What is a 'Remontada' in Football?

What is a 'Remontada' in Football?

Football has its own language. Words and phrases such as ‘tiki-taka’, ‘Gegenpress’ and ‘park the bus’ are used regularly. However, few of them get close to the weight and drama that ‘remontada’ carries.

So, what actually is a ‘remontada’? Well, it is a direct translation of 'comeback' in Spanish. However, that isn’t just it in football. For the use of it in football, there has to be a large deficit between the 2 sides. This is normally why you see this word used during the Champions League, a 2-leg knockout competition.

Many people would consider a ‘remontada’ as something that was achieved that seemed impossible or a miracle that you came back. The word first became famous and well known almost a decade ago when FC Barcelona faced Paris Saint-Germain. One of the most famous and well-known comebacks. Barca was 4-0 down and managed to come back, winning the second leg 6-1. This was when the word truly blew up. This was the night everyone knew the word and saw the true meaning of ‘remontada’.

First leg: PSG 4-0 Barcelona

Second leg: 😱

Barcelona vs PSG will always be remembered for La Remontada 😍pic.twitter.com/xVQDKsOAH6

— GOAL (@goal) February 16, 2021

That isn’t the only example of this; another example came when Liverpool faced AC Milan in the Champions League final. 3-0 down, Steven Gerrard managed to lead Liverpool back into the game, getting it to penalties and winning the game. However, that isn’t the only example Liverpool have.

In fact, they did it against the team that coined the word for the world. In the 2019 UCL semi-final, Barcelona were 3-0 up and it looked like an impossible task, especially as they were missing star winger Mo Salah. However, once again they defied the odds. They walked out of that game as victors, smashing Barca 4-0 and booking their spot in the final.

Overall, while it is just a word, it carries so much weight in the football world. Now almost any time a team goes down heavily in the first leg, that word will be everywhere on social media and within the fan base. It is a word that has allowed a new meaning and weight to comebacks and defying the odds.