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football 1980
- In March 1981, England won the British Home Championship, an annual tournament between the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. England won all three of their matches to claim the title.
- In April 1981, Tottenham Hotspur won the FA Cup, the oldest soccer competition in the world, by beating Manchester City 3-2 in the final.
- In May 1981, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, the top professional soccer league in Germany.
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football 1982
:- The offside rule was the same as today, with a player being considered offside if they were involved in active play and closer to the opponent's goal than both the ball and the second-last defender.
- The backpass rule had not yet been introduced, so goalkeepers were allowed to pick up the ball if it was passed back to them by a teammate.
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football 1983
- The backpass rule was introduced in 1983, which meant that goalkeepers were no longer allowed to pick up the ball if it was passed back to them by a teammate using their feet. This rule was introduced to encourage more attacking play and reduce time-wasting.
- The substitution rule was also changed in 1983, with teams now allowed to make up to two substitutions per match
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football 1984
- UEFA European Championship: The 1984 UEFA European Championship was held in France, and the hosts won the tournament, defeating Spain 2-0 in the final. Michel Platini of France was the top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals.
- Liverpool win the European Cup: Liverpool won the 1984 European Cup Final, defeating Roma 4-2 on penalties after the match had ended in a 1-1 draw. Liverpool's victory made them the first English club to win the European Cup three times.
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football 1985
- Heysel Stadium disaster: The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on May 29, 1985, during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus in Brussels, Belgium. Tragically, 39 people were killed and hundreds were injured when a wall collapsed following clashes between supporters of the two teams. .
- Juventus win European Cup: Despite the tragedy at the Heysel Stadium, Juventus went on to win the European Cup final, defeating Liverpool 1-0.
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football 1986
- FIFA World Cup: The 1986 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico, and it is remembered as the best World Cup tournaments in history. Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, won the tournament, defeating West Germany 3-2 in the final.
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football 1987
- Porto wins European Cup: Porto won the 1987 European Cup, defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final. The victory was Porto's first ever in the competition, and they were managed by future Chelsea and Tottenham manager, André Villas-Boas.
- PSV Eindhoven wins European Cup Winners' Cup: PSV Eindhoven won the 1987 European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating Benfica 6-5 on penalties in the final. The victory was PSV's second ever in the competition, having previously won it in 1978.
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football 1988
- Netherlands win Euro 1988: The Netherlands won the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship, defeating the Soviet Union 2-0 in the final. The tournament was notable for Marco van Basten's stunning volley in the final, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in football history.
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1989
- Arsenal wins First Division: Arsenal won the English First Division title in the 1988-89 season, famously doing so in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season. They defeated Liverpool 2-0 at field to clinch the title, with Michael Thomas scoring the winning goal in injury time.
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footbal1990
Serie A: AC Milan won their second Serie A title in a row in the 1989-90 season. The team was managed by Arrigo Sacchi and featured the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, and Marco van Basten.