Atletico Madrid probably expected those days to never return. Back in the 1970s, Real Madrid's little brother was one of the top sides in Europe.
Winning three league titles and two Copa del Reys during that decade, Los Colchoneros also made a mark in Europe, with a team featuring the late Luis Aragones and Javier Irureta.
And in the 1974 European Cup Final, Atletico came so close to their zenith.
In the final minutes of extra time the 1973 La Liga champions were leading a Bayern Munich team which included all-time legends like of Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier by a narrow 1 - 0 scoreline when Hans-George Schwarzenbeck stepped up in the final seconds of added time to take the game to a replay...
The scapegoat was goalkeeper Miguel Reina, father of former Liverpool stopper Pepe, as Schwarzenbeck's long range strike squeezed past him.
According to one myth, Reina was preparing to remove his gloves which he intended to present to a photographer stationed behind the goal, when Schwarzenberg unleashed his shot.
Two days both sides played each other again but Bayern thrashed their Spanish opponents 4 - 0 to begin an era of continental dominance that would stretch to three consecutive European Cup finals in a row.
At that point, Real Madrid were the only Spanish side to have won European club football's greatest prize. So who knows how Atletico's history might have changed for the better if they had joined the pantheon of great clubs.
And would Bayern Munich have attained their current status in the game had they lost their first European Cup final?
It must be remembered that the Bayern team which won three European Cups in a row struggled domestically and were also coming towards the end of their golden period, winning no leagues or cups between 1974 and 1980.
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