Albert Johanneson made European history for Leeds United in 1966, only six players have matched him

Add as preferred source on Google

Albert Johanneson is one of the most influential figures in the history of Leeds United, having played 200 games for the club between 1961 and 1970.

Born in South Africa, Johanneson was brought to Leeds in the early days of the Don Revie era and was a crucial part of the Leeds side that won promotion from the Second Division in the 1963/64 season.

The following year, Johanneson made footballing history by becoming the first black person to feature in the FA Cup final, although Leeds lost the match to Liverpool.

Operating primarily from the left wing, Johanneson was a dynamic player, known for his explosive pace and a deadly sidestep. He scored a total of 67 times for the club before the emergence of Eddie Gray meant he became an increasingly peripheral figure under Revie.

Johanneson was at his best on this day in 1966, as he became the first Leeds player to score a European hat-trick in a 5-1 win.

Albert Johanneson became the first Leeds United player to score a European hat-trick

Leeds United have a long history with the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, having lifted the trophy twice before it became the UEFA Cup in the early 1970s.

Johanneson made history when Leeds played DWS Amsterdam in the tournament on the 26th October 1966, as Revie’s men claimed a 5-1 victory at Elland Road.

According to a contemporary report from The Guardian Journal, Johanneson showed “brilliant footwork” as he opened the scoring, before he added his second before the half-hour mark after a neat pass from Jimmy Greenhoff.

His third came via a deflected shot in the 75th minute as Leeds stormed to an 8-2 aggregate win and went on to earn a place in the final of the competition.

However, the campaign ultimately ended in heartbreak, with the Whites losing 2-0 on aggregate against Dinamo Zagreb and falling short of claiming European silverware.

How many Leeds United players have scored hat-tricks in European competitions?

Johanneson became the first Leeds player to score a hat-trick in Europe in 1966, and he remains the only Leeds player to score more than one treble in European competition, according to LUFCData.

Leeds did not have to wait long for their second European hat-trick, as Rod Belfitt matched Johanneson’s achievement against Kilmarnock in May 1967.

Johanneson is one of only seven Leeds players to score three or more in a game in Europe, and he scored his second European treble in October 1967, as Leeds claimed a 7-0 win over Spora Luxembourg.

Leeds’ most recent European hat-trick came from Alan Smith, who scored four goals against Hapoel Tel-Aviv in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup.