European League Champions and Cup Winners/Finalists 2015 - 16

The season across Europe having come to a conclusion, we present an alphabetical listing of the continent's various domestic league champions, cup winners and beaten cup finalists.

Country	League Champions	Cup Winners	Cup Finalists	Score
Albania	FK Veleciku	Luftetari	Vllaznia Shkoder	6 - 2
Austria	Rapid Vienna	Austria Klagenfurt	Sturm Graz	1 - 1*R
Belgium	KRC Genk	Westerlo	La Louviere	2 - 0
Bosnia	Velez Mostar	Borac Banja Luka	HSK Zrinjski	2 - 0
Bulgaria	Slavia Sofia	Levski-Spartak Sofia	Lokomotiv Sofia	6 - 2
Croatia	Lokomotiv Zagreb	Hajduk Split	Tresnjevka Zagreb	3 - 2*
Czechoslovakia	Bohemians Prague	Slavia Prague	Dukla Prague	5 - 3
Denmark	Akademisk Kobenhavn	Bronshoj BK	FC Copenhagen	5 - 0 R
England	Marine	Red Star Mossley	Torpedo Tranmere	5 – 3*
Finland	Kuusysi Lahti	SePS Seinajoki	OTP Oulu	4 - 1
France	Red Star Paris	Saint-Etienne	Stade de Reims	5 - 0
Germany East	Dynamo Berlin	Dynamo Dresden	Lokomotive Leipzig	2 - 0
Germany West	Borussia Monchengladbach	Rot-Weiss Essen	Borussia Dortmund	5 - 1
Greece	Panathinaikos	Panachaiki Patras	AEK Athens	1 - 0
Holland	Ajax Amsterdam	Excelsior Rotterdam	Roda JC Kerkrade	2 - 1*
Hungary	Ferencvaros	Vasas Budapest	MTK Budapest	6 - 3
Ireland	Glentoran	Crusaders	Shamrock Rovers	3 - 2
Italy	Internazionale	Internazionale	AC Milan	3 - 2*
Luxembourg	Kischpelt Welwerwolz	US Hostert	Swift Hesperance	5 - 0
Norway	Bodo/Glimt	Stromsgodset Drammen	Tromso	4 - 1*
Poland	Wisla Krakow	Widzew Lodz	Slask Wroclaw	2 - 1*
Portugal	Sporting Lisbon	Vitoria Setubal	Boavista Porto	3 - 2
Rumania	Universitatea Craiova	Petrolul Ploiesti	Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt	1 - 0*
Russia	Torpedo Moscow	Spartak Moscow	Zenit Leningrad	3 - 2*
Scotland	St Johnstone	Hibernian	Partick Thistle	2 - 1
Soviet Union	Dinamo Minsk	Pakhtakor Tashkent	Dinamo Tblisi	2 - 2*R
Spain	Atletico Madrid	Barcelona	Atletico Madrid	3 - 2*
Sweden	Husqvarna FF	Oster Vaxjo	Boras Elfsborg	1 - 0
Switzerland	Grasshoppers Zurich	Servette Geneva	Neuchatel Xamax	3 - 1
Turkey	Trabzonspor	Galatasaray	Eskisehirspor	4 - 1
Ukraine	Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk	Karpaty Lvov	Tavriya Simferopol	2 - 1*
Yugoslavia	Dubocica Leskovac	Kristal Zajecar	Vojvodina Novi Sad	2 - 2*R

Football Alliance 2015 - 16: League Results Grids and Final Tables

To finalise the statistics for the recently-concluded 2015 - 16 domestic season, today we present the results grids and final league tables for the national Championship and Second Division.

European Champion Clubs' Cup Final 2015 - 16

(in Amsterdam)

RWD Molenbeek             (1) 2
Stalybridge Celtic        (0) 0

So Stalybridge Celtic’s brave and oft-thrilling attempt to become unlikely champions of Europe fell at the final hurdle, another spirited performance not without skill and style ultimately proving insufficient to better the Belgians RWD Molenbeek, undisputedly one of the continent’s finest teams of recent years and this season in particular, although, to qualify that statement, they have only come a close second to KRC Genk in their domestic league which suggests that the Hasselt club might well be another force to be reckoned with in next term’s Champions’ Cup.

