but it is a totally pointless distinction recognised by no one northern europe is not a political cultural or footballing entity with any meaning to it the stereotypes you speak of dividing the continent are exactly that stereotypes that mean nothing and have dubious accuracy or value why stop at northern european why not state that celtic were the first team ever to win the european cup except for some teams in italy spain and portugal that's more accurate than this imprecise northern europe definition equally true and just as ridiculous talk