‘Not a prayer’ - European football stuns iconic ex-Sunderland boss

Sunderland 2025-26 Granit Xhaka

Legendary former Sunderland boss Peter Reid has admitted to GOAL that he did not give the Black Cats “a prayer” of securing European qualification at the end of their first season back in the Premier League, but he is now backing them to find more “ammo” in the summer transfer window. Regis Le Bris and his board are ready to spend again after upsetting the odds with a seventh-place finish.

Sunderland in Europa League alongside Juventus and AC Milan

That final standing was enough to book a first continental campaign in 53 years. Sunderland will be competing in the Europa League next season alongside the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Marseille and Rennes.

Just four years ago, following a four-season stint in the third tier of English football, the Black Cats were celebrating promotion out of League One. They returned to the big time when winning the Championship play-off final in 2025.

Many expected a meteoric rise in the North East to grind to a halt once rejoining the elite, but some shrewd spending - which brought in the likes of Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey - allowed Sunderland to more than hold their own at the top table. A final day victory over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light confirmed qualification for Europe.

Sunderland Europe 2025-26

Reid backing Sunderland to complete more shrewd transfer business

Second seasons in the Premier League are tough enough without more games being added to a stacked schedule, so should that be a source of concern on Wearside? When that question was put to Reid, who took Sunderland up twice and picked up a couple of seventh-place finishes himself between 1995 and 2002, the former Black Cats boss - speaking at the world’s biggest World Cup-themed auction courtesy of BUDDS, the UK's leading specialist auctioneers of sports memorabilia - told GOAL: “Believe it or not, I was at the play-off games when they went up. Coventry were the better side in the two play-off games - semi-final. Sheffield United, arguably, in my opinion, were the better side. But they found a way.

“What I loved - everyone was saying Sunderland were going down. The recruitment, Xhaka, they have been superb. And I mean superb. The way the club's structured now and the fan base, it wouldn't surprise me if they go again. If the recruitment is anything as good as it was last summer, I think they'll have the ammo.

“I was at the Tottenham-Everton game, the last game of the season, big game - Sunderland getting in Europe, the scenarios were there, but I thought there’s not a prayer. They've done it.

“I'm delighted for the fan base because they're just unbelievable. Fantastic. All credit to them. Massive football club, great history. The recruitment is crucial. But certainly, they've done brilliant. I think they can go on. But as we know, it's really tough.”

Can Sunderland cope with the added demands of Europe?

Sunderland will need bodies on board over the coming weeks, with greater squad depth required in order to juggle the demands of domestic and continental competition. In scenarios such as that, it can be easy to waste money.

On the need to avoid falling into that trap, Reid added: “What you say in the last transfer window, they've done incredible. They've got to go again.

“If you're going to be a coach, it's man management, recruitment, and getting players through the academy. They're the three things that are crucial in football management, in my opinion.

“Sunderland, over recent years, have done absolutely brilliant. Don't forget Sunderland, they've had Jordan Pickford, Jordan Henderson - they've come through the ranks of Sunderland. They keep on doing it. They went down to the first division in bad times but I'm convinced with the structure of the club now that they will go from strength to strength.”

Peter Reid BUDDS auction 2026

Interest building in fan favourites across memorabilia markets

Reid became a modern day hero at Sunderland after giving a loyal group of supporters something to dream about. The class of 2026 are doing the same, with fan favourites emerging that will generate plenty of interest across memorabilia markets in the years to come.

Some notable items in that department recently went under the hammer - as the World Cup finals play out in North America - with 1966 shirts from Martin Peters and Alan Ball among the lots as they sold for £140,000 and £30,000 respectively, while a Pele jersey went for £42,000.

The BUDDS World Cup Auction took place on 25th June 2026, with an online timed auction starting on 2nd June. The full list of results can be found here and here, while a free online valuation of any sporting memorabilia can be requested here.