After a format change that brought mixed reactions from all levels of the football business in Europe, we now stand on the brink of another Champions League semifinal round, which will determine who reaches the highly anticipated Munich 2025 final at the Allianz Arena. This will be the fifth time that the German city hosts the final of the most prestigious club tournament in the world… and there's a curious statistic that gives hope to Arsenal and PSG: in the previous four editions, the champion had never won the tournament before.

The Rise of Nottingham Forest and a Title Marseille Still Boasts About

The first club to begin this trend in Munich back in 1979 was Nottingham Forest, who, interestingly, are currently pushing hard to return to the European Cup. Their case was quite unique, as the previous season they had been promoted to the First Division in England, won the domestic title that granted them access to the European Cup, and ended up lifting the trophy after defeating Malmo in the final thanks to a lone goal by Trevor Francis.

If Nottingham Forest’s triumph was already striking, what Olympique de Marseille achieved in 1993 was just as remarkable. That year, the European Cup underwent its biggest format change to date and was renamed the Champions League. In the final, they faced the legendary AC Milan managed by Fabio Capello, featuring the Dutch trio of Rijkaard, Gullit, and Van Basten. However, Olympique de Marseille managed to claim the title thanks to another lone goal, this time from Basile Boli, just two years after losing the 1991 final to Red Star Belgrade. Since then, Olympique de Marseille has proudly remained the only French Champions League winner—a record PSG will look to equal this year.

Borussia Dortmund's Surprise and Chelsea’s Wild Ride

With the Champions League format now established, it didn’t take long for Munich to host another final, in the 1996-1997 edition. This time, a surprising Borussia Dortmund led by Matthias Sammer reached their first final in the tournament’s history and convincingly beat what is considered the best Juventus side ever (3-1), which featured future legends like Alessandro Del Piero and Zinedine Zidane.

If all these stories from past Munich finals were worth studying… what happened in the 2011-2012 Champions League final, also held in Munich, defies logic. Bayern Munich played the final in their own stadium against Chelsea, led by interim manager Roberto Di Matteo after the sacking of André Villas-Boas. Against all odds, they reached the final after defeating Barcelona—the reigning champions—in the semis. Thanks to a late goal by Drogba in stoppage time, they forced extra time and a penalty shootout, ultimately lifting their first Champions League title.