Gothenburg Great Willie Miller insists anyone doubting the enormity of Aberdeen’s Super Cup triumph should count the stars on the club shirt.
Two stars proudly adorn the shirt – one for each European trophy triumph.
More stars and more European trophies than clubs like billionaire bankrolled Manchester City and Paris St Germain.
Aberdeen are the only Scottish club to have lifted two European trophies.
Not only were the Dons crowned European Cup Winners’ Cup champions in a momentous 1983.
They followed it up by adding the European Super Cup later that year.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary team also did the Euro double in style by beating giants Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and SV Hamburg.
Monday will mark the 38th anniversary of Aberdeen’s 2-0 Super Cup second leg defeat of SV Hamburg at Pittodrie to claim the Euro double.
Aberdeen are one of only 24 clubs to have won the European Super Cup.
Miller insists they ‘crushed’ European champions SV Hamburg over two legs – having registered a o-0 draw in Germany.
For Miller, Aberdeen were the best team in Europe that year.
He knows it, Aberdeen supporters know it and the Gothenburg Greats know it.
For anyone that doubts it – count the stars.
Miller said: “I don’t think it is really identified as two European trophies outside Aberdeen.
“However you just have to look at the shirt – there are two stars on the Aberdeen shirt and that says it all.
“I’m sure every Aberdeen fan is proud of that achievement.
“It doesn’t really matter if we get the respect outwith Aberdeen.
“We know what we did and the Aberdeen fans know what we achieved.
“It was a memorable achievement and our name is in the history books forever as having won two European trophies
“As long as Aberdeen and the supporters know that and the team continue to wear the shirt with two stars that’s all that matters.”
Europe’s top sides defeated
Aberdeen faced an SV Hamburg side that were back to back Bundesliga champions.
Captained by German international legend Felix Magath, SV Hamburg had overcome Juventus 1-0 in the European Cup final in Greece.
When Aberdeen faced SV Hamburg in the Granite City Alex Ferguson’s side had amassed a substantial lead at the top for the league.
They were also through to the latter stages of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in defence of the trophy.
Aberdeen’s status as Scotland’s dominant force was emphatically underlined in the build up to the Super Cup when Alex Ferguson announced he had turned down the opportunity to manage Rangers.
Ferguson declared he had ‘unfinished business with Aberdeen’.
Miller said: “The German Bundesliga was the best league in Europe, there was no doubt about that.
“We beat the two best teams in European football at that time.
“We overcame Bayern Munich on the way to beating Real Madrid in Gothenburg.
“Then we beat SV Hamburg who were the European Cup holders.
“We crushed them over two legs. It’s not as if it was a one-off game.”
Aberdeen were the best in Europe
The first leg of the final was a goal-less stalemate at the Volkspark Stadion in Hamburg on November 22.
However soon after that first leg the Dons suffered a blow when Ferguson’s assistant Archie Knox left Pittodrie to take over as boss at Dundee before the return match against Hamburg.
Aberdeen had signed 21-year-old full back Stewart McKimmie in a £90,000 deal from Dundee.
Soon after signing McKimmie was pitched in for his first European game in the Super Cup final.
Aberdeen dominate Europe
The game at Pittodrie was broadcast live on television in more than 80 different countries.
Peter Weir created the opening early in the second half with a rampaging 60-yard run down the left.
Striker John Hewitt, who had netted the winner against Real Madrid, latched on to Weir’s cross to set up Neil Simpson to score from close range.
Winger Weir was again at the heart of the action for the second goal when his corner found Miller who cut the ball back from the touch-line to Mark McGhee.
Striker McGhee, who would later go on to manage Aberdeen, shot in from close range.
Miller said: “If you win the Cup Winners’ Cup and then beat the European Cup winners it proves you have dominated European football.
“The facts are there.
“If any team were to do that today you would say they are the best team in Europe.
“If you beat the top teams in the top two leagues in Europe in cup finals then you can rightly say you are the best team in Europe that year.”
ABERDEEN: Leighton, McKimmie, McMaster, Simpson, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Hewitt (Black 65), McGhee, Bell, Weir
SV HAMBURG: Stein, Kaltz (Hansen 68), Jakobs, Hieronymous, Wehemeyer, Groh, Schroder, Hartwig, Magath, Rolff, Schatzschneider (Wutke 41)
