European Champion Clubs' Cup 1968/69

European Champion Clubs' Cup 1968/69
Cup winners	AC Milan (2nd title)
Beginning	18th September 1968
final	May 28, 1969
Final stadium	Estadio Santiago Bernabéu , Madrid
Teams	32
Games	52
Gates	176  (ø 3.38 per game)
Top scorer	Denis Law (9)
← European Champion Clubs' Cup 1967/68 European Champion Clubs' Cup 1969/70 →

The European Cup of National Champions 1968/69 was the 14th edition of the competition. 32 club teams took part, including 31 national champions from the previous season and with Manchester United the defending champions.

The participants played in a pure cup mode with (except for the finals) back and forth games for the crown of European club football. In the event of a tie, the away goals rule decided . If the application of this rule did not lead to a decision either, there was a playoff in a neutral seat. One innovation this season was that, for the first time, all of the first-round home and return games were played on the same day.

In view of the events of the Prague Spring , the Western European associations refused to allow their representatives to compete against the teams of the Eastern Bloc countries involved in the crackdown . UEFA finally bowed to the pressure and, contrary to its statutes, declared the first-round draw to be invalid. A new rescheduling carried out in camera (this took place on August 30th in Zurich) only provided for games between the Eastern Bloc countries concerned, whereupon their associations withdrew their participation in the competition in protest. Affected by this measure were Dynamo Kiev ( Soviet Union ), FC Carl Zeiss Jena ( GDR ), Ruch Chorzów ( Poland ), Ferencváros Budapest ( Hungary ) and Levski Sofia ( Bulgaria ). In the second round, AC Milan and Benfica Lisbon benefited from the reduced field of participants, both of whom made it to the quarter-finals without a fight.

The final took place on May 28, 1969 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid in front of 31,000 spectators. The AC Milan won with a 4: 1 victory over Ajax Amsterdam for the second time in 1963 the trophy. Scorer was Denis Law from Manchester United with nine goals.

1 round

Original draw

	total		First leg	Return leg
Waterford FC	-	Manchester United
RSC Anderlecht	-	Glentoran FC
Rosenborg Trondheim	-	SK Rapid Vienna
real Madrid	-	AEL Limassol
1. FC Nuremberg	-	Ajax Amsterdam
Valur Reykjavík	-	Benfica Lisbon
Manchester City	-	Fenerbahçe Istanbul
FC Floriana	-	Lahden Reipas
AEK Athens	-	Jeunesse Esch
FC Carl Zeiss Jena	-	Red Star Belgrade
Ferencváros Budapest	1- 1	Celtic Glasgow
Levski Sofia	1- 1	AC Milan
FC Zurich	1- 1	Dynamo Kiev
Spartak Trnava	1- 1	Malmö FF
Steaua Bucharest	1- 1	Akademisk BK Gladsaxe
AS Saint-Etienne	1- 1	Ruch Chorzów

¹ The game was drawn again.

Repeated draw with division into east and west

The first leg took place on September 18, the second leg on September 26th / 2nd. October 1968.

	total		First leg	Return leg
Waterford FC	02:10	Manchester United	1: 3	1: 7
RSC Anderlecht	5: 2	Glentoran FC	3-0	2: 2
Rosenborg Trondheim	4: 6	SK Rapid Vienna	1: 3	3: 3
real Madrid	12: 00	AEL Limassol	6-0	6-0
1. FC Nuremberg	1: 5	Ajax Amsterdam	1: 1	0: 4
Valur Reykjavík	1: 8	Benfica Lisbon	0-0	1: 8
Manchester City	1: 2	Fenerbahçe Istanbul	0-0	1: 2
FC Floriana	1: 3	Lahden Reipas	1: 1	0: 2
AEK Athens	5: 3	Jeunesse Esch	3-0	2: 3
FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2nd	-	Red Star Belgrade
Malmö FF	3: 5	AC Milan	2: 1	1: 4
AS Saint-Etienne	2: 4	Celtic Glasgow	2-0	0: 4
Steaua Bucharest	3: 5	Spartak Trnava	3: 1	0: 4
FC Zurich	3: 4	Akademisk BK Gladsaxe	1: 3	2: 1
Dynamo Kiev 2	-	Ruch Chorzów 2
Levski Sofia 2	-	Ferencváros Budapest 2

² The team withdrew in protest.

2nd round

A bye received:

•  AC Milan
•  Benfica Lisbon

The first legs took place on 13./20. November, the second leg on 27./28. November / 4. December 1968.

	total		First leg	Return leg
AEK Athens	2-0	Akademisk BK Gladsaxe	0-0	2-0
Ajax Amsterdam	4-0	Fenerbahçe Istanbul	2-0	2-0
Manchester United	4: 3	RSC Anderlecht	3-0	1: 3
Celtic Glasgow	6: 2	Red Star Belgrade	5: 1	1: 1
Lahden Reipas	02:16	Spartak Trnava	1: 9	1: 7
SK Rapid Vienna	( a ) 2: 2(a)	real Madrid	1-0	1: 2

Quarter finals

The first leg took place on 12./26. February, the second legs took place from February 19 to March 12, 1969.

	total		First leg	Return leg
Ajax Amsterdam	4: 4	Benfica Lisbon	1: 3	3: 1
AC Milan	1-0	Celtic Glasgow	0-0	1-0
Manchester United	3-0	SK Rapid Vienna	3-0	0-0
Spartak Trnava	3: 2	AEK Athens	2: 1	1: 1

Playoff

The game took place on March 5, 1969.

	Result
Ajax Amsterdam	3: 0 a.d.	Benfica Lisbon

Semifinals

The first leg took place on 13./23. April, the second legs on April 24th / 15th May 1969.

	total		First leg	Return leg
Ajax Amsterdam	3: 2	Spartak Trnava	3-0	0: 2
AC Milan	2: 1	Manchester United	2-0	0: 1

final

AC Milan		Ajax Amsterdam
	final May 28, 1969 in Madrid ( Estadio Santiago Bernabéu ) Result: 4: 1 (2: 0) Spectators: 31,782 Referee: José María Ortiz de Mendíbil ( Spain )
	Fabio Cudicini - Angelo Anquilletti , Karl-Heinz Schnellinger - Roberto Rosato , Saul Malatrasi , Giovanni Trapattoni - Kurt Hamrin , Giovanni Lodetti , Angelo Sormani , Gianni Rivera , Pierino Prati Trainer: Nereo Rocco	Gert Bals - Wim Suurbier (46th Bennie Muller ), Barry Hulshoff , Velibor Vasović , Theo van Duivenbode - Anton Pronk , Henk Groot (46th Klaas Nuninga ) - Sjaak Swart , Inge Danielsson , Johan Cruyff , Piet Keizer Trainer: Rinus Michels
	1: 0 Pierino Prati (8th) 2: 0 Pierino Prati (40th) 3: 1 Angelo Sormani (67th) 4: 1 Pierino Prati (75th)	2: 1 Velibor Vasović (60th, penalty)

Best goal scorers

rank	player	club	Gates
1	Denis Law	Manchester United	9
2	Johan Cruyff	Ajax Amsterdam	6th
	Pierino Prati	AC Milan	6th
4th	Jozef Adamec	Spartak Trnava	5
	Valerián Švec	Spartak Trnava	5
	José Augusto Torres	Benfica Lisbon	5
7th	Gerard Bergholtz	RