1985/86: Steaua stun Barcelona

FC Steaua Bucureşti 0-0 FC Barcelona (aet, Steaua win 2-0 on penalties)
Rámon Sánchez-Pizjuán, Seville

English first-division winners Everton FC were conspicuous by their absence from the 1985/86 European Champion Clubs' Cup. Yet the cradle of football still had one representative in the draw, FC Barcelona coach Terry Venables. Ironically, his team looked the most likely to benefit from the post-Heysel ban on English clubs. For in a season when Real Madrid CF and Club Atlético de Madrid also reached UEFA finals, the Catalan side were expected to take home first prize.

They had earned their favourites' tag by knocking out Juventus FC in the quarter-finals, 2-1 on aggregate - a result which obscured away-goals victories against AC Sparta Praha and FC Porto, and the slice of luck needed to overcome IFK Göteborg on penalties in the semis. No matter: Barcelona's come-from-behind win against the Swedish team - Pichi Alonso's hat-trick saving them after a 3-0 reverse in Gothenburg - suggested opponents FC Steaua Bucureşti might as well not bother turning up for the Seville final.

The Romanian team obviously thought differently. Having beaten Vejle BK, Kispest Honvéd FC, FC Lahti and perennial semi-finalists RSC Anderlecht, coach Emeric Jenei turned his attentions to soccer's tipsters. In the event, a combination of Andalusian heat, Barcelona nerves and calm defending from Steaua sweeper Miodrag Belodedici did the job for him - producing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history. Steaua goalkeeper Helmut Duckadam saved all four Barcelona penalties as a scoreless shoot-out followed 120 scoreless minutes until Marius Lăcătuş and Gavril Balint converted to send the cup to Eastern Europe for the first time.