1981–82 Aston Villa F.C. season
Aston Villa 1981–82 season
The 1981–82 season was Villa’s 3rd in European competition and their 83rd in the Football League. They finished 11th in the First Division. In the cups, they reached the fifth round of both the FA Cup and the League Cup.
managerial change
Ron Saunders started the season as manager but resigned on February 9, 1982 after a contract dispute. His assistant, Tony Barton, took over and led Villa to European glory.
European Cup triumph
In May 1982, Barton guided Villa to their greatest achievement: a 1–0 win over Bayern Munich in the European Cup final in Rotterdam, with Peter Withe scoring the winning goal. Villa became one of the few English clubs to win the European Cup.
European campaign
Villa’s European journey began against Valur (Iceland), then faced BFC Dynamo (East Germany) in the second round, Dynamo Kyiv (Soviet Union) in the quarter-finals, and Anderlecht (Belgium) in the semi-finals before beating Bayern Munich in the final.
top scorer
Peter Withe was the top scorer, with 10 league goals and 13 in all competitions.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:39 (CET).