1973 European Cup final
Ajax captain Johan Cruyff receives the trophy wearing a Juventus shirt, having exchanged jerseys with the losing finalists | |||||||
| Event | 1972–73 European Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 30 May 1973 | ||||||
| Venue | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade | ||||||
| Referee | Milivoje Gugulović (Yugoslavia) | ||||||
| Attendance | 89,484 | ||||||
The 1973 European Cup final was a football match held at the Red Star Stadium in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on 30 May 1973. Two-time defending champions Ajax of the Netherlands faced Juventus of Italy.
Johnny Rep scored the only goal of the game after four minutes as Ajax won 1–0 to claim their third consecutive European Cup and earned the Dutch side the privilege of keeping the trophy permanently.
Background
Ajax had reached the European Cup final on three previous occasions. They were two-time defending champions coming into the 1972–73 season after defeating Panathinaikos 2–0 in 1971 and Inter Milan by the same scoreline in 1972.[1]
Juventus had never previously reached a European Cup final.[1]
Route to the final
Ajax
As defending champions, Ajax qualified automatically for the 1972–73 European Cup.[1] They received a bye in the first round. In the second round, they defeated CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria 3–1 away and 3–0 at home to advance 6–1 on aggregate. They then defeated Bayern Munich of West Germany 4–0 in the first leg of their quarter-final in Amsterdam. Despite a 2–1 defeat in the second leg, Ajax advanced 5–2 on aggregate. In the semi-finals, they faced Real Madrid of Spain. A 2–1 first leg win was followed up with a 1–0 win in Madrid as they reached the final 3–1 on aggregate.[2]
Juventus
Juventus qualified for the 1972–73 European Cup as champions of the 1971–72 Serie A.[3] In the first round, they faced Olympique de Marseille of France. The first leg, which was played in Lyon, ended in a 1–0 win for Olympique de Marseille. However, Juventus won the second leg 3–0 to advance 3–1 on aggregate. In the second round, they defeated Magdeburg of East Germany 1–0 in both legs to advance 2–0 on aggregate. After a goalless draw in the first leg of their quarter-final against Újpesti Dózsa of Hungary in Turin, the second leg ended 2–2 in Budapest (2–2 on aggregate) and Juventus advanced on away goals. In the semi-finals, they defeated Derby County of England 3–1 in the first leg before a goalless second leg which meant Juventus progressed 3–1 on aggregate.[2]
| Ajax | Round | Juventus | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
| Bye | First round | Olympique de Marseille | 3–1 | 0–1 (A) | 3–0 (H) | |||
| CSKA Sofia | 6–1 | 3–1 (A) | 3–0 (H) | Second round | 1. FC Magdeburg | 2–0 | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (A) |
| Bayern München | 5–2 | 4–0 (H) | 1–2 (A) | Quarter-finals | Újpesti Dózsa | 2–2 (a) | 0–0 (H) | 2–2 (A) |
| Real Madrid | 3–1 | 2–1 (H) | 1–0 (A) | Semi-finals | Derby County | 3–1 | 3–1 (H) | 0–0 (A) |
Match
Details
Ajax
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Juventus
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Assistant referees:
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Match rules
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Aftermath
Juventus would gain revenge for the defeat 23 years later when the two sides contested the final of the same competition (rebranded as the UEFA Champions League). After a 1–1 draw after extra time, Juventus won 4–2 on penalties.[1]
See also
- 1972–73 European Cup
- 1996 UEFA Champions League final – contested by the same teams
- AFC Ajax in European football
- Juventus FC in international football
- 1972–73 Juventus FC season
Notes
- ^ A Brazilian expatriate, Altafini had represented his native Brazil at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but in 1961 he changed allegiances to Italy. He notably played for Italy at the 1962 World Cup.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Stokkermans, Karel (14 June 2024). "European Champions' Cup/Champions League". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b Ross, James M. (4 June 2015). "Champions' Cup 1972-73". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Mariani, Maurizio (6 May 2002). "Italy 1971/72". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Legend of Calcio: Jose Altafini". 7 August 2017.