British clubs have had immense success in Europe, especially since the Premier League cash cow came into existence, but that doesn’t mean they’re free from embarrassment.
Indeed, most, if not all clubs have had some absolute shockers in the Champions League, Europa League and its various predecessors.
Football FanCast takes a look at 10 British clubs' most embarrassing defeats on the European stage.
Gunners battered by Bayern – twice Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich, 2017
We could have a top 10 just for Arsenal, but we thought this one was particularly embarrassing. The Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal Champions League tie in 2017 was pretty bad for the Gunners. The first match, held at the Allianz Arena, ended with a resounding 5-1 victory for Bayern Munich.
Arsenal went into the break level thanks to an Alexis Sanchez penalty, but the Gunners fell apart after Laurent Koscielny went off injured early in the second half. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Thiago (2) and Thomas Muller completed an embarrassing rout.
The second leg was almost a carbon copy, as after Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead on the night, their hopes were soon dashed as Bayern responded with a ruthlessly dominant performance. The turning point occurred in the 53rd minute when Koscielny received a red card, reducing the Gunners to 10 men. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you go down to ten men against Bayern, it isn’t going to be pretty.
Bayern Munich's relentless attacking prowess saw goals from Lewandowski, Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and an Arturo Vidal double. The final aggregate score of 10-2 reflected the vast difference between the two clubs, and it could have been greater.
Celtic humiliated in Slovakian thumping Artmedia Bratislava 5-0 Celtic, 2005
Celtic are the only Scottish club to have won a European Cup, but this was a stark fall from grace. In Gordon Strachan's managerial debut for Celtic, the team suffered a humiliating defeat against Artmedia Bratislava in the Champions League second qualifying round. Juraj Halenar opened the scoring with a tap-in, giving Artmedia a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Blazej Vascak doubled the lead after the break, and Halenar added a thunderous volley, securing a 3-0 advantage. Martin Mikulic scored a fourth, and Halenar completed his hat-trick with a low drive in injury time, resulting in a shocking 5-0 loss for Celtic.
The defeat all but confirmed Celtic’s elimination from European competition, as losers in the second qualifying round did not drop into the UEFA Cup.
Agonisingly, the Hoops would fall just short of a miraculous comeback after winning 4-0 at Celtic Park. The damage was already done.
Chelsea blow first-leg lead against minnows Viking Viking 4-2 Chelsea, 2002
Who says Chelsea don’t have any European history before Roman Abramovich? The season before the Russian oligarch took over, Chelsea were playing in the UEFA Cup, now the Europa League, and getting humbled by Norwegian side Viking.
We could have included games from either of the two previous years as Chelsea’s most embarrassing results – a 2-1 aggregate loss against Swiss side St Gallen in 2000 and a 3-1 aggregate loss against Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2001 – but we went with this one because before this game, Chelsea were in the driving seat.
The Blues won the first game 2-1, but they started this one poorly, conceding in the first in the 9th minute before going 2-0 down. Frank Lampard got one back in the 45th minute, only for Viking to score their third in the 60th.
John Terry headed home just two minutes later and the nerves seemed to settle amongst the fans, all they needed to do was see it out. Unfortunately for the Chelsea faithful, the lads on the pitch couldn’t do it, and in the 87th minute, their fate was sealed by Erik Nevland.
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ByFreddie Taylor Atalanta give Everton the blues amid sorry display Everton 1-5 Atalanta, 2017
Atalanta are one of the best-run clubs in Europe, with an owner who understands that you don’t need to spend big money to be successful and a manager who has a great tactical understanding, able to get the best out of the players at his disposal. Everton, on the other hand, are not.
From the outset of their 2017 Europa League game, Atalanta were far too much for Everton to handle, overwhelming the English club’s defence. Bryan Cristante opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, and it stayed that way up until the 63rd minute when he scored his second.
Forgotten Everton forward Sandro Ramirez then scored to make it 2-1, but what followed was a complete and utter collapse. Three goals from the Italian side in just eight minutes highlighted how far off the pace Everton were that season. Robin Gosens bagged one, and Andreas Cornelius got two.
It may have been very embarrassing for Everton, but the match became a memorable chapter in Atalanta’s recent European campaigns, underlining their potential as a formidable force in continental competition.
In contrast, Everton have faced challenges that even the most pessimistic fan couldn’t have predicted.
Leicester take foot off the gas and pay the price FC Porto 5-0 Leicester City, 2016
Talk about getting knocked down a peg. Leicester had just completed their miraculous Premier League triumph and were playing in the Champions League for the first time in their history.
To be fair to Leicester City, by the time this game came about, they had already progressed to the round of 16 as group winners; Porto just had to show them what real European heritage is. Andre Silva opened the scoring after six minutes before Jesus Manuel Corona got their second in the 26th. Yacine Brahimi scored their third just before half-time.
