at home to Chelsea, announced in January plans for Pep Guardiola to take over as coach for the 2013/14 season.
In the meantime, existing coach Jupp Heynckes aimed to leave on a high note, leading his side to win the treble, culminating in a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley.
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (Champions League, 2014)
In 2014, the first European final contested by two teams from the same city featured Real Madrid against Atlético Madrid at the Champions League final in Lisbon.
Atlético was just moments away from victory when Sergio Ramos scored a last-gasp equalizer from a corner. Real Madrid went on to win the match 4-1 after extra time, marking their first European Cup title since 2002 and their 10th overall: La Décima.
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (Champions League, 2016)
In 2016, the Champions League final once again featured Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, with Los Blancos emerging victorious once more.
Atleti lamented missed chances, with Antoine Griezmann failing to convert a penalty during the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. During the shootout, Juanfran’s miss allowed Real Madrid to clinch the trophy, marking the beginning of their streak of three consecutive wins in the competition under Zinédine Zidane.
Chelsea vs Arsenal (Europa League, 2019)
In the 2019 Europa League final, Arsenal faced Chelsea in Baku. Given manager Unai Emery’s prior successes in the competition with Sevilla, Gunners fans entered with optimism.
Unfortunately for them, Emery’s side conceded four second-half goals, leading to a 4-1 victory for Chelsea. Eden Hazard scored twice in his final appearance for the Blues before transferring to Real Madrid.
Liverpool vs Tottenham (Champions League, 2019)
Three days after Chelsea defeated Arsenal in the Europa League final, Liverpool clashed with Tottenham in the Champions League finale at Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Divock Origi added the second late in the game, allowing Liverpool to lift the European Cup for a sixth time in what was considered one of the worst finals in recent times.
Chelsea vs Manchester City (2021)
After a series of near-misses in the Champions League previously, it seemed that the moment had arrived for Pep Guardiola to finally win the trophy as Manchester City manager in 2021.
However, Chelsea and their manager Thomas Tuchel had different plans. The German coach had previously guided his team to victories over City in both the Premier League and the FA Cup ahead of the final, achieving a hat-trick with a narrow victory thanks to Kai Havertz’s goal in Porto.
