Real Sociedad in European football

Real Sociedad is a football club from San Sebastián, Basque Country. They have entered European competitions representing Spain's La Liga on 19 occasions.

Real Sociedad in European football
Anoeta Stadium prior to a UEFA Champions League fixture, 2013
ClubReal Sociedad
Seasons played19
First entry1974–75 UEFA Cup
Latest entry2023–24 UEFA Champions League
Titles
Champions League0 (Best: Semi-finals)
Europa League0 (Best: Quarter-finals)
Cup Winners' Cup0 (Best: Second round)

Summary

The club has never appeared in a European final. Their best performance was in the 1982–83 European Cup when they reached the semi-finals, losing narrowly to eventual winners Hamburger SV.[1][2][3]

La Real have twice competed in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. In 2003–04 they qualified directly as runners-up in the previous season's domestic league, and progressed from the group before being beaten by Lyon in the first knockout round.[4] Ten years later, in 2013–14 – having played no other European football and spent three years in the second division in the interim – they were again paired with Lyon, this time in the playoff round, and gained revenge by eliminating them,[5][6] but subsequently finished bottom of the section.[7]

In 2017, the club competed in the UEFA Europa League groups for the first time after gaining entry directly to that stage, having fallen in the last qualification round three years earlier.[8]

In 2020, La Real appeared to be heading out of the competition at the group stage in the 90th minute of the last matchday, before a goal in stoppage time against SSC Napoli earned them a point, while a goal at almost the same moment in the other fixture meant defeat and elimination for AZ Alkmaar who had been set to go through.[9]

Overall record
Accurate as of 24 October 2023
CompetitionPldWDLGFGAGDWin%
European Cup / Champions League (5) 29 10 7 12 28 30 −2 034.48
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1) 4 1 3 0 3 1 +2 025.00
UEFA Cup / Europa League (13) 70 31 17 22 96 89 +7 044.29
Total 103 42 27 34 127 120 +7 040.78

Source: UEFA.com
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal Difference.

Results

Key

Matches
Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
1974–75 UEFA Cup 1R Czechoslovakia Baník Ostrava 0–1 0–4 0–5
1975–76 UEFA Cup 1R Switzerland Grasshopper 1–1 3–3 4–4
2R England Liverpool[lower-alpha 1] 1–3 0–6[lower-alpha 2] 1–9[lower-alpha 3]
1979–80 UEFA Cup 1R Italy Internazionale 2–0 0–3 2–3
1980–81 UEFA Cup 1R Hungary Újpest 1–0 1–1 2–1
2R Czechoslovakia Zbrojovka Brno 2–1 1–1 3–2
3R Belgium Lokeren 2–2 0–1 2–3
1981–82 European Cup 1R Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 0–0 0–1 0–1
1982–83 European Cup 1R Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík 3–2 1–0 4–2
2R Scotland Celtic 2–0 1–2 3–2
QF Portugal Sporting CP 2–0 0–1 2–1
SF[lower-alpha 4] West Germany Hamburger SV[lower-alpha 5] 1–1 1–2 2–3
1987–88 Cup Winner's Cup 1R Poland Śląsk Wrocław 0–0 2–0 2–0
2R Soviet Union Dinamo Minsk 1–1 0–0 1–1
1988–89 UEFA Cup 1R Czechoslovakia Dukla Prague 2–1 2–3 4–4
2R Portugal Sporting CP 0–0 2–1 2–1
3R West Germany 1. FC Köln 1–0 2–2 3–2
QF West Germany VfB Stuttgart 1–0 0–1
(a.e.t.)		 1–1
(2–4 pen.)
1990–91 UEFA Cup 1R Switzerland Lausanne Sports 1–0 2–3 3–3
2R Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan 1–0 0–1
(a.e.t.)		 1–1
(3–4 pen.)
1992–93 UEFA Cup 1R Portugal Vitória de Guimarães 2–0 0–3 2–3
1998–99 UEFA Cup 1R Czech Republic Sparta Prague 1–0 4–2 5–2
2R Russia Dynamo Moscow 3–0 3–2 6–2[lower-alpha 6]
3R Spain Atlético Madrid 2–1 1–4 3–5
2003–04 Champions League Group D Italy Juventus 0–0 2–4 2nd
Turkey Galatasaray 1–1 2–1
Greece Olympiacos 1–0 2–2
Round of 16 France Lyon 0–1 0–1 0–2
2013–14 Champions League PO France Lyon 2–0 2–0 4–0[lower-alpha 7]
Group A England Manchester United 0–0 0–1 4th
Germany Bayer Leverkusen 0–1 1–2
Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk 0–2 0–4
2014–15 Europa League 3Q Scotland Aberdeen 2–0 3–2 5–2
PO Russia Krasnodar 1–0 0–3 1–3
2017–18 Europa League Group L Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg 1–3 1–3 2nd
Norway Rosenborg 4–0 1–0
North Macedonia Vardar 6–0[lower-alpha 8] 3–0
Round of 32 Austria Red Bull Salzburg 2–2 1–2 3–4
2020–21 Europa League Group F Italy Napoli 0–1 1–1 2nd
Netherlands AZ 1–0 0–0
Croatia Rijeka 2–2 1–0
Round of 32 England Manchester United 0–4 0–0 0–4
2021–22 Europa League Group B France Monaco 1–1 1–2 2nd
Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 3–0 2–2
Austria Sturm Graz 1–1 1–0
Knockout play-offs Germany RB Leipzig 1–3 2–2 3–5
2022–23 Europa League Group E England Manchester United 0–1 1–0 1st
Cyprus Omonia 2–1 2–0
Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol 3–0 2–0
Round of 16 Italy Roma 0–0 0–2 0–2
2023–24 Champions League Group D Italy Internazionale 1–1
Austria Red Bull Salzburg 2–0
Portugal Benfica 1–0

Notes
  1. Liverpool were the eventual winners
  2. worst defeat (single match)
  3. worst aggregate defeat
  4. furthest progression
  5. Hamburger SV were the eventual winners
  6. joint-best aggregate victory
  7. joint-best aggregate victory
  8. biggest win (single match)

References
  1. "Memorable European Confrontations, Part 10: 1983–SV Hamburg vs. Real Sociedad". Soccer Nostalgia. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. "La Real Sociedad apeada de la final de la Copa de Europa por un error arbitral" [Real Sociedad misses out on the European Cup final due to a refereeing error] (in Spanish). Europa en juego. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  3. "El día que la Real Sociedad tocó el cielo con las manos" [The day Real Sociedad touched the sky with their hands] (in Spanish). Mis Futboladas. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  4. "Lyon 1–0 Real Sociedad". BBC Sport. 9 March 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  5. "Antoine Griezmann, Real Sociedad Start Champions-League Goal Fest With Stunning Strikes (GIFs)". New England Sports Network. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. "Vela continues hot streak with two goals against Lyon". Goal.com. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  7. "Shakhtar forge on as La Real hopes end". UEFA.com. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  8. "La Real Sociedad se olvida del fútbol y de Europa" [Real Sociedad forgets football and can forget Europe] (in Spanish). Marca. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  9. Real Sociedad progress in Europa League with last minute drama at Napoli, Football Espana, 10 December 2020
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