Blues' European adventure ends despite win over Maribor

Birmingham City's first European campaign for decades has ended in the group stage of the Europa League, despite a convincing win over Maribor in their final match.

Blues beat the Slovenian champions at St Andrew's on 14 December, but Braga could only draw with Club Brugge, meaning Birmingham's ten points were not enough to reach the knockout rounds. They finished third in their group, just one point behind the two teams who went through.

A near miss

Going into the last round of matches, Birmingham needed to beat Maribor and hope that Braga beat Club Brugge. Chris Hughton made nine changes to his starting line-up, and Nathan Redmond produced an outstanding performance as Blues outclassed their opponents. But the result of the other match went against them.

How Blues got here

Birmingham earned their place in the Europa League by winning the League Cup in February, beating Arsenal 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Because Manchester City had qualified for the Champions League, Blues entered at the play-off round, where they beat the Portuguese club Nacional to reach the group stage.

They were drawn in Group H with Braga, last season's finalists, Maribor and Club Brugge. They lost their opening game at home to Braga, but recovered well, and the group went to the final night with everything still to play for.

Playing in Europe from the Championship

Blues have taken part in the competition while playing in the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in May, only three months after their Wembley triumph. Manager Chris Hughton, appointed in June after Alex McLeish left to join Aston Villa, has said that winning promotion back to the Premier League is his main objective for the season.

Balancing the demands of European football on Thursday nights with a heavy Championship schedule has been a challenge for a squad weakened by the sale of several players after relegation.

Troubles off the pitch

The season has been played against a background of uncertainty off the field. In June, the club's president, Carson Yeung, was arrested in Hong Kong on charges of money laundering relating to a period before his involvement with the club, and trading in shares in the club's holding company was suspended. The club has had to reduce costs, and the search for new investment has been difficult.

A season to remember

Despite the disappointment, the European campaign has given supporters some memorable nights, and the young players who have come through, such as Redmond, have impressed. For many fans, travelling to Portugal, Slovenia and Belgium to watch their team has been an experience they will never forget.

Blues now turn their full attention to the Championship, where they are hoping to challenge for a play-off place.