European Club Soccer by Virgin Games: 30 years on

Welcome back to the Retro Bloginator.

I found European Club Soccer on the Sega Mega Drive on eBay for GBP4. Which is very reasonable for an authentic cartridge. However when I noticed it was free postage worldwide, I had no other choice but to snap it up. With the postage to Australia, I'd be surprised if the seller made anything on this.

European Club Soccer (seeing it's a British game, I'm not sure why they just didn't call it European Club Football) was one of the first games I purchased when I got my Mega Drive in 1993. I think I got it at a car boot sale for GBP5.

I played it SO much. I was really into geography at this age so a game which incorporated teams from cities and countries all around Europe fascinated me.

As my team Bristol Rovers weren't in it (understandable as they were in Division 2, the equivalent of the English Championship) at that time, I went overseas to pick my "go to" club.

I chose Torpedo Moscow, as I loved the name. Probably an appropriate team to choose, as like Rovers they've had a serious fall from grace since 1992.

Rovers finished that season in 13th place, which seems unthinkable now. Since then, they've been down to the English Conference (the 5th tier of English football and is a semi-professional league) as recently as 2015. After getting back up to League One (the 3rd tier), they were relegated last season and now sit in League Two (the 4th tier).

Torpedo had finished 3rd in the Soviet Top League in 1991 and have 3 league titles and 7 domestic cup titles. They made the 2nd round of the UEFA Cup in 1991-92, so they definitely had the credentials to be included in this game. Later that year in 1992, they actually knocked Manchester United out in the first round. 

But then things got bad. 14 years later, in 2006, they got relegated from the Russian Premier League. 2 years later, in 2008, they got relegated again and ended up in the amateur Moscow league (the 4th tier of Russian football) due to financial irregularities. 

2 years later, they'd got back up to the Russian Football National League, the 2nd tier. They did make a brief appearance back in the RPL for the 2014-15 season, but finished 15th and relegated back to the FNL2, the 3rd tier. The reason they dropped 2 divisions was due to lack of financing, so the FNL accepted them into their bottom division. At the time of writing, they are looking good for promotion back into the RPL for the 2022-23 season.

Back to the game, developed by Krisalis and published by Virgin Games, it's technically a follow up to their game Manchester United Europe made by Krisalis in 1991 on several home computers.

There are also worldwide variants on the game. It was released as World Trophy Soccer in North America and plays in a World Cup type format with countries. This was probably chosen due to the upcoming World Cup in the USA in 1994. There's also a Japanese variant called J-League Champion Soccer, released in 1993, with the J-League only being formed in 1992.

The game puts the Mega Drive's Yamaha FM sound chip to good use, with Matt Furniss' legendary soundtrack throughout the game, even during the match.

The game is based on the UEFA European Champions Cup, today's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League. Back in 1992, it was a straight knock out tournament. No second chances. Each round would consist of a home and away leg, with the number of away goals counting as the deciding factor if the 2 teams were tied after the 2 legs. If they both had the same number of away goals, the match would go into extra time for another 30 minutes and a penalty shoot out if it was still a draw after that.

If you win the cup, you get to play a South American team over 2 legs in the Intercontinental Cup.

From the main menu, this route is known as the "Simulation" mode. 

There's also an "Arcade" mode. This allows you to choose your team and your opponent and play a single game in 1 player mode. This is effectively the option you chose if you wanted to play a 2 player game against your friends.

In the options, there are 3 difficulty levels. Easy, Medium and Hard.

You can adjust the match length from 4 minutes, to 10 minutes, and then in 10 minute intervals up to a realistic 90 minutes.

There's a BGM Test, controller select option, an option to toggle the music and sound effects and an option to choose automatic or manual player select. This essentially means that you change to the nearest player to the ball automatically during the game.

The game was pretty good for its time. FIFA International Soccer by EA Sports didn't come out until 1993, which really changed things for the better. 

ECS really paid attention to detail. The players ran out onto the field at the start of the game, with each player's name and shirt number detailed at the bottom as they run out. The referee showing yellow and red cards, stewards on the side of the pitch, substitutes on the bench and the animation of substitutions when they happen. This was all pretty impressive in 1992. The game plays like most early 90's football games in an arcade style.

