1973 European Cup final

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{Infobox football match

|title=1973 European Cup final

|image=Ajax 1 - 0 Juventus 1972-1973.jpg

|image_size=300px

|caption=Ajax captain Johan Cruyff receives the trophy wearing a Juventus shirt, having exchanged jerseys with the losing finalists

|event=1972–73 European Cup

|team1=Ajax

|team1association={{fbaicon|NED|size=30px}}

|team1score=1

|team2=Juventus

|team2association={{fbaicon|ITA|size=30px}}

|team2score=0

|details=

|date=30 May 1973

|stadium=Red Star Stadium

|city=Belgrade

|referee=Milivoje Gugulović (Yugoslavia)

|attendance=89,484

|weather=

|previous=1972

|next=1974

}}

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.{{cite web |last=Stokkermans |first=Karel |title=European Champions' Cup/Champions League |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/ec1.html |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=26 April 2025 |date=14 June 2024}}

Juventus had never previously reached a European Cup final.

Route to the final

{{further|1972–73 European Cup}}

=Ajax=

As defending champions, Ajax qualified automatically for the 1972–73 European Cup. 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.{{cite web |last=Ross |first=James M. |title=Champions' Cup 1972-73 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec197273.html#cc |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=26 April 2025 |date=4 June 2015}}

=Juventus=

Juventus qualified for the 1972–73 European Cup as champions of the 1971–72 Serie A.{{cite web |last=Mariani |first=Maurizio |title=Italy 1971/72 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/ital72.html |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=26 April 2025 |date=6 May 2002}} 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.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
colspan=4|Ajax

!Round

!colspan=4|Juventus

style="background:#c1e0ff"

|Opponent

|Agg.

|1st leg

|2nd leg

|

|Opponent

|Agg.

|1st leg

|2nd leg

colspan="4"|Bye

|style="background:#c1e0ff;"|First round

|align=left|{{fbaicon|FRA|1794}} Olympique de Marseille

|3–1

|0–1 (A)

|3–0 (H)

align=left|{{fbaicon|BUL|1971}} CSKA Sofia

|6–1

|3–1 (A)

|3–0 (H)

|style="background:#c1e0ff;"|Second round

|align=left|{{fbaicon|GDR}} 1. FC Magdeburg

|2–0

|1–0 (H)

|1–0 (A)

align=left|{{fbaicon|FRG}} Bayern München

|5–2

|4–0 (H)

|1–2 (A)

|style="background:#c1e0ff;"|Quarter-finals

|align=left|{{fbaicon|HUN}} Újpesti Dózsa

|2–2 (a)

|0–0 (H)

|2–2 (A)

align=left|{{fbaicon|ESP|1945}} Real Madrid

|3–1

|2–1 (H)

|1–0 (A)

|style="background:#c1e0ff;"|Semi-finals

|align=left|{{fbaicon|ENG}} Derby County

|3–1

|3–1 (H)

|0–0 (A)

Match

=Details=

{{football box

|date=30 May 1973

|time=20:30

|team1=Ajax {{fbaicon|NED}}

|score=1–0

|report=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1972/matches/round=983/match=63154/index.html

|team2={{fbaicon|ITA}} Juventus

|goals1=Rep {{goal|5}}

|goals2=

|stadium=Red Star Stadium, Belgrade

|attendance=89,484

|referee=Milivoje Gugulović (Yugoslavia)

}}

width=92%
{{Football kit

|pattern_la=

|pattern_b=_ajax73away

|pattern_ra=

|pattern_sh=_ajax73away

|pattern_so=_2_stripes_white

|leftarm=FF0000

|body=FF0000

|rightarm=FF0000

|shorts=FF0000

|socks=FF0000

|title=Ajax

}}

|{{Football kit

|pattern_la=_juventusfc7274h

|pattern_b=_juve197274h

|pattern_ra=_juventusfc7274h

|pattern_sh=

|pattern_so=_2_black_stripes

|leftarm=FFFFFF

|body=FFFFFF

|rightarm=FFFFFF

|shorts=FFFFFF

|socks=FFFFFF

|title=Juventus

}}

width="100%"

|valign="top" width="50%"|

{|style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"

width=25|width=25|
GK1{{flagicon|NED}} Heinz Stuy
RB3{{flagicon|NED}} Wim Suurbier
CB13{{flagicon|NED}} Barry Hulshoff
CB12{{flagicon|FRG}} Horst Blankenburg
LB5{{flagicon|NED}} Ruud Krol
CM7{{flagicon|NED}} Johan Neeskens
CM15{{flagicon|NED}} Arie Haan
CM9{{flagicon|NED}} Gerrie Mühren
RW16{{flagicon|NED}} Johnny Rep
CF14{{flagicon|NED}} Johan Cruyff (c)
LW11{{flagicon|NED}} Piet Keizer
colspan=3|Substitutes (not used):
MF4{{flagicon|NED}} Gerrie Kleton
MF6{{flagicon|NED}} Arnold Mühren
MF8{{flagicon|NED}} Sjaak Swart
FW10{{flagicon|NED}} Jan Mulder
GK {{flagicon|NED}} Sies Wever
colspan=3|Manager:
colspan=4|{{flagicon|ROU|1965}} Ștefan Kovács

|valign="top"|300px

|valign="top" width="50%"|

style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center
width=25|width=25|
GK1{{flagicon|ITA}} Dino Zoff
SW6{{flagicon|ITA}} Sandro Salvadore (c)
RB2{{flagicon|ITA}} Gianpietro Marchetti
CB5{{flagicon|ITA}} Francesco Morini
LB3{{flagicon|ITA}} Silvio Longobucco
CM8{{flagicon|ITA}} Franco Causio{{suboff|57}}
CM10{{flagicon|ITA}} Fabio Capello
CM4{{flagicon|ITA}} Giuseppe Furino{{yel|66}}
RF7{{flagicon|ITA}}{{efn|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.{{Cite web|url=https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/08/legend-of-calcio-jose-altafini/|title=Legend of Calcio: Jose Altafini|date=7 August 2017}}}} José Altafini
CF9{{flagicon|ITA}} Pietro Anastasi
LF11{{flagicon|ITA}} Roberto Bettega{{suboff|49}}
colspan=3|Substitutes:
MF14{{flagicon|ITA}} Antonello Cuccureddu{{subon|57}}
MF15{{flagicon|FRG}} Helmut Haller{{subon|49}}
colspan=3|Manager:
colspan=4|{{flagicon|TCH}} Čestmír Vycpálek

|}

style="width:100%; font-size:90%"

|style="vertical-align:top"|

Assistant referees:


Ratko Čanak (Yugoslavia)


Petar Kostovski (Yugoslavia)

|style="width:60%"|

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Replay if scores still level
  • Maximum of two substitutions

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.

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}