London is one of the biggest and most well-known cities in Europe. It’s also home to some of the world’s best-known football teams. The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs and West Ham have fans all over the world, as are Crystal Palace and Brentford. These teams are boosted by the fact that they play in the Premier League, which is watched by more than 3 billion people worldwide.
While the Premier League is one of the biggest leagues in world football, few fans can disagree that European competitions are the most exciting. Each year, the top four teams in the Premier League get to play in the Champions League, a European competition that sees teams like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan play against each other. Aside from this, there’s also the Europa League and the Conference League, which both offer a chance for European glory to lower-ranked sides.
European competition is considered the pinnacle of club football, and these tournaments are some of the most exciting to bet on. You can bet on all the European football action on London clubs as well as all other teams in the competition. Make sure to claim your bonus before you bet. The Paddy Power sign up offer is one of the best available right now. Although London teams don’t have the best track record in Europe in recent years, there have still been plenty of highlights.
Chelsea Win the Champions League for the First Time
In 2005, Chelsea football club was taken over by Roman Abramovich, a Russian Oligarch with ties to Putin. Thanks to his investment in the club, he helped turn Chelsea into one of the best teams in the country, winning several Premier League titles in a few seasons. While Chelsea managed to conquer English football, European glory remained out of their reach.
In the 2011-12 season, Chelsea was considered major outsiders in the Champions League, with their manager being sacked and replaced by Roberto di Matteo halfway through the season. Roberto di Matteo outperformed expectations by leading Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League final, knocking out Napoli, Benfica, and FC Barcelona along the way. In the final, they faced Bayern Munich, and the game was held in the Allianz Arena in Munich, giving the German club the advantage. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Chelsea overcame the Bundesliga champions, winning a thrilling penalty shootout after extra time.
Arsenal Make the 2006 Champions League Final
While Arsenal have won the Cup Winners Cup in 1994 and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970, they’ve never been able to lift the Champions League. They did come very close in 2006, however. Widely regarded as one of the best teams in the world, Arsenal had some brilliant players in 2006, including their captain and star player Thierry Henry.
Arsenal advanced to face Barcelona, probably the finest and most skilled team at the time, after overcoming Villarreal by the tiniest of margins in the semifinal. Although it was unfamiliar ground for the club, they did not play like a team that lacked experience. The game was filled with drama, as Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off early in the first half. However, the London team still managed to score first in the 37th minute as Sol Campbell found the net. It wasn’t to last though, as goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti saw the Gunners fall at the last hurdle.
West Ham Win the Cup Winners Cup
West Ham could be heading to another European final this season as they take on Frankfurt in the Europa League semifinals. While they’ve been out of European competition for many seasons, they did have a lot of success in Europe back in their glory days. The 1965 Cup Winners Cup final was contested between West Ham and 1860 Munich at Wembley Stadium. That West Ham had players such as Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore and ultimately saw the Hammers victorious as they lifted the trophy.
