Two other English teams, Liverpool and Tottenham, were still competing in Europe’s second club tournament, the Europa League. Both had won the cup before. Tottenham were in fact the first winners of the competition in 1972, when Spurs beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 on aggregate in the final. Tottenham also won the UEFA Cup in 1984. Another significant campaign for Spurs came in 1974, when they lost the final 4-2 to Feyenoord.
Liverpool were one title short of Sevilla’s record of 4 Europa League trophies. The Reds had won the cup three times, most recently in 2001, when in a memorable match Liverpool beat 5-4 Spanish Alaves after extra time.
If the bigger clubs had underestimated the tournament in the past, things had changed dramatically. The Europa League winner now earned a place in the Champions League group stage, which gave the clubs an extra reason to fight for the trophy.
Spurs manager Pochettino knew that a top-four finish in the Premier League was almost out of reach, and the cup looked like his best route into the Champions League. Tottenham started well, beating Qarabag 3-1 at White Hart Lane. Although they still had to face Monaco and Anderlecht, they did not look likely to have difficulties reaching the next stage, and if they were lucky enough to avoid Borussia Dortmund, a team in great form, they would have a real chance of winning the trophy.
Liverpool, for their part, also faced a struggle to qualify for the Champions League. The Reds looked unlikely to reach fourth place in the Premier League, since that would mean finishing ahead of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City; fifth place looked the most realistic target for Liverpool.
Liverpool took a point from their first group match, drawing 1-1 with Bordeaux. Their other two opponents in the group were Sion and Rubin Kazan, so progress did not look out of reach.
Both English participants in the Europa League appeared to have serious chances of lifting the trophy. With the competition no longer underestimated, Liverpool and Tottenham were certain to give their best. A little luck in the draws would be needed, but that was not the most important factor. What mattered most was that both clubs had enough quality players in their squads, and it promised to be interesting to see how far they could go in the cup.
How far the English clubs went
Tottenham’s run ended where the article feared it might. Spurs beat Fiorentina 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 32, drawing 1-1 in Florence and winning 3-0 at White Hart Lane, but the Round of 16 draw paired them with Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund won the first leg 3-0 at Signal Iduna Park on 10 March 2016 and the second leg 2-1 in London a week later, going through 5-1 on aggregate.
Liverpool went much further. By the time the knockout rounds began, Jurgen Klopp had replaced Brendan Rodgers, and the Reds had topped Group B with 10 points. They edged Augsburg 1-0 on aggregate, then beat Manchester United 3-1 in the first European meeting between the two clubs. In the quarter-finals they knocked out Dortmund, Klopp’s former club, 5-4 on aggregate, and in the semi-finals they overcame Villarreal 3-1.
The final in Basel
The final was played at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on 18 May 2016. Daniel Sturridge gave Liverpool the lead in the 35th minute, but Sevilla turned the game around after the break: Kevin Gameiro equalised in the 46th minute and Coke scored twice, in the 64th and 70th minutes. Sevilla won 3-1, lifting the trophy for the third season in a row and for the fifth time in all.
Questions people ask
Where did Liverpool's 2015-16 Europa League run end?
Liverpool reached the final, beating Augsburg, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal in the knockout rounds. They lost the final 3-1 to Sevilla at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on 18 May 2016.
Who knocked Tottenham out of the 2015-16 Europa League?
Borussia Dortmund eliminated Tottenham in the Round of 16, winning 5-1 on aggregate. Dortmund won 3-0 at home on 10 March 2016 and 2-1 at White Hart Lane a week later.
Who won the 2016 Europa League final?
Sevilla beat Liverpool 3-1 in Basel. Daniel Sturridge put Liverpool ahead, but Kevin Gameiro and Coke, with two goals, turned the match around after half-time. It was Sevilla's third Europa League title in a row and their fifth overall.
Had Tottenham and Liverpool won the UEFA Cup before 2015-16?
Yes. Tottenham were the first winners of the competition in 1972, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 on aggregate, and won it again in 1984. Liverpool had won it three times, most recently in 2001 with a 5-4 win over Alaves after extra time.