The excitement of football is unmatched by any other sport. From the passion of the fans to the unpredictable scenes that can turn the football world upside down, it’s no wonder it is the world’s number 1 sport. Since the sport was founded in 1863 by the English Football Association, the game has grown worldwide, bringing people together and using its global appeal for the greater good. With documentaries, films, and even online slots casino games based on the sport, the popularity of the game will only continue to increase. But with that being said, there are plenty of unforgettable moments that shocked the world, so let’s take a look at some of the biggest underdog stories in football.
Greece’s Euro 2004 Shock
In 2004, the biggest European International tournament arrived in Portugal, for what was set to be a tournament full of incredible competition. Some of the biggest names on the planet featured across the tournament, with favourites France looking to defend their title. Greece returned to the competition for the first time in 24 years and weren’t really expected to go far.
Despite being placed in a group with hosts Portugal and giants Spain, Greece defied odds and finished second, landing themselves in the knockout stages. Greece were set to play against favourites France, but despite all the speculation of France’s domination, Greece came out on top with a 1-0 win, thanks to a goal from Angelos Charisteas. Greece were then awarded a semi-final meeting against the Czech Republic, who went into the game as favourites. But again, Greece managed to defy odds and win 1-0 with a goal from Traianos Dellas in added time being the difference. Despite only scoring 6 goals in the whole competition that year, Greece made it to the final against hosts Portugal, who were yet again favourites. But in the 57th minute, Greece stunned Portugal, netting the only goal of the game and winning Euro 2004. This moment would go down in history for not only Greece but the whole of football.
Leicester’s 5000/1 Premier League Campaign
Leicester City were only promoted back into the Premier League for the 2014/15 season, but the story they would write in the coming years would be no short of incredible. Their first season in the English top flight would see them survive in the mid-table region, comfortably avoiding relegation, which was higher than some may have expected at the start of the campaign. Pundits had decided that it was almost impossible for Leicester to survive the drop, and were given the odds of 5000/1 to win the Premier League that year.
Despite what seemed like reasonable odds, Leicester dominated that season, winning 23 games, drawing 12, and only losing 3 games all season. They ended up finishing 10 points clear of 2nd place Arsenal, taking home their first-ever Premier League title. This moment went down in history as the biggest shock we have seen in the Premier League, knocking the big 6 off their perch with a newly promoted team topping the prestigious English Premier League.
Nottingham Forest’s European Domination
Nottingham Forest have never been regarded as one of England’s greater teams, only winning one domestic league title in the 1977/78 season. However, this would be the start of a brief domination for the Nottingham-based club. Manager Brian Clough had big dreams for Forest, but what he had achieved may have even been too unrealistic for him. In the 1978/79 campaign, Forest entered the European Cup as Premier League winners, but they were not even close to favourites with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Juventus all in with a chance of taking home the prestigious European Cup.
Despite that, Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest side took out Liverpool, AEK Athens, Grasshopper Club Zurich and FC Koln to reach the final in Munich. Forest would take on the Swedish side Malmö FF, defeating them 1-0 with a goal from the first £1,000,000 player, Trevor Francis. What makes this underdog story even more incredible is that Nottingham Forest went into the competition the next year in the 1979/1980 season, and defeated Östers Idrottsförening, FC Argeș Pitești, BFC Dynamo and Ajax to reach the final for a consecutive season. Miraculously, Forest had done it again, beating Ballon d’Or winner Kevin Keegan’s Hamburg side 1-0 with a goal from John Robertson. As a result, Nottingham Forest became the first and only team to have won the European Cup more times than their domestic league.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty more underdog stories in football, such as Liverpool’s Miracle of Istanbul, Denmark’s Euro 1992 win, Porto’s Champions League win in 2004, and many, many more. The ability for moments like this to occur in football is what makes the game special and is why it is watched by billions worldwide every year.
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