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Student: .........
Teacher: .............
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Year: ……………
Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………..page 4
History of Liverpool F.C. ………………………………………………..page 6
Liverpool F.C. in European football ……………………………………..page 9
European domination – the Paisley years (1974–83) ……………………page 13
Bibliography……………………………………………………………….page21
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Introduction
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool.
Liverpool F.C. is one of the most successful clubs in England and has won more European
trophies than any other English team with five European Cups, three UEFA Cups and three
UEFA Super Cups. The club has also won eighteen League titles, seven FA Cups and a record
eight League Cups.
Liverpool was founded in 1892 and joined the Football League the following year. The
club has played at Anfield since its formation. The most successful period in Liverpool's history
was the 1970s and '80s when Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley led the club to eleven league titles
and seven European trophies.
The club's supporters have been involved in two major tragedies. The first was the Heysel
Stadium disaster in 1985 in which charging Liverpool fans caused a wall to collapse, killing 39
Juventus supporters and resulting in English clubs being banned from European competitions for
five years. In the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in a crush
against perimeter fencing.
Liverpool has long-standing rivalries with neighbours Everton and with Manchester
United. The team changed from red shirts and white shorts to an all-red home strip in 1964. The
club's anthem is "You'll Never Walk Alone".
Liverpool F.C. was founded following a dispute between the Everton committee and John
Houlding, club president and owner of the land at Anfield. After eight years at the stadium,
Everton relocated to Goodison Park in 1892 and Houlding founded Liverpool F.C. to play at
Anfield. Originally named "Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd" (Everton Athletic for short),
the club became Liverpool F.C. in March 1892 and gained official recognition three months
later, after the Football Association refused to recognise the club as Everton. The team won the
Lancashire League in its début season, and joined the Football League Second Division at the
start of the 1893–94 season. After finishing in first place the club was promoted to the First
Division, which it won in 1901 and again in 1906.
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For much of Liverpool's history its home colours have been all red, but when the club
was founded its kit was more like the contemporary Everton kit. The blue and white quartered
shirts were used until 1894, when the club adopted the city's colour of red.[3] The city's symbol
of the liver bird was adopted as the club's badge in 1901, although it was not incorporated into
the kit until 1955. Liverpool continued to wear red shirts and white shorts until 1964, when
manager Bill Shankly decided to change to an all red strip.
Liverpool is one of the best supported clubs in the world. The club states that its
worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Association of
International Branches (AIB) in at least 30 countries.The club takes advantage of this support
through its worldwide summer tours.Liverpool fans often refer to themselves as Kopites, a
reference to the fans who once stood, and now sit, on the Kop at Anfield.In 2008 a group of fans
decided to form a splinter club, A.F.C. Liverpool, to play matches for fans who had been priced
out of watching Premier League football.
As the owner of Anfield and founder of Liverpool, John Houlding was the club's first
chairman, a position he held from its founding in 1892 until 1904. John McKenna took over as
chairman after Houlding's departure. McKenna subsequently became President of the Football
League.The chairmanship changed hands many times before John Smith, whose father was a
shareholder of the club, took up the role in 1973. He oversaw the most successful period in
Liverpool's history before stepping down in 1990. His successor was Noel White who became
Chairman in 1990 In August 1991 David Moores, whose family had owned the club for more
than 50 years became Chairman. His uncle John Moores was also a shareholder at Liverpool and
was chairman of Everton from 1961 to 1973. Moores owned 51 percent of the club, and in 2004
expressed his willingness to consider a bid for his shares in Liverpool.
5
History of Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C. was founded following a dispute between the Everton committee and John
Houlding, club president and owner of the land at Anfield. After eight years at the stadium,
Everton relocated to Goodison Park in 1892 and Houlding founded Liverpool F.C. to play at
Anfield.Originally named "Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd" (Everton Athletic for short),
the club became Liverpool F.C. in March 1892 and gained official recognition three months
later, after the Football Association refused to recognise the club as Everton.The team won the
Lancashire League in its début season, and joined the Football League Second Division at the
start of the 1893–94 season. After finishing in first place the club was promoted to the First
Division, which it won in 1901 and again in 1906.
