Why WIGAN ATHLETIC failed to conquer Europe
What a whirlwind week it was in May 2013 when Wigan Athletic, still celebrating their first major trophy in the form of an FA Cup final shock over Manchester City, had to travel back to North London to preserve their Premier League future.
Wigan shipped four goals and three days after winning the cup, they were sent down into the Championship.
Regardless, the Tics went on a European adventure to such luminaries as Russia and Rubin Kazan, Belgium and Zulte Waregem as well as Slovenia and Maribor.
Wigan failed to score from open play in each of their three European away days, gaining one point, whilst failing to capitalise on a home win over Maribor and a 1-1 draw against what was a seasoned Champions League outfit in Rubin Kazan.
Had Wigan won their final group game, they would have qualified for the knockout phase and—who knows—maybe even returned back to the top flight.
#WAFC #UEL
JOIN THE TEAM! Donate to our Patreon page for just £1, for bonus 5 days a week content such as your what if ideas made a reality, football podcasts, columns and Football Manager content: http://patreon.com/whatiffootball
WHAT IF FOOTBALL IS PART OF THE SPORTS SOCIAL PODCAST NETWORK: You can find our What if Football Podcast on the Sports Social Podcast Network every Wednesday, and everywhere else where you consume podcasts!: https://podcast.sport-social.co.uk/podcast/what-if-football/
FOLLOW US!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhatIf_YouTube
Voice: Jake Doyle (@jakedoyle93)
Words: Jake Doyle (@jakedoyle93)
Edit: Jake Doyle (@jakedoyle93)
What If Football is a form of footballing storytelling that takes the audience down a different path to our current reality.
What If Football covers football in all forms, from the Premier League to the Champions League, European football and the EFL as well as international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championships.
What scenarios would you like What If Football to cover? Please let us know in the comments section.