It's time! Forest awakens: After 30 years, Nottingham are back

It's March 19, 1996. Nottingham Forest returned to the UEFA Cup after 11 years - long 11 years in which the Trees couldn't even catch a glimpse of Europe. Their glorious years, 1979 and 1980, when they won two consecutive European Cups and beat Barcelona in the European Super Cup Final, are long gone.

So far, the comeback campaign has been as good as it gets. Forest knocked out the Swedish Malmo on away goals and the two French sides, Auxerre and Olympique Lyon (both 1-0 on aggregate), and reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, where mighty Bayern Munich awaits.

Santo's 'revenge' to Edu: Zinchenko and Omari out of Europe

The first clash in Germany went well. After all, captain Stuart Pearce and his teammates lost only 2-1 and brought home a more than positive result, which justifiably gave them hope that they could go one step further and enter the TOP 4.

Forest held out in the opening half an hour and then - a catastrophe. Between the 30th and 79th minute, the Bavarians netted five times, while Steve Stone's consolation goal five minutes before the end offered little comfort to the crowd at City Ground.

Jurgen Klinsmann of Bayern scores at City Ground in Forest's last European game on March 19, 1996 (©Gallo Images)

However, the worst years were yet to come... After all, who would have thought that the demolishing defeat on March 19, 1996, would be Forest's last European match in the next 30 years? Definitely no one.

The season after, Nottingham were relegated. They returned to the Premier League instantly, but then ended up at the bottom again. The Trees awaited the 21st century out of England's top flight and desperately tried to get back where they belonged for 22 years.

In 2022, they were finally promoted to the EPL, and three years later, they returned to Europe. Their last recollections of it are anything but pleasant. That's why Ange Postecoglou and his lads have an important task: to create new memories for some younger generations.

The first clash will be as tough as it gets, given that the Trees will face last season's UEFA Conference League finalists, Real Betis, on the road. But either way, they have been waiting for this for years, and now there's no way back.

Nothing will ever erase Bayern and their five goals at City Ground from the fans' minds. But now, it's time to dust off Forest's historic books, turn a new page, and write some happier memories.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

Matchday 1

Wednesday

19.45: (1.80) Midtjylland (4.10) Sturm (4.50)

19.45: (2.00) PAOK (3.60) Maccabi T.A. (4.10)

22.00: (2.20) Betis (3.60) Nottingham Forest (3.15)

22.00: (2.35) Braga (3.50) Feyenoord (3.15)

22.00: (2.85) Crvena Zvezda (3.65) Celtic (2.60)

22.00: (3.30) Dinamo Zagreb (3.40) Fenerbahce (2.20)

22.00: (1.63) Freiburg (4.20) Basel (5.00)

22.00: (1.80) Malmo (3.75) Ludogorets (4.80)

22.00: (3.10) Nice (3.40) Roma (2.30)

Thursday

19.45: (2.05) Go Ahead Eagles (3.50) FCSB (3.50)

19.45: (1.47) Lille (4.40) Brann (6.75)

22.00: (1.85) Aston Villa (3.50) Bologna (4.40)

22.00: (2.55) Ferencvaros (3.30) Plzen (2.80)

22.00: (2.45) Rangers (3.40) Genk (2.85)

22.00: (3.60) Salzburg (3.45) Porto (2.05)

22.00: (1.95) Stuttgart (3.50) Celta (3.90)

22.00: (3.25) Utrecht (3.45) Olympique Lyon (2.20)

22.00: (2.30) Young Boys (3.40) Panathinaikos (3.10)

***odds are subject to change***