Liverpool reached its first FA Cup Final in 1914, losing 1–0 to Burnley It won
consecutive League championships in 1922 and 1923, but did not win another trophy until the
1946–47 season, when the club won the First Division for a fifth time.Liverpool suffered its
second Cup Final defeat in 1950, playing against Arsenal. The club was relegated to the Second
Division in the 1953–54 season.Soon after Liverpool lost 2–1 to non-league Worcester City in
the 1958–59 FA Cup, Bill Shankly was appointed manager. Upon his arrival he released 24
players and converted a boot storage room at Anfield into a room where the coaches could
discuss strategy; here, Shankly and other "Boot Room" members Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett,
and Bob Paisley began reshaping the team.
The club was promoted back into the First Division in 1962 and won it in 1964, for the
first time in 17 years. In 1965, the club won its first FA Cup. In 1966, the club won the First
Division but lost to Borussia Dortmund in the European Cup Winners' Cup final.Liverpool won
both the League and the UEFA Cup during the 1972–73 season, and the FA Cup again a year
later. Shankly retired soon afterwards and was replaced by his assistant, Bob Paisley.In 1976,
Paisley's second season as manager, the club won another League and UEFA Cup double. The
following season, the club retained the League title and won the European Cup for the first time,
but it lost in the 1977 FA Cup Final. Liverpool retained the European Cup in 1978 and regained
the First Division title in 1979.During Paisley's nine seasons as manager Liverpool won 21
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trophies, including three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, six League titles and three consecutive
League Cups; the only domestic trophy he did not win was the FA Cup.
Paisley retired in 1983 and was replaced by his assistant, Joe Fagan.Liverpool won the
League, League Cup and European Cup in Fagan's first season, becoming the first English side
to win three trophies in a season.Liverpool reached the European Cup final again in 1985,
against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium. Before kick-off, Liverpool fans breached a fence which
separated the two groups of supporters, and charged the Juventus fans. The resulting weight of
people caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 fans, mostly Italians. The incident became
known as the Heysel Stadium disaster. The match was played in spite of protests by both
managers, and Liverpool lost 1–0 to Juventus. As a result of the tragedy, English clubs were
banned from participating in European competition for five years; Liverpool received a ten-year
ban, which was later reduced to six years. Fourteen Liverpool fans received convictions for
involuntary manslaughter.
Fagan resigned after the disaster and Kenny Dalglish was appointed as player-
manager.During his reign, the club won another three League Championships and two FA Cups,
including a League and Cup "Double" in the 1985–86 season. Liverpool's success was
overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster: in an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest
on 15 April 1989, hundreds of Liverpool fans were crushed against perimeter fencing. Ninety-
four fans died that day; the 95th victim died in hospital from his injuries four days later and the
96th died nearly four years later, without regaining consciousness.After the Hillsborough disaster
there was a government review of stadium safety. The resulting Taylor Report paved the way for
legislation that required top-division teams to have all-seater stadiums. The report ruled that the
main reason for the disaster was overcrowding due to a failure of police control.
Liverpool was involved in the closest finish to a league season during the 1988–89
season. Liverpool finished equal with Arsenal on both points and goal difference, but lost the
title on total goals scored when Arsenal scored the final goal in the last minute of the season.
Dalglish cited the Hillsborough disaster and its repercussions as the reason for his
resignation in 1991; he was replaced by former player Graeme Souness.Under his leadership
Liverpool won the 1992 FA Cup Final. Souness was replaced by Roy Evans, and Liverpool went
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on to win the 1995 Football League Cup Final. Gérard Houllier was appointed co-manager in the
1998–99 season and became the sole manager in November 1998 after Evans resigned.In 2001,
Houllier's second full season in charge, Liverpool won a "Treble": the FA Cup, League Cup and
UEFA Cup.Houllier underwent major heart surgery during the 2001–02 season and Liverpool
finished second in the League, behind Arsenal.
