English Teams You Forgot Have Played In Europe

European football is renowned for its glamour and 'special occasion' feel. A Champions League final between two giants in front of 80,000 fans is arguably club football's greatest spectacle.

But down the years, many clubs not typically associated with such an occasion have earned the right to contest in European competition. Here, take a look at the stories of some clubs you might have forgotten have played in Europe.

Fulham (2009/10)

Fulham's first Europa League campaign (they played in the UEFA Cup in 2002/03 before the competition was renamed) came within minutes of being one of English football's greatest triumphs.

After finishing seventh in the 2008/09 Premier League season, Roy Hodgson led the Cottagers into Europe with a squad built on 'Barclaysmen' - a term used to describe Premier League players with somewhat of a cult hero status at their club. At Craven Cottage, Clint Dempsey, Bobby Zamora and Paul Konchesky are the first names that come to mind, closely followed by captain Danny Murphy and unsung hero Damien Duff.

In a group contested by Roma, FC Basel and CSKA Sofia, Hodgson's men charged to eleven points and a second placed-group finish.

The fun didn't end there. A tricky draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Round of 32 brought further joy to Fulham fans, as they beat the Ukranian outfit 2-1 at home and held out for 1-1 in Donetsk.

But it is the Round of 16 that is arguably the greatest moment in Fulham's history. After losing 3-1 away at Juventus in the first leg, Craven Cottage witnessed its craziest night when a goal from Zamora, two from Zoltan Gera and a phenomenal chip from substitute Dempsey saw Fulham win 4-1, advancing 5-4 on aggregate.

In comparison, the quarter and semi finals were easy-going for Hodgson's men. They beat Wolfsburg home and away and then narrowly saw off a feisty Hamburger SV side to face Atletico Madrid in the final.

They were up against an Atleti side spearheaded by Diego Forlan and a fresh-faced Sergio Aguero, and were on the backfoot when Forlan scored just past the half-hour mark.

When Fulham made it to the Europa League Final 💭 pic.twitter.com/3zomNyhUx7

— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) March 16, 2025

But it wasn't long until Simon Davies, who had scored the goal in the semi final to put Fulham through, produced another moment of magic with a majestic near-post volley to make the game 1-1 at the break. Despite having just eleven shots to Atleti's twenty-seven, the game would go to extra time.

Agonisingly, Forlan would produce a goal in the 116th minute that would see the Spaniards emerge victorious. A cruel result after a season that deserved a trophy.

Birmingham City (2011/12)

Birmingham City are the first - not only - team on this list who played in the Europa League while in the Championship.

After winning the League Cup final (2-1 vs Arsenal in the final) in 2010/11, Birmingham were relegated from the Premier League.

Chris Hughton’s side beat CD Nacional 3-0 on aggregate in the qualifiers, with goals from David Murphy, Nathan Redmond and a young Chris Wood. In the group stage, they faced Brugge, Braga and Maribor and racked up 10 points, narrowly missing out on progression.

Their European run still had standout moments, including a dramatic 2-1 win away at Brugge – sealed by a 99th-minute winner from Wood. Not bad for a Championship club.

Wigan Athletic (2013/14)

Wigan’s European adventure began after their shock 1-0 FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

With Owen Coyle in charge and players like James McArthur and Shaun Maloney leading the charge, they headed into the group stages, but struggled. Their only win was a 3-1 home victory over Maribor, and Coyle was sacked midway through the campaign.

Not quite the fairy-tale Wigan fans would have hoped for, as they finished third in the group, bowing out quietly. But for a side balancing the Championship and Europe, it was still a moment in their history.

Burnley (2018/19)

Burnley’s Europa League return in 2018/19 was their first continental campaign since the 1960s.

After finishing seventh in the league under Sean Dyche, they edged through two qualifiers – beating Aberdeen 4-2 on aggregate and Istanbul Basaksehir 1-0 over two legs. But they fell at the final hurdle, losing 4-2 on aggregate to Olympiacos.

Dyche’s small, hardworking squad, built around James Tarkowski, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood, showed plenty of heart – but the extra fixtures visibly took their toll on a group already punching above their weight.

With Dyche's managerial stock currently at a low point, it's worth remembering what he achieved with a Burnley side that, on paper, had no right to achieve what it did.

Wolves (2019/20)

Fresh off a seventh place Premier League finish, Wolves embarked on a rare European run under Nuno Espirito Santo.

In a tough group with Braga, Slovan Bratislava and Besiktas, they racked up eleven points to progress. From there, Nuno's men produced big moments: smashing Espanyol 6-3 on aggregate (with Diogo Jota netting a hat-trick), and narrowly edging past Olympiacos 2-1 in the last-16.

Their quarter-final defeat to eventual winners Sevilla, in a Covid-hit, single-leg tie, ended the dream. Who knows what would have happened if the competition was finished in its usual two-legged format?

Including qualifiers, Wolves played a staggering seventeen European matches across the season. With a squad too small to compete on two fronts, Nuno did an excellent job to reach the last eight.

Memories Made

All of these seasons, regardless of success, formed lasting memories to fans of the club involved. To fans of other clubs who don't have a European pedigree, they provide a rationale for them to dream that one day it might be their turn.

They are stories that will be passed down generations. European football is great for providing 'I was there' moments for fans to tell their grandchildren.

Crystal Palace reaching the FA Cup final has their fans dreaming of a win at Wembley - but it also has the potential to bring them some unforgettable days around Europe.