Covering significant moments in European international and club football during the last 40 years, this book is both a history of the sport over this period and an assessment of the importance of the game to the footballing nations of Europe. It covers themes such as the intense rivalry in local derbies, the superiority of the club sides over the national team in Italy, and - in contrast - the strength of Germany's national team compared to those of its clubs. The book also records memorable events such as Real Madrid's complete domination of the European Cup for the first five years of its existence, and France's stylish victory in the 1984 European Championship.