Houllier was replaced by Rafael Benítez at the end of the 2003–04 season. Despite
finishing fifth in Benítez's first season, Liverpool won the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League,
beating A.C. Milan 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended with a score of 3–3. The
following season, Liverpool finished third in the Premier League and won the 2006 FA Cup
Final, beating West Ham United in a penalty shootout after the match finished on 3–3. American
businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks became the owners of the club during the 2006–07
season, in a deal which valued the club and its outstanding debts at £218.9 million.The club
reached the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final against Milan, as it had in 2005, but this time
Liverpool lost 2–1.During the 2008–09 season Liverpool achieved 86 points, its highest Premier
League points total, and finished as runners up to Manchester United.
In the 2009–10 season, Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League and failed to
qualify for the Champions League. Benítez subsequently left by mutual consentand was replaced
by Fulham manager Roy Hodgson.At the start of the 2010–11 season Liverpool was on the verge
of bankruptcy and the club's creditors asked the High Court to allow the sale of the club,
overruling the wishes of Hicks and Gillett. John W. Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox and of
New England Sports Ventures, bid successfully for the club and took ownership in October
2010.Poor results during the start of that season led to Hodgson leaving the club by mutual
consent and former manager Kenny Dalglish taking over.After finishing in 8th position in the
2011–12 season, the worst league finish in 18 years,Dalglish was sacked.He was replaced by
Brendan Rodgers.
8
Liverpool F.C. in European football
Liverpool Football Club, an English professional association football club, is Britain's
most successful team in Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) competitions. Since
1964, they have won eleven European trophies: the UEFA Champions League (formerly known
as the European Cup) five times, the UEFA Europa League (formerly known as the UEFA Cup)
three times, and the UEFA Super Cup three times.
Qualification for European competitions is determined by a team's success in its domestic
league and cup competitions from the previous season. Liverpool competed in European
competitions for 21 consecutive seasons until the 1985 European Cup Final, the occasion of the
Heysel Stadium disaster, following which the club was banned from European competitions for
six seasons. Since being readmitted in 1991, they have qualified for the Champions League (the
successor to the European Cup) eight times and the UEFA Cup (the predecessor to the Europa
League) seven times.
As a result of their victory in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, Liverpool won
the European Champion Clubs' Cup trophy outright, and were awarded a multiple winner badge.
Only Real Madrid (nine) and Milan (seven) have won the competition on more occasions.
Liverpool's total of three UEFA Cup wins has been matched only by Internazionale and
Juventus. They have also won the UEFA Super Cup on three occasions, a total only Milan (five)
and Barcelona (four) have bettered.
Bob Paisley is the club's most successful manager in Europe, with five trophies.
Liverpool's biggest-margin win in Europe is an 11–0 victory over Strømsgodset in the 1974–75
European Cup Winners' Cup. In European competitions, Jamie Carragher holds the club record
for the most appearances, with 139, and Steven Gerrard is the club's record goalscorer, with 38
goals.
The first continental competition organised by UEFA was the European Cup in 1955.
Conceived by Gabriel Hanot, the editor of L'Équipe, as a competition for winners of the
European national football leagues, it is considered the most prestigious European football
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competition.When the European Cup was first played, Liverpool were in the Second Division,
following relegation from the First Division after the 1953–54 season, and thus were ineligible
for the competition.During their time in the Second Division, two further competitions were
created: the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Established in 1955, the Inter-
Cities Fairs Cup was later re-branded as the UEFA Cup when it came under the auspices of
UEFA in 1971.Since the 2009–10 season, the competition has been known as the UEFA Europa
League.The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was inaugurated in 1960 for the winners of domestic cup
competitions.
In 1962 Liverpool were promoted to the First Division. Two years later, they won the
Football League championship, thus making their European debut in the 1964–65 European Cup.
In the following years, further European competitions were inaugurated. The first, the UEFA
Super Cup, was originally a match played between the winners of the European Cup and the Cup
Winners' Cup. First established in 1973, it changed formats in 2000; since then, it has been
contested between the winners of the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) and the
Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup), following the Cup Winners' Cup amalgamation into
the latter.The Intercontinental Cup was a competition for the winners of the European Cup (later,
the UEFA Champions League) and the South American equivalent, the Copa Libertadores.
