Nottingham Forest FC

Nottingham Forest hold a unique place in English football history. Founded in 1865, making them one of the oldest clubs in the world, Forest are the only English club to have won the European Cup more times than the domestic league title - two European Cups to one First Division championship. All three trophies were won under the legendary management of Brian Clough and his partner Peter Taylor, a partnership that transformed a provincial second-tier club into the champions of Europe in the space of three astonishing years.

The City Ground, situated on the banks of the River Trent and separated from Notts County's Meadow Lane by just a few hundred metres, has been Forest's home since 1898. The ground has witnessed some of the most remarkable stories in English football: Clough's team winning the First Division in 1977-78 as newly promoted champions, and then retaining the European Cup in 1980 against Hamburg, a feat that still defies belief.

The decades after Clough's departure in 1993 were cruel. Forest were relegated from the Premier League three times, spent years in the Championship, and even dropped to League One in 2005. The purchase by Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis in 2017 brought investment and ambition, and under Steve Cooper, Forest earned promotion back to the Premier League in 2022 via the play-offs, ending a 23-year absence from the top flight.

Since their return, Forest have established themselves as a competitive Premier League side under Nuno Espirito Santo, navigating points deductions for PSR breaches and building a squad capable of pushing for European qualification. The 2024-25 season has seen Forest emerge as genuine contenders for a top-four finish, an achievement that would be fitting for a club whose history proves that extraordinary things are possible.