The main reason I wanted to blog this game was not so much for the gameplay, but the changes in European football since 1992.

Some countries don't exist anymore:

Czechoslovakia (now Czechia and Slovakia)

Rumania (now known as Romania)

USSR (now Russia as well as former Soviet states)

Yugoslavia (3 modern day countries are represented: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia)

The fall of the Iron Curtain really aged this game. If it was made a year later, it would have been a completely different game.

I'll go through each country with its clubs and explain some of the differences over the 30 years since ECS.

Albania - 2 teams

17 Nentori 

Now KF Tirana (17 Nentori was its communist name). 

Flamurtari

Now play in the Kategoria e Parë, the second tier of Albanian football.

Austria - 4 teams

FK Austria

Kremser

They now play in the Austrian 4th tier. The last time they were in the top league was in 1991-92.

Rapid Vienna

Were runners-up in the 1995-96 Cup Winner's Cup. 

Vienna Sturm Graz

Not sure why they were called Vienna Sturm Graz in the game, as Vienna and Graz are separate cities in Austria.

Belgium - 7 teams

Anderlecht

Antwerp

Were runners-up in the 1992-93 Cup Winner's Cup.

Club Bruges

Club Liege

Now play in the Belgian First Amateur Division (the Belgian 3rd tier).

Mechelen

Standard Liege

Waregem

Bulgaria - 4 teams

CFKA Sredets

Now PFC CSKA Sofia (CFKA Sredets was its communist name). 

Slavia Sofia

Trakia Plovdiv

Now Botev Plovdiv. It actually became Botev again in 1989, so not sure why Trakia was still used when the game was made in 1992.

Vitosha

Not sure why they were included. As far as I can tell, they were never a top tier club in Bulgaria. FC Vitosha Bistritsa currently play in the 3rd tier of Bulgarian football.

Cyprus - 3 teams

APOEL

Omonia

Pezoporikos

In 1994 the club merged with EPA Larnaca and they formed AEK Larnaca.

Czechoslovakia - 4 teams

Dukla

Currently play in the National Football League (the Czech 2nd tier).

Dunajska

Currently play in the Slovak Super Liga (top tier).

Inter

Currently play in the Slovak 3rd tier.

Sparta Prague

Currently play in the Czech First League (top tier).

Denmark - 3 teams

Aarhus

Brondby

Ikast FS

After a merger with Herning Fremad, they became FC Midtjylland in 1999.

England - 12 teams

Arsenal

Won the Cup Winner's Cup in 1994.

Aston Villa

Intertoto Cup winners in 2001 & 2008.

Chelsea

Won the Cup Winner's Cup in 1998, the Champions League in 2012 & 2021 and the Europa League in 2013 & 2019.

Everton

No European titles since 1992.

Leeds United

No European titles since 1992.

Liverpool

UEFA Cup winners in 2001, Champions League winners in 2005 and 2019 and Club World Cup winners also in 2019.

Manchester United

Champions League winners in 1999 & 2008, Club World Cup winners also in 2008 and Europa League winners in 2017. 

Norwich

No European titles since 1992.

Nottingham Forest

Currently in the Championship (the English 2nd tier), with no European titles since 1992.

Rotherham United

Currently in League One (the English 3rd tier), they have never qualified for Europe. Apparently in the game as the game was developed in Rotherham by Krisalis.

Tottenham Hotspur

No European titles since 1992.

West Ham United

Intertoto Cup winners in 1999.

Finland - 3 teams

HJK Helsinki

Kuusysi

Their name means 69 in Finnish. They currently play in the Kolmonen (the Finnish 4th tier).

TPS Turku

They currently play in the Ykkönen (the Finnish 2nd tier).

France - 11 teams

AS Cannes

Currently play in National 3 (the French 5th tier).

AS Saint Etienne

Auxerre

Currently play in Ligue 2.

Bordeaux

Intertoto Cup winners in 1995.

Nantes

Niort

Currently play in Ligue 2.

Marseille

Champions League winners in 1993. Also won the Intertoto Cup in 2005.

Metz

Monaco

Champions League runners up in 2004.

Montpellier

Intertoto Cup winners in 1999.

Sochaux

Currently play in Ligue 2.

Germany - 11 teams

Bayern Munich

Champions League winners in 2001, 2013 & 2019 and Europa League winners in 1996. Also won the Intercontinental Cup in 2001 and Club World Cup winners 2013 and 2020.

Carl Zeiss Jena

Currently play in the Regionalliga Nordost (the German 4th tier).

Dortmund

Champions League and Intercontinental Cup winners in 1997.

Dynamo Berlin

Currently play in the Regionalliga Nordost (the German 4th tier).

Dynamo Dresden

Currently play in the 2. Bundesliga.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Hamburg

Intertoto Cup winners in 2005 & 2007. Currently play in the 2. Bundesliga.

Leipzig

Nuremburg

Currently play in the 2. Bundesliga.

Stuttgart

Intertoto Cup winners in 2000 & 2002.

Werder Bremen

Cup Winner's Cup winners in 1992 and Intertoto Cup winners in 1998. Currently play in the 2. Bundesliga.

Greece - 4 teams

AEK Athens

Larissa

Currently play in Super League Greece 2.

Panathinaikos

P.A.O.K

Holland - 9 teams

Ajax

UEFA Cup winners in 1992 and Champions League winners in 1995. Also won the Intercontinental Cup in 1995.

FC Twente

Intertoto Cup winners in 2006.

Feyenoord

Won the UEFA Cup in 2002.

Groningen

Haarlem

Went bankrupt in 2010.

PSV Eindhoven

Volendam

Currently play in the Eerste Divisie (the Dutch 2nd tier).

VVV

Currently play in the Eerste Divisie (the Dutch 2nd tier).

Waalwijk

Hungary - 4 teams

Honved

Pecsi Munkas

Currently play in NB II (the 2nd tier of Hungarian Football).

Ujpest Dozsa

Videoton

Now known as Fehérvár FC. 

Iceland - 3 teams

Akranes

Fram

Play in 1. deild karla (the 2nd tier of Icelandic football).

Valur

Italy - 10 teams

AC Milan

Champions League and Super Cup winners in 1994, 2003 and 2007. Club World Cup winners in 2007.

Atalanta

Bologna

Intertoto Cup winner in 1998.

Fiorentina

Internazionale

Champions League winners in 2010. UEFA Cup winners in 1994 and 1998. Club World Cup winners in 2010.

Juventus

Champions League winners in 1996. UEFA Cup winners in 1993. Super Cup Winners in 1996. Intertoto Cup winners in 1999. Intercontinental Cup winners in 1996.

Napoli

Intertoto Cup winners in 2008.

Roma

Sampdoria

European Cup runners up in 1992.

Verona

(Rep.) Ireland - 3 teams

Derry City

Dundalk

Shamrock Rovers

(N.) Ireland - 3 teams

Bangor

Currently play in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League (the 3rd tier of Northern Irish football).

Glentoran

Linfield

Luxembourg - 3 teams

Aris Bonnevoie

Was based in Luxembourg City until they dissolved in 2001. Now part of Racing FC Union.

Avenir Beggen

Currently play in the 2. Division (the 4th tier of Luxembourgish football).

Jeunesse Esch

Malta - 3 teams

Floriana

Hamrun

Sliema Wanderers

Norway - 3 teams

Hamarkamatalene

Should be Hamarkameratene.

Molde

Moss

Currently play in 2. divisjon (the 3rd tier of Norwegian football).

Poland - 4 teams

Gornik Zabrze

Katowice

Currently play in I Liga (the 2nd tier of Polish football).

Lech Poznan

Legia Warsaw

Portugal - 5 teams

Belenenses

Benfica

FC Porto

Champions League winners in 2004. UEFA Cup winners in 2003. Europa League winners in 2011. Intercontinental Cup winners in 2004.

Sporting Lisbon

Vitoria Guimaraes

Rumania - 4 teams

Dinamo Bucharest

Otelul

Intertoto Cup winners in 2007. Currently play in Liga III (the 3rd tier of Romanian football). 