RWDM set the pace and controlled an intriguing game almost throughout, scoring twice, once in each half, whilst always hinting that, had they been required to, had their composure momentarily slipped, had their coolly impenetrable defence unexpectedly erred and allowed Stalybridge a rare opportunity, they possessed more than enough to sleekly move up through the gears and score again, and again, as might be required. Celtic can be proud of their efforts to match Molenbeek, physically, technically and tactically, and have no regrets at the outcome other than being beaten by a more accomplished team even though this defeat means another runners-up medal to accompany their second-pace finish in the domestic league, narrowly missing out on retaining their title - a season of ‘almosts’ for Stalybridge and, unfortunately, no opportunity to continue their European adventures next year as Marine will represent the Football Alliance in the Champions’ Cup and Celtic’s neighbours Red Star Mossley will do likewise in the Cup-Winners’ Cup.

European Cup-Winners' Cup Final 2015 - 16 Replay

(in Zagreb)

Raba ETO Gyor         (0) (2) 4
Dubocica Leskovac     (1) (2) 2  (aet)

As good as the first match of this final was, it proved to be merely the appetizer and  was eclipsed by events in Zagreb this evening when, in a match again going to extra time, Raba ETO Gyor eventually prevailed over Dubocica Leskovac to add the inaugural Cup-Winners’ Cup to the four Champion Clubs’ Cups already in their trophy cabinet.

Dubocica Leskovac took a first-half lead that Raba ETO Gyor equalized moments after the resumption before the teams traded a late goal each, Dubocica edging ahead again before Raba scored almost on the final whistle to deny the Yugoslavs once more and take the match into extra time as they had done in the original final. Once into the additional half-hour, Gyor then made their class and experience tell at last, firing the pair of goals that won them the match and the trophy, the first Cup-Winners’ Cup, their fifth in total in European competition and another triumph for a Hungarian club, who have collectively already dominated the history of the Champions’ Cup, with Vasas Budapest having achieved a record five wins and Ferencvaros equalling Raba’s four added to two for MTK Budapest and others for Honved and Szolnoki MAV-MTE.

European Cup-Winners' Cup Final 2015 - 16

(in Split)

Dubocica Leskovac    (0) (1) 2
Raba ETO Gyor        (1) (1) 2  (aet)

A cracking Cup-Winners’ Cup final that, rather ironically, failed to produce a winner at the end of an enthralling two hours of action, with Raba ETO Gyor taking a first-half lead but then requiring a late equaliser in extra time to thwart the ambitions of stylish Dubocica Leskovac and retain hopes of lifting the trophy in its inaugural season: Raba, of course, have already won the Champion Clubs’ Cup on four occasions in the past.

The replay will be held in Zagreb on Friday evening when, even if the match has to go to a penalty shoot-out, the outcome will be decided, before the European season concludes on Saturday night with the Champions’ Cup final between RWD Molenbeek and the Football Alliance’s very own Stalybridge Celtic, only the fifth occasion in thirty five years that an English team (after Gainsborough Trinity and Marlow twice each, the latter winning once) have reached the rarefied heights of a continental club competition final.

Football Alliance Cup Final 2015 - 16

Red Star Mossley     (1) (2) 5
Torpedo Tranmere     (1) (2) 3 (aet)

As is often the case, the Cup Final proved a thrilling - and provided a goal-filled - conclusion to the domestic season, with Second Division Torpedo Tranmere - technically still, although they have just won promotion to the Championship - matching Red Star Mossley in fine style and taking them to extra time before Mossley prevailed 5 - 3 with three goals in the second period of the additional 30 minutes after Tranmere had taken the lead in the first, the initial 90 minutes having finished an equally breathless 2 - 2. For Mossley, the Cup was fitting reward for a largely irresistible run of form this calendar year that saw them finish fourth in the league, a mere three points behind champions Marine, whilst Tranmere left the arena with their fair share of glory, plaudits galore and the exciting prospect of beginning next season in the top flight.

European Champion Clubs' Cup: Semi-Final Replay

(in Paris)

Stalybridge Celtic 4  Atletico Madrid 3  (aet)  (agg. 8 - 7)