• A. Ajax
  • B. Feyenoord
  • C. PSV
  • D. FC Twente

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It’s a club from Rotterdam that made history in the 1970s. And yes, it involves one of the three major European tournaments.

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The correct answer is B. Feyenoord.

On May 15, 1974, Feyenoord got to do something every football club dreams of: play a European final in their own stadium. The opponent was Tottenham Hotspur, and De Kuip was packed. Feyenoord won 2-0, and because they had drawn 2-2 in London in the first leg, the aggregate score was 4-2. The club’s second European trophy was secured.

Normally, you never see European finals played at the home stadium of one of the finalists - they’re always played on neutral ground. But because the UEFA Cup was still played with home and away legs at the time, Feyenoord simply had a home match. Pretty remarkable when you think about it. The Champions League and Cup Winners’ Cup were already being decided on neutral grounds by then, but the UEFA Cup still held on to the old system.

📚 More background information

De Kuip - or as it’s officially called: Stadion Feijenoord - has been there since 1937 and is perhaps the most beautiful football stadium in the Netherlands. With room for over 47,000 people, it was the largest stadium in the country at the time. And the atmosphere during European matches? That’s truly legendary, especially at Het Legioen.

Feyenoord has an impressive European history overall. In 1970, they became the first Dutch club to win the European Cup I (now the Champions League). They defeated Celtic 2-1 in Milan. Names like Wim van Hanegem, Ove Kindvall, and Rinus Israël have been club icons ever since.

That UEFA Cup final in ‘74 was really something special. The stadium was so full that according to estimates, around 68,000 people were inside - more than the official capacity. The goals came from Wim Rijsbergen and Peter Ressel, and the defense kept Tottenham at zero.

Interestingly enough, Ajax also had the chance to play a European final at home in 1996 - the Champions League final was scheduled to be in the brand-new Amsterdam ArenA. Only they didn’t reach the final that year. Too bad for them, because that means Feyenoord remains the only Dutch club to have actually played and won a European final at home.

Since 1998, UEFA has abolished the home and away leg system in the UEFA Cup (later Europa League). Now those finals are also played on neutral ground. That means what Feyenoord did in 1974 will probably remain forever unique in Dutch football history. No club will ever get that chance again.