Established in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup was jointly organised by UEFA and the
Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL). It ran until 2004, when the FIFA Club
World Cup, which includes the winners of all six confederations' regional championships
replaced it.
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Bill Shankly began managing Liverpool in 1959, and it was under him that the team first
competed in European competition in 1964–65, qualifying for the European Cup by winning the
First Division championship the previous season.The club's first opponents were
Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur of Iceland, who they played in the preliminary round. Liverpool
won 11–1 on aggregate.
The next round, against Belgian club Anderlecht, was the first time in Liverpool's history
that they wore their now common all-red strip. The decision was made to change from red shirts,
white shorts and socks by Shankly, who wanted his players to make more of a psychological
impact on opponents.They beat Anderlecht and progressed to the semi-finals, where they met
Italian team Internazionale. Before the first leg at Anfield, Shankly asked two injured players to
parade the FA Cup, which Liverpool had won the previous week, to intimidate the Italians.The
team won the match 3–1,but Inter won the second leg 3–0, securing a 4–3 aggregate victory.
The second leg was controversial; Shankly described it as "a war".He felt that the referee,
Jose Maria Ortiz de Mendibel, had shown bias towards Internazionale,and the Liverpool players
felt cheated by his decisions. The club's 1964–65 FA Cup victory ensured qualification for the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the following season, and in that competition, they reached their first
European final. Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool's opponents, employed counter-attacking tactics
that had paid dividends in previous rounds and did so again, with the West Germans beating
Liverpool 2–1 after extra time.
In the next four seasons, they competed in the European Cup and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup,
but failed to progress past the third round in either competition.A tie against Dutch team Ajax
during the 1966–67 European Cup was to prove pivotal in the history of Liverpool in European
competition.Ajax beat Liverpool 7–3 on aggregate; however, the style of football that Ajax
played – a patient passing game, inspired by Johann Cruyff – convinced Shankly that Liverpool
had to replicate this style to be successful in Europe.Liverpool reached the semi-finals of the
1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, losing 1–0 on aggregate to Leeds United. They competed in the
1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup, despite losing the 1971 FA Cup Final, as the FA Cup
winners, Arsenal, had also qualified for the European Cup by winning the league championship.
Liverpool were eliminated in the second round by Bayern Munich of Germany, losing 3–1 on
aggregate.
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The changes made to Liverpool's tactics came to fruition during the 1972–73 UEFA Cup.
The club reached their second European final, where they faced Borussia Mönchengladbach of
Germany. Liverpool won the first leg 3–0 as a result of two goals from Kevin Keegan and one
from Larry Lloyd. Victory in this first leg meant Liverpool only needed to avoid losing by three
or more goals in order to win the final. This influenced their tactics – The Times reported that
Liverpool employed a "holding action" against the "attacking Germans".
The tactics worked, allowing Mönchengladbach only two goals, granting Liverpool a 3–
2 aggregate victory.Liverpool also won the First Division championship that season, and as a
result qualified for the 1973–74 European Cup, where they were eliminated in the second round
by Red Star Belgrade of Yugoslavia. At the end of that season, Shankly retired.
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European domination – the Paisley years (1974–83)
Shankly was succeeded by his assistant, Bob Paisley, in 1974.Liverpool competed in the
Cup Winners' Cup during Paisley's first season and defeated Strømsgodset of Norway 11–0 at
Anfield. This remains the club's largest margin of victory in all matches.They lost in the next
round to Hungarian side Ferencváros on the away goals rule.
In 1975–76 the club entered the UEFA Cup after a second-place finish in the First
Division. Victories over Hibernian (Scotland), Real Sociedad (Spain), Śląsk Wrocław (Poland),
Dynamo Dresden (East Germany) and FC Barcelona (Spain) took Liverpool to their third
European final. Crucial to their progress was goalkeeper Ray Clemence, who made two
important penalty saves against Hibernian and Dresden, saving Liverpool from elimination on
the away goals rule on both occasions.Their opponents in the final were Club Brugge of
Belgium.
Liverpool recovered from a two-goal deficit to win the first leg at Anfield 3–2, with Ray
Kennedy, Jimmy Case, and Keegan scoring a goal each in a span of six minutes. A 1–1 draw at
the Jan Breydel Stadion in Bruges meant Liverpool won 4–3 on aggregate, earning their second
UEFA Cup.
