AZ's 32nd home game in Europe was a tough tie against Larissa
Louis van Gaal said his players "are now in the history books" after AZ Alkmaar's 1-0 win against Larissa FC saw them go a record 32 European home games unbeaten.
'Part of history'
Moussa Dembélé's 77th-minute goal boosted AZ's chances of reaching the knockout stage but, more importantly, saw them break Ipswich Town FC's record of 31 games without a defeat in UEFA club competition. "I told my players before the match that this record is important," said Van Gaal. "Because we did not lose today, these players have become part of the history of AZ. They are now in the history books of this club. That is something I am proud of and the same goes for my players."
Three-decade run
The club's 32nd UEFA club competition home game since they made their continental debut with an 11-1 win against FA Red Boys Differdange in 1977 was far from easy, as Van Gaal acknowledged, saying: "This is the best team we have played against this season, including [AFC] Ajax and PSV [Eindhoven]. But AZ played a very mature game and deserved the victory. In the end we were patient enough to decide it in the last 15 minutes."
Final defeat
Neither Ipswich or Alkmaar have ever lost a home game in Europe, and while Manchester United FC went 56 games at Old Trafford without defeat from 1956, their unbeaten streak ended in 1996. AZ's record run comprises 27 UEFA Cup games, two European Champion Clubs' Cup ties and three UEFA Cup Winners' Cup matches. The likes of FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC have all left Alkmaar without victories in the club's 30-year European history, while the club also won 4-2 against Ipswich in the second leg of the final of the 1980/81 UEFA Cup, although they had lost the first leg in England 3-0. AZ visit 1. FC Nürnberg in their next Group A game on 5 December.
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