Rapid Bucharest

Steaua

Currently play in Liga II (the 2nd tier of Romanian football). 

Scotland - 5 teams

Aberdeen

Celtic

UEFA Cup runners up in 2003.

Dundee United

Hearts

Full name is Heart of Midlothian. 

Rangers

UEFA Cup runners up in 2008.

Spain - 11 teams

Atletico Madrid

Champions League runners up in 2014 and 2016. Europa League and Super Cup winners in 2010, 2012 and 2018.

Barcelona

Champions League winners in 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. Cup Winners Cup winners in 1997. Super Cup winners in 1992, 1997, 2009, 2011 and 2015. Club World Cup winners in 2009, 2011, and 2015.

Bilbao

Malaga

Currently play in La Liga 2 (the 2nd tier of Spanish football). Intertoto Cup winners in 2002.

RCD Espanol

UEFA Cup runners up in 2007.

Real Madrid

Champions League winners in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Super Cup winners in 2002, 2014, 2016 & 2017. Intercontinental Cup winners in 1998 & 2002. Club World Cup winners in 2014, 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Real Mallorca

Cup Winner's Cup runners up in 1999.

Real Sociedad

Seville

Better known now as Sevilla. Won the Europa League in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020. Also won the UEFA Super Cup in 2006.

Sporting Gijon

Currently play in La Liga 2 (the 2nd tier of Spanish football).

Valencia

Champions League runners up in 2000 & 2001. UEFA Cup and Super Cup winners in 2004. Intertoto Cup winners in 1998 and runners up in 2005.

Sweden - 5 teams

Brage

Currently play in the Superettan (the 2nd tier of Swedish football).

Gothenburg

Malmo

Norrkoping

Osters

Currently play in the Superettan (the 2nd tier of Swedish football).

Switzerland - 4 teams

Aarau

Currently play in the Challenge League (the 2nd tier of Swiss football).

Grasshoppers

Neuchatel Xamax

Currently play in the Challenge League (the 2nd tier of Swiss football).

Servette

Turkey - 3 teams

Besiktas

Galatasaray

Won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2000.

Sakaryaspor

Currently play in the Second League (the 3rd tier of Turkish football).

USSR - 7 teams

DNEPR

Later known as FC Dnipro. Were based in Dnipro, Ukraine. Went bankrupt in 2018, only 3 years after finishing runners up in the Europa League in 2015.

Dynamo Kiev

Currently play in the Premier League (the top tier of Ukrainian football).

Dynamo Moscow

Currently play in the Premier League (the top tier of Russian football).

Dynamo Tblisi

Currently play in the Erovnuli Liga (the top tier of Georgian football).

Metallist

Currently play in the First League (the 2nd tier of Ukrainian football).

Moscow Spartak

Mainly known as Spartak Moscow. Currently play in the Premier League (the top tier of Russian football).

Torpedo Moscow

See earlier in the blog regarding their history.

Wales - 2 teams

Cardiff City

Currently play in the English Championship (the 2nd tier of English football).

Wrexham

Currently play in the English National League (the 5th tier of English football).

Yugoslavia - 5 teams

Borac

Currently play in the Premier League (the top tier of Bosnian & Herzegovinian football).

Dinamo Zagreb

Currently play in the Prva HNL (the top tier of Croatian football).

Partizan

Currently play in the Superliga (the top tier of Serbian football).

Red Star Belgrade

Now mainly known as Crvena Zvezda. Currently play in the Superliga (the top tier of Serbian football).

Velez Mostar

Currently play in the Premier League (the top tier of Bosnian & Herzegovinian football).

It's been fun researching the clubs and their mixed fortunes over 30 years. 

What has surprised you? 

Were there teams included in the game that you're surprised haven't won certain (or any) trophies? 

Are there some well known European clubs now which weren't included in 1992, either because they didn't warrant the inclusion or because maybe they weren't even formed yet?

Football is a funny old game. There'll always be change in football, whether it be good or bad for certain clubs.

In the meantime, I'll continue to play FIFA and Football Manager to get Bristol Rovers into the Champions League and on to glory. It could happen, right?