First ever European match at Valencia
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1961 Forest play their first European match away to Valencia.
Nottingham Forest’s first match in European competition ended in defeat, but it opened a new chapter in the club’s history.
Forest lost 2-0 away to Valencia at the Mestalla in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round first leg. The setting itself mattered: a major Spanish ground, a continental opponent, and a competition that gave Forest their first taste of football beyond the domestic calendar.
The result left Forest with a difficult task before the return match. Valencia had control of the tie after the first leg, and Forest returned to Nottingham needing a response against a side that would go on to become one of the competition’s strongest teams.
The tie ultimately ended heavily against Forest, with Valencia winning 5-1 in the second leg and 7-1 on aggregate. Even so, the first leg at Valencia remains important because it marked the club’s first step into European football.
Sources
FootballSite; EuroCupsHistory; Transfermarkt
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