If the modern football fan took a time machine to the year 1980, they’d notice a few similarities but a lot more differences. Arsenal, just as they did last weekend, lost to West Ham 1–0, only in a game with higher stakes, the FA Cup Final. Nottingham Forest won their second consecutive UEFA Champions League, then known as the European Cup, against Hamburger SV –– two finalists with contrasting current situations. Forest is third in the Premier League and dreaming of returning to Europe, whilst Hamburg is first in the 2. Bundesliga, Germany’s second division.
The Premier League, then known as the First Division, was won by Liverpool who will likely win it again in May. However, it’s hard to compare teams and players across generations. The title-winning Liverpool side of 1980, which would win six titles in 8 years, finished their campaign with 60 points, edging Manchester United’s 58. Today, Liverpool, with 11 games still to play, have 64 points, highlighting the higher win percentage and overall efficiency of Arne Slot’s side. Perhaps this also illustrates the rising standards of the Premier League which has seen teams reach 100 points in the last decade. Last year’s winners, Manchester City, lost just three games compared to the 1980 Liverpool side that lost seven. While the headlines belong to Mohamed Salah today, it was Ian Rush and Kenny Daglish who ran the show in 1980.
Liverpool, Manchester United, Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers made up the top six teams. Everton avoided relegation while the three teams to go down were Bristol City, Derby County and Bolton Wanderers, none of which are in the top flight today. Liverpool, however, wasn’t the only successful side from Merseyside in the following years. Everton would win the league in 1985 and 1987.
Other usual suspects were also domestically successful across Europe. Real Madrid and Inter Milan won La Liga and Serie A, while Bayern Munich dominated the Bundesliga. This was also the year of the European Championship in Italy and the African Cup of Nations in Nigeria. West Germany emerged victorious, defeating Belgium 2–1 in the final. In Africa, it was host Nigeria that were crowned the continent’s kings, outclassing Algeria 3–0 and leaving Lagos in delirium.
The European Championship had a starkly different format and fan reception. For starters, only eight teams participated, with two groups of four. A highly defensive style from most teams meant the actual football was stale and failed to draw strong viewership and excitement except for the host Italy’s games. Instead, the newsworthy action was left to the stands. England fans, in keeping with their reputation at future tournaments, were involved in several brawls during the tournament’s opening fixture.
This year also saw the birth of several stars. Barcelona’s Xavier “Xavi” Hernández Creus, who would go on to anchor Spain’s midfield during their golden generation, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, the skill king from Porte Alegre, Steven Gerrard, Liverpool’s greatest ever captain and the Chelsea duo of John Terry and Ashley Cole to name a few. Between them, modern football would witness legends with several Champions Leagues, a Balon d’Or and World Cups in store.
As the Daily entered its first decade of production, the beautiful game entered one of its most iconic periods. The rise of France as a footballing powerhouse came with victory at the 1984 European Championships, with the spotlight firmly on Michel Platini. Two years later, Diego Maradona broke English hearts by creating one of the sport’s defining images, the Hand of God, in the World Cup. The ’80s also saw the birth of Italian footballing dynasties with clubs like A.C Milan, Juventus, SSC Napoli and Inter Milan beginning to attract the world’s premier talent. The baton of success would be passed on from Liverpool to Manchester United as the decade closed, further strengthening one of the world’s most intense rivalries.
Despite all the modern evolutions the beautiful game has seen in the last 45 years, football still has elements that were seen in 1980 and the decade to follow. The game is a lot faster and it has more technology and higher performance standards, but the nostalgic reality of the past still holds true and blends into today’s sport.
