40 years since Steaua Bucharest won the European Champions Cup

Today marks 40 years since the greatest achievement of Romanian football, the winning of the European Champions Cup by Steaua Bucharest.

In 1986, in Seville, against Barcelona, a team full of stars and a major favorite, Emeric Ienei's team held on for 120 minutes and won the European Champions Cup after a series of penalties, during which Helmuth Duckadam became a legend.

Steaua was the first team from Eastern Europe to win the most prestigious trophy in club competition. An unforgettable final in Seville, where the red and blue team defeated FC Barcelona 2-0 after the penalty shootout.

The Steaua '86 team from the final in Seville: Duckadam – Iovan, Bumbescu, Belodedici, Bărbulescu – Majearu, Bălan, Boloni, Balint – Lăcătuș, Pișcurcă. During the match, Anghel Iordănescu (72') and Marin Radu (111') also came on for the red and blue team.

The Barcelona team in the final in Seville: Urruti – Gerardo, Migueli, Alexanko(c), Julio Alberto – Pedraza, Schuster (Moratalla 85'), Munoz, Marcos Alonso – Carrasco, Archibald (Pichi Alonso 110').

The penalty shootout from that night of May 7, 1986, remains in the history of European football. Steaua missed the first two attempts, by Majearu and Boloni, but the Catalans were not more inspired either. Alexanko and Pedraza were the first "victims" of Helmuth Duckadam.

Then came the decisive goals scored by Marius Lăcătuș and Gabi Balint, while Duckadam's wall blocked the other two shots from Barcelona, taken by Pichi and Marcos Alonso.