All roads lead to Rotterdam

Feyenoord and BV Borussia Dortmund meet on Wednesday in the tenth UEFA club competition final to be held in the Dutch club's home Feijenoord Stadium in Rotterdam.

Happy memories for Feyenoord
This year's UEFA Cup final is the second to be held in the venue, popularly known as De Kuip, and the previous occasion in 1974 has happy memories for Feyenoord. As was the case until 1997, the final was over two legs, and Feyenoord, hosting the second match, began as favourites having held English opponents Tottenham Hotspur FC 2-2 at their White Hart Lane ground. In front of 68,000 fans, goals from Wim Rijsbergen and Peter Ressel gave Feyenoord a 4-2 aggregate win and their most recent UEFA competition victory. However, the match was marred by violence that saw Tottenham receive a six-year European ban.

Dutch victory
The stadium has also hosted two European Champion Clubs' Cup finals. In 1972 AFC Ajax won the second of three consecutive finals in the competition by beating Internazionale FC 2-0. Dutch legend Johan Cruyff won the game with two second-half goals.

Spink the unlikely hero
Aston Villa FC emulated Ajax in 1982, by beating FC Bayern München 1-0 in a match memorable for the performance of the English side's goalkeeper Nigel Spink. Aged 23, the former apprentice plasterer had played just one league game all season before he appeared as a substitute ten minutes into the final for the injured Jimmy Rimmer. He produced a number of excellent saves to keep his side in the game, before striker Peter Withe's 67th-minute goal won Villa the cup.

Happier occasion for Tottenham
The other six finals in the Feijenoord stadium were UEFA Cup Winners' Cup encounters. The first, in 1961, was a happier occasion for Tottenham than their 1974 visit, as they overcame holders Club Atlético de Madrid 5-1 to win the third edition of the competition.

Hamrin double
Seven years later Milan AC did what Inter could not do in 1972, and claimed a European trophy in Rotterdam, defeating Hamburger SV 2-0. Swede Kurt Hamrin scored both goals in the opening 19 minutes.

Milan beaten by Magdeburg
In 1974 it was Milan who ended up the beaten side, losing to 1. FC Magdeburg of the German Democratic Republic three weeks before Feyenoord claimed the UEFA Cup in the same venue. Magdeburg, the only side in that nation's history to win a UEFA competition, took the lead through an own goal just before half-time and secured the match 16 minutes from the end through Wolfgang Seguin.

Everton the victors
The next two Cup Winners' Cup finals at the stadium were won by English clubs, on either side of the country's five-year suspension from UEFA club competitions. Everton FC were the 1985 winners, coming through 3-1 against SK Rapid Wein. Andy Gray scored the opener in the second half and the lead was doubled by Trevor Steven. Hans Krankl pulled one back, but Kevin Sheedy secured victory for Everton almost immediately.

Triumphant return
On English clubs' return in 1990/91, Manchester United FC picked up where Everton had left off by travelling to Rotterdam and beating FC Barcelona 2-1. Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes were United's second-half scorers, with Ronald Koeman's late goal a mere consolation.

Better luck for Barça
There were no English clubs in the most recent final in Rotterdam, but Barcelona's happy return to the stadium with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain FC in 1997 still had an English connection in the shape of the victorious coach Bobby Robson. Ronaldo was the hero on that occasion, his 37th-minute penalty proving the winner.

EURO 2000™ final