The Paisley Gateway is a tribute to former manager Bob Paisley, who won a record three
European Cups—and three European trophies in successive seasons—as Liverpool manager.
As the 1975–76 league champions, the club entered the 1976–77 European Cup. They
defeated Crusaders of Northern Ireland and Trabzonspor of Turkey to reach the quarter-finals,
where they faced the runners-up from the previous season, Saint-Étienne.
The French team won the first leg 1–0. The second leg at Anfield began well for
Liverpool when Keegan scored in the first two minutes. Saint-Étienne equalised to make the
score 2–1 on aggregate in their favour. Kennedy scored for Liverpool, but the away goals rule
meant they still needed another goal to win the tie. With six minutes remaining, David
Fairclough was brought on to replace John Toshack; he immediately scored in front of the Kop,
ensuring a 3–2 aggregate victory for Liverpool.In the semi-finals, they defeated FC Zürich of
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Switzerland 6–1 on aggregate to reach the final, where they met their opponents from the 1973
UEFA Cup Final, Borussia Mönchengladbach. The final was held in Rome, four days after the
club had lost the 1977 FA Cup Final to Manchester United. Before the match, Paisley announced
that striker Toshack would be fit to start; however, he was not named in the matchday squad.
This change upset the Germans' game plan and allowed Keegan to torment his marker, Berti
Vogts.Liverpool won 3–1 to become European champions for the first time.
By winning the European Cup, they qualified for the European Super Cup and played the
winners of the Cup Winners' Cup, German team Hamburg, who had just signed Keegan.
Liverpool won the tie 7–1 on aggregate.Liverpool entered the 1977–78 European Cup as
champions and received a bye in the first round.
They defeated Dynamo Dresden and Portuguese team Benfica in the second round and
quarter-finals, respectively. In the semi-final, the club again met Borussia Mönchengladbach,
who won the first leg 2–1. Liverpool won the second leg 3–0, progressing to a second successive
European Cup final, this time against Club Brugge at Wembley Stadium in London.
In the final Kenny Dalglish, who had been signed to replace Keegan, scored the winning
goal after receiving the ball from a Graeme Souness pass. The 1–0 victory meant Liverpool
became the first British team to retain the European Cup.They faced Anderlecht in the 1978
European Super Cup, but failed to retain the trophy, losing 4–3 on aggregate against the Belgian
side.Liverpool were eliminated in the first round of the 1978–79 European Cup by English
champions Nottingham Forest. Nottingham Forest won the tie 2–0 on aggregate, and went on to
win the competition.Liverpool entered the 1979–80 European Cup as English champions but
were again eliminated in the first round, this time beaten 4–2 on aggregate by Dinamo Tbilisi of
the Soviet Union.
Liverpool participated in the 1980–81 European Cup as English league champions,
defeating Finnish champions Oulun Palloseura, Scottish club Aberdeen and CSKA Sofia of
Bulgaria to qualify for the semi-finals, where they faced three-time champions Bayern Munich.
The first leg at Anfield finished goalless. In the second leg at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Ray
Kennedy scored in the 83rd minute and, although the German side equalised, Liverpool went
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through to the final on the away goals rule.They faced Spanish side Real Madrid in the final,
held at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Alan Kennedy scored the only goal to give Liverpool a 1–0 victory, which secured the
club's—and Paisley's—third European Cup. As champions of Europe, Liverpool competed in the
Intercontinental Cup against South American champions Flamengo of Brazil. Liverpool lost the
match 3–0.The club's defence of the European Cup in 1981–82 was ended by CSKA Sofia in the
quarter-finals.Another quarter-final exit occurred in the 1982–83 European Cup when Polish
club Widzew Łódź eliminated Liverpool 4–3 on aggregate. Paisley retired as manager at the end
of the season and was succeeded by his assistant, Joe Fagan.