Silva then scored his second from the spot before Diogo Jota rounded off the scoring. There was some good news for Leicester, though, as Danny Drinkwater drew level with Diego Maradona for European Cup/Champions League appearances. You’ve got to take the rough with the smooth sometimes.
Napoli destroy Liverpool in statement victory Napoli 4-1 Liverpool, 2022
Liverpool have had immense success in Europe. They’ve won the Champions League a whopping six times – three more than rivals Manchester United. Pedigree doesn’t win you games, though, and in 2022, Napoli battered Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were playing such a high line, it looked like Napoli were going to score every time they had the ball. In the end, they opened the scoring from the spot, as James Milner’s outstretched arm caught the ball. Piotr Zielinski converted, and the floodgates opened.
Just seven minutes later, Napoli were awarded another penalty, but this time Alisson saved Victor Osimhen’s tame effort. Even after that, the Italian side kept coming at Liverpool and eventually doubled their lead thanks to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa getting on the end of a textbook one-two. Giovanni Simeone then made it 3-0 just before half-time with a tap-in.
Zielinski got his second after latching on to a loose ball following Alisson’s save to make it a rout. Luis Diaz got one back, but it was nothing more than a consolation. Liverpool were incredibly lucky that it was only 4-1. There haven’t been many games where they’ve been so thoroughly beaten.
Man City crumble on European trip Lech Poznan 3-1 Man City, 2010
It’s almost impossible to imagine Manchester City losing to a club like Lech Poznan now; a billion pounds and Pep Guardiola would inevitably give them an upper hand. In 2010/11, they were still finding their feet as an elite European side, and Lech Poznan made them look a little foolish.
City started on the front foot but were pegged back by Lech Poznan on the half-hour mark thanks to Dimitrije Injac's strike from distance. Emmanuel Adebayor then equalised, and a draw seemed all but inevitable until the 86th minute.
Manuel Arboleda nodded home and Mateusz scored a fine goal to make it 3-1. The final whistle blew, and Roberto Mancini looked furious. The home fans then did their famous celebration, turning away from the pitch and jumping in unison – a move that City would later steal.
Manchester City have had a few dodgy results since then, mainly thanks to Guardiola’s overthinking. But having finally got their hands on a Champions League trophy last season, it’s not all bad in the blue half of Manchester.
Busby's boys battered in Lisbon Sporting CP 5-0 Man United, 1964
It’s fair to say Manchester United haven’t been good in Europe since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but this one precedes even the great Scotsman. Back in March of 1964, Sporting CP proved to be too much for the Red Devils and their ‘holy trinity’ in this Cup Winners' Cup tie.
Manager Sir Matt Busby was no slouch, he demanded each and every one of his players give everything they had on the pitch, especially George Best, Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton, the three players that would go on to have their statues built outside Old Trafford. On this day though, they were powerless.
Sporting opened the scoring early thanks to a 2nd minute penalty, scored by Brazilian midfielder Osvaldo da Silva. Da Silva would go on to score a hat-trick, while Geo Carvalho and Joao Morais got the other two. The game was done by the 51st minute.
Rangers slump to shock qualifying exit Kaunas 2-1 Rangers, 2008
Domestically, there is no bigger club in Scotland than Rangers. They’ve won an incredible 55 Scottish Premiership titles, but they’ve never truly delivered in Europe. This was meant to be a routine game, but following a goalless draw in Glasgow, Lithuanian outfit Kaunas secured a late Champions League qualifying victory over Rangers, eliminating the Ibrox side from European competition.
Kevin Thomson initially put Rangers ahead in the 33rd minute, but Nerijus Radzius equalised just before half-time. In the 86th minute, Linas Pilibaitis's header sealed a shock victory for Kaunas to eliminate the Gers, who had only just been UEFA Cup finalists.
Shambolic Spurs suffer second-leg collapse Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Spurs, 2021
Jose Mourinho’s time as Tottenham Hotspur manager was bad for everyone involved. The players seemed to lack any kind of direction, the fans hated the style of football, and Mourinho was almost embarrassed to be there. Daniel Levy appeared to be the only person who thought bringing the ex-Chelsea coach in was a good idea.
Spurs were 2-0 up after the first leg and came into this one with a point to prove, following a disappointing north London derby defeat in the match before. They just never got going, and even for a Mourinho side, there was an incredible lack of attacking creativity.
Mislav Oršić emerged as the hero for Dinamo Zagreb, scoring a sensational hat-trick. His goals in the 62nd and 82nd-minute goals took the game to extra-time, where his 106th-minute strike knocked the stuffing out of Spurs, and Dinamo Zagreb secured a famous victory.
Dinamo Zagreb's triumph marked a historic moment for the club, advancing to the quarter-finals at the expense of a Premier League side. Conversely, it was a disappointing turn of events for Tottenham, but as Giorgio Chiellini so succinctly put it, “it’s the history of the Tottenham.”
As European football becomes more and more closed-off to lesser teams, these games may become less likely. For now, just revel in the fact that sometimes the big boys just can't hack it.