How Aberdeen surprised everyone with best record in European soccer

The European soccer membership with the very best document this season — 13 wins from 13 video games — is not one that almost all would have anticipated.

This crew spent final season within the backside half of a home league it hasn’t received since 1985 and has by no means certified for the Champions League in its fashionable format.

It’s, nevertheless, nonetheless the final crew to have overwhelmed Actual Madrid in a European membership competitors remaining, 41 years in the past when managed by an all-time nice.

These heady Nineteen Eighties days when Alex Ferguson ran the present at Aberdeen, on the windswept north-east coast of Scotland, are being revived by an unexpectedly sturdy begin to the season.

On Saturday, Aberdeen’s trophy credentials get their hardest take a look at but in an away recreation at league-leading Celtic, the defending champion which additionally has a 100% document within the Scottish Premiership of seven straight wins.

It’s nearly one 12 months since Aberdeen final went to Celtic Park and was routed 6-0. That was three everlasting or interim managers in the past.

Swedish coach Jimmy Thelin then got here on this offseason and put a spring within the step of a crew that followers name the Dandy Dons.

Beginning with a collection of July wins towards lower-tier opponents within the League Cup, Thelin has identified solely victories in Scotland since leaving Elfsborg after six years.

Two stoppage-time profitable targets had been wanted to maintain the streak going earlier than a thirteenth straight win was sealed on Oct. 6 by an 88th-minute purpose from Ante Palaversa in a second-half rally to beat Hearts 3-2.

“That claims loads in regards to the crew now,” mentioned Thelin. “We will see the hearth within the eyes of the gamers.”

Enthusiasm can be again among the many followers who’ve packed Pittodrie Stadium to its 20,000 capability. Palaversa scored on the seashore finish of the bottom, behind which the statue of Ferguson that the previous Manchester United supervisor himself unveiled in 2022 seems to be towards the chilly North Sea.

Palaversa, a former Croatia Below-21 midfielder, is a typical instance of the kind of gamers that Aberdeen has needed to discover. As soon as a $7 million teenage purchase for Manchester Metropolis, he left with out enjoying a recreation for Pep Guardiola.

Palaversa had two injury-hit seasons with Man Metropolis’s French sister membership Troyes earlier than transferring to Scotland on the age of 24.

“I really feel I have to take this chance at Aberdeen to show myself and get my profession again on observe,” he mentioned when signing in August.

Thelin discovered immediate success regardless of promoting star participant Bojan Miovski for a membership document 6.8 million kilos ($8.9 million) to Girona. The North Macedonia ahead made his debut within the Champions League final month.

Switch money has been key to creating Aberdeen’s enterprise mannequin work and drove its revenues above 23 million kilos ($30 million) in its most up-to-date accounts.

Celtic earns about 5 occasions as a lot, with a 60,000-seat stadium in Glasgow and common Champions League motion serving to fund the signings of Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and Belgian midfielder Arne Engels, who value 11 million euros ($12 million).

Celtic additionally has received all its video games in Scotland this season. A 7-1 loss at Borussia Dortmund is the one recreation it hasn’t received in all competitions.

Celtic has the storied historical past in Saturday’s top-of-the-table conflict. It was European Cup winner in 1967 and misplaced within the remaining three years later. It additionally reached the 2003 UEFA Cup remaining — overwhelmed by Jose Mourinho’s Porto — and has 54 Scottish league titles. Glasgow rival Rangers has 55.

Aberdeen is tied for third within the record with simply 4 Scottish titles, three of them in a golden period below Ferguson from 1978-86 earlier than he was lured to Manchester United.

Nonetheless, Aberdeen stays the final Scottish crew to win a European title. Ferguson’s younger crew received the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup remaining, beating Actual Madrid 2-1 in additional time. Since then, Madrid has received all 11 of its finals, 9 within the Champions League and two UEFA Cups.

Whereas Thelin is much from matching Ferguson but, he has Aberdeen feeling like a winner once more.

“We’re on a journey collectively now,” he mentioned. “We’re nonetheless (maintaining our) toes on the bottom and keep humble.”