Triumph and tragedy – the Fagan years (1983–85)
Liverpool entered the 1983–84 European Cup as league champions for the fourth time in
five seasons. Victories over Odense of Denmark and Spanish champions Athletic Bilbao brought
Liverpool to face Portuguese champions Benfica in the quarter-finals. Liverpool won the first leg
at Anfield 1–0. In the second leg, their tactic of withdrawing Dalglish into midfield put Benfica's
game plan into disarray, leading to a 4–1 match victory and a 5–1 aggregate victory. Their
opponents in the semi-finals were Dinamo Bucharest of Romania. The tie proved a brutal
encounter, characterised by Souness breaking the jaw of the Bucharest captain Lică Movilă, and
was won 3–1 on aggregate by Liverpool.
Fagan's first season in charge of Liverpool had been a successful one. When they reached
their fourth European Cup final, they had already won the Football League Cup and the league
championship;victory in the European final against Italian side Roma would complete an
unprecedented treble. The final was played at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, and Liverpool went
ahead in the 13th minute when Phil Neal scored, though Roma equalised towards the end of the
first half. The score remained the same throughout full and extra time; Liverpool won the
subsequent penalty shoot-out, with Alan Kennedy scoring the winning penalty after goalkeeper
Bruce Grobbelaar had put off Francesco Graziani, causing him to place his penalty over the
crossbar. After the game, gangs of Roma fans assaulted Liverpool supporters travelling back to
their hotels.Success in the European Cup entitled Liverpool to compete in the 1984
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Intercontinental Cup, however they were unable to beat the winners of the Copa Libertadores,
Independiente of Argentina, who claimed a 1–0 victory.
Liverpool entered the 1984–85 European Cup as champions, and once again progressed
to the final, where their opponents were Juventus of Italy. They aimed to win their fifth European
Cup and keep the trophy. The 1985 European Cup Final was held at the Heysel Stadium in
Brussels. The choice of venue had been criticised due to the dilapidated state of the stadium, and
the club tried to persuade UEFA to change the venue.Before the kick-off, Liverpool fans
breached a fence separating the two groups of supporters and charged the Juventus fans. The
resulting weight of people caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 people and injuring
hundreds more.Despite calls for an abandonment, the match was played, as it was felt that further
trouble would be caused otherwise.
Juventus won the match 1–0; Michel Platini scored from the penalty spot to give Juventus
their first European Cup.UEFA laid the blame for the incident solely on the Liverpool fans: the
official UEFA observer stated, "Only the English fans were responsible. Of that there is no
doubt".Three days after the final, UEFA banned all English clubs from European competition for
an indefinite period. Liverpool were initially given an additional three-year ban.Fagan retired
after the 1984–85 season and was succeeded by Dalglish, who took over as player-manager.
The ban on English clubs in European competitions ultimately lasted for five years, and
even when the ban was lifted in 1990, Liverpool were not re-admitted; they had to serve an extra
year. The ban prevented them qualifying for the European Cup in 1986 (as league champions and
FA Cup winners), the UEFA Cup in 1987 (as league runners-up), the European Cup in 1988 (as
league champions), the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989 (as FA Cup winners) and the
European Cup in 1990 (as league champions).
Return to Europe (1991–2004)
Liverpool were allowed to return to European competition in the 1991–92 season, a year
later than other English clubs. They qualified for the UEFA Cup as runners-up in the English
league. Their manager by this stage was Graeme Souness, who had taken over towards the end of
the previous season following Dalglish's resignation.
16
Their first match, in the UEFA Cup, was against Finnish side Kuusyi Lahti, which they
won 6–1.A 6–2 aggregate victory set up a tie against Auxerre of France in the second round who
they beat 3–2 on aggregate.The club defeated Swarovski Tirol of Austria in the third round 6–0
on aggregate before losing to Genoa (Italy) 4–1 over two legs in the quarter finals.
Liverpool's victory over Sunderland in the 1992 FA Cup Final qualified them for the
1992–93 European Cup Winners' Cup, but this campaign was short-lived, as they were
eliminated in the second round by Russian side Spartak Moscow.Liverpool finished no higher
than sixth in the Premier League during the next two seasons, thus failing to qualify for
European competition. In the 1995–96 season, they entered the UEFA Cup, but again progressed
no further than the second round, this time losing to Brøndby of Denmark.
