Even if they didn’t beat that great Milan team in the final, Rangers were still denied the chance to become the first Champions League winners and came within a whisker of reaching the inaugural final. Back then the format featured domestic champions only, with the final eight clubs split into two groups of four where the top teams in each mini-league qualified for the final. Going into the final group game, Rangers were level on points with Marseille, who eventually won the tournament. It later emerged the club and their president Bernard Tapie had fixed a French league match involving Marseille six days before the final, allowing them to focus on the Milan game without fear of over-exerting themselves.
The best teams that should have won a major trophy but fell short including Liverpool, Rangers and Arsenal
