At the "City Ground" in Nottingham, silence came after a shot by Rushdi Kerimov. On October 1, 1980, CSKA defeated the reigning European champion Nottingham Forest 1:0 and eliminated them from the European Champions Cup tournament with a 2:0 aggregate score.
This is the second leg of the first round of the competition, and the English team looks like one of the toughest possible opponents. Just a few months earlier, Nottingham Forest had won the European Champions Cup for the second time in a row. Brian Clough's team features England's national goalkeeper Peter Shilton and comes after European triumphs in 1979 and 1980.
Two 1-0 victories
CSKA has already struck the first blow in Sofia. On September 17, 1980, in front of about 70,000 spectators at the “Vasil Levski“ stadium, the “army“ won 1-0, with Tsvetan Yonchev scoring the only goal.
The second leg began with expectations of English pressure, but the Bulgarian team did not retreat to defense. The team led by Asparuh Nikodimov played bravely and looked for opportunities in front of Shilton's goal. In the 32nd minute, according to one of the archives, and in other records the 33rd, Kerimov sent the ball into the net after a CSKA attack.
One of the most memorable stories about the match is from Georgi Velinov. “The second match in Nottingham we played so well, we were like machines. I had little to do. The team as a whole probably played its greatest match abroad“, recalls the legendary CSKA goalkeeper.
A victory that changed the European season
After the final whistle, CSKA did not just move on. The Bulgarian champion dethroned the trophy holder, and after two victories without conceding a goal. The success of the “City Ground“ remains among the most significant away games of a Bulgarian club in European tournaments.
In the next round, CSKA eliminated the Polish Szombathely Bytom after 4:0 in Sofia and 1:0 as an away game. In the spring of 1981, the campaign ended in the quarterfinals against Liverpool, but the season had already registered the team's name among the strongest European teams.
Ruzhdy Kerimov remains forever connected to that night in Nottingham. His goal against Peter Shilton, the two victories over the European champion and Brian Clough's dismissed team turned October 1, 1980 into a date that continues to be remembered by generations of CSKA supporters.
Sources: Sportal, Dsport, Topsport