As runners-up to League champions Manchester United in the 1996 FA Cup Final,
Liverpool were able to compete in the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. This proved the club's
most successful campaign since their return to European competition, as they reached the semi-
finals, where they were eliminated 3–2 on aggregate by French team Paris Saint–Germain.In the
next two seasons, Liverpool played in the UEFA Cup but were eliminated at an early stage of the
competition, by Strasbourg of France and Spanish side Celta de Vigo, respectively.A seventh-
place finish in the 1998–99 FA Premier League meant the club did not qualify for Europe in
1999–2000.
Having finished fourth in the 1999–2000 FA Premier League, Liverpool qualified for the
2000–01 UEFA Cup. Their victory in this competition marked a record-equalling third win for a
club. The entire season was the club's most successful since the 1983–84 season, as they won a
cup treble consisting of the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Their opponents in the
final in Dortmund were Deportivo Alavés of Spain. The match was tied at 4–4 in extra time
when Alavés defender Delfí Geli scored an own goal to give Liverpool victory on the golden
goal rule. The performance of Gary McAllister, whose free-kick resulted in the winning goal,
was praised as "outstanding" by Trevor Brooking.[64] This was the club's first European trophy
since their European Cup victory in 1984.As UEFA Cup winners, Liverpool played in the 2001
UEFA Super Cup against Champions League winners Bayern Munich and won 3–2.
17
In the 2001–02 season, Liverpool returned to the European Cup, now called the UEFA
Champions League, for the first time since the Heysel disaster. A 2–0 victory over Roma in the
second group stage meant they progressed to the quarter-finals. They faced German club Bayer
Leverkusen and won the first leg 1–0. The outlook for the second leg appeared to be to
Liverpool's advantage, as their counter-attacking style of play had served them well during away
matches throughout the season;however, they lost the second leg 4–2 and were eliminated 4–3
on aggregate.
A second-place finish in the 2001–02 FA Premier League entitled Liverpool to
participate in the Champions League for a second successive season, but they only finished third
in their group and were eliminated from the competition.The third-place finish meant they
entered the 2002–03 UEFA Cup. Liverpool beat Dutch team Vitesse Arnhem and Auxerre to set
up an all-British tie with Scottish team Celtic. A 1–1 draw in the first leg meant Liverpool would
progress to the semi-finals if they did not concede a goal in the second leg at Anfield. However,
Celtic scored before half-time and again in the second half to win 3–1 on aggregate.
Liverpool entered the UEFA Cup for the 2003–04 season, after Chelsea beat them on the
final day of the previous league season to claim the fourth place needed to qualify for the
Champions League. Liverpool were eliminated in the fourth round by eventual runners-up
Marseille of France. At the end of the season, manager Gérard Houllier was replaced by Rafael
Benítez.
Renewed European success – the Benítez years (2004–10)
Liverpool had finished fourth in the 2003–04 season, which qualified them to compete in
the Champions League in the 2004–05 season. A poor start in the group stages, with two losses
in their first five games, had the club facing elimination; however, a 3–1 victory over Greek side
Olympiacos eventually ensured their passage to the knock-out rounds. Liverpool beat Bayer
Leverkusen and Juventus to reach the semi-finals, and progressed to the final after they beat
Chelsea 1–0 on aggregate; the goal scored by Luis García was referred to as a "ghost goal" by
Chelsea manager José Mourinho, as it was unclear whether the ball crossed the goal
line.Liverpool's performances in Europe contrasted strongly with their league form, where they
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struggled to finish in the top-four and thus ensure qualification for the next Champions League
season.
Liverpool faced six-time European champions Milan in the final at the Atatürk Stadium
in Istanbul on 25 May 2005. Trailing 3–0 at half-time, they scored three goals in a six-minute
spell in the second half to level the score at 3–3. There were no goals during extra time, so the
match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. With the shoot-out score at 3–2, Liverpool goalkeeper
Jerzy Dudek saved Andriy Shevchenko's penalty to give Liverpool victory.The nature of
Liverpool's comeback victory has led to the match being referred to as the "miracle of Istanbul."
As this was the club's fifth European Cup victory, Liverpool were allowed to keep the European
Champion Clubs' Cup permanently, and a new trophy was commissioned for the following year's
competition.The victory also entitled Liverpool to compete in the 2005 UEFA Super Cup at
Stade Louis II, Monaco in August. They defeated UEFA Cup winners CSKA Moscow of Russia
3–1 to win their third Super Cup.Their success in the Champions League meant Liverpool also
qualified for the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship, where they lost 1–0 in the final to
Brazilian team São Paulo.
A fifth-place finish in the Premier League in 2004–05 meant Liverpool were not
guaranteed entry into the Champions League, and faced the prospect of not being able to defend
their European title. UEFA eventually ruled that they would be allowed to do so, but would be
required to start in the first qualifying round, with no country protection, meaning they could
face a team from England in the group stages.This turned out to be the case—Liverpool
advanced through three qualifying rounds and were drawn with Chelsea in the group stages.
They progressed from their group as winners but were beaten by Benfica in the first knock-out
round.
In the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, Liverpool progressed from the group stages
and beat holders Barcelona, Dutch team PSV Eindhoven and Chelsea to face Milan in a rematch
of the 2005 final. The Liverpool team, which contained only five players from the 2005 final,
enjoyed more possession than in 2005,but two goals from Filippo Inzaghi gave Milan their
seventh European Cup in a 2–1 win.
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Liverpool were eliminated from the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League in the semi-
finals by Chelsea, who they had beaten in the semi-finals in 2005 and 2007. A fourth-place finish
in the 2007–08 Premier League secured their entry into the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool reached the quarter-finals and again faced Chelsea, but lost 7–5 on aggregate.
A second-place finish in the 2008–09 Premier League entitled Liverpool to compete in
the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, but their campaign was short-lived; they finished third
in their group, and were eliminated from the competition. They entered the 2009–10 UEFA
Europa League, progressing to the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by eventual winners
Atlético Madrid of Spain on the away goals rule after the tie finished 2–2 on aggregate.
2010 – Present
Benítez left the club at the end of the 2009–10 season and was replaced by Roy Hodgson.
[88] A seventh-place finish in the 2009–10 Premier League meant Liverpool would be
competing in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. They beat Rabotnički (Macedonia) and
Trabzonspor (Turkey) to progress to the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League group stage, where
Liverpool were drawn alongside Italian club Napoli, Dutch team Utrecht and Romanian team
Steaua Bucureşti. They won two games and drew four to finish top of their group with 10 points
and progress to the round of 32.They were drawn against Czech club Sparta Prague in the next
round.
Before the tie was played, Hodgson was replaced by former manager Kenny Dalglish,
who initially served as a caretaker manager.A 2–0 aggregate victory ensured progression to the
round of 16, in which Liverpool lost 1–0 on aggregate to eventual runners-up Braga of
Portugal.A sixth-place finish in the 2010–11 Premier League meant the club failed to qualify for
European competition for the first time since 1999,but victory in the 2012 Football League Cup
Final ensured Liverpool a place in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.Liverpool qualified for the
Knockout phase of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League after winning their group at the group
stage, but were eliminated from the competition at the round of 32 by Zenit Saint Petersburg on
the away goals rule after a 0-2 loss away and a 3-1 win at home.Finishing seventh in 2012–13
Premier League and not winning any of the domestic trophies meant that Liverpool failed to
qualify for any European competition in 2013–14.
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The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
2. 1987: " Liverpool fans to stand trial in Belgium". BBC. 9 September 1987. Retrieved
22 August 2010.
3.Jackson, Jamie (4 April 2005). "The witnesses". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 May 2006.
4.Burrell, Ian (8 July 2004). "An own goal? Rooney caught in crossfire between 'The
Sun' and an unforgiving city". The Independent. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
5. Classic: "Everton-Liverpool". Fédération Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA). 11 September 2006. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
6. Smith, Rory (24 January 2009). "Liverpool and Everton no longer play the 'friendly
derby' as fans become more vitriolic". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
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9. "New format provides fresh impetus". Union of European Football Associations. 15
June 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
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