1982 European Cup Winners' Cup
Aston Villa's first European Cup triumph, sealed by a 1–0 win over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam.
The 1982 European Cup final was played on 26 May 1982 at De Kuip in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Aston Villa defeated Bayern Munich 1–0 to win their first European Cup.
Quick Facts
- Competition
- European Cup
- Season
- 1981–82
- Final date
- 26 May 1982
- Venue
- De Kuip, Rotterdam
- Opponent
- Bayern Munich
- Score
- 1–0
- Manager
- Tony Barton
Lore & Background
Aston Villa goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer suffered a recurring shoulder injury after 10 minutes and was replaced by Nigel Spink, who made only his second first-team appearance. Spink's performance was highly praised and is seen as the making of a player who would be Villa's first-choice goalkeeper for the following 10 seasons. Bayern Munich had a goal disallowed for offside with three minutes remaining, and Villa also had a second goal disallowed seconds before the end. Brian Moore's commentary on the winning goal is displayed on a giant banner across the Doug Ellis Stand of Villa Park.
Reader's Guide
The match was officiated by a referee from France, with linesmen Joel Quiniou (red flag) and Rene Lopez (yellow flag), both from France. As defending champions, Villa were invited into the European Cup, European Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup the following season. They lost in the European Cup quarter-finals to Juventus, beat Barcelona 3–1 on aggregate to win the Super Cup, and lost 2–0 to Peñarol in the Intercontinental Cup. After the game, several players swapped shirts; Peter Withe and Nigel Spink later received theirs back, but as of 2024, captain Dennis Mortimer was still looking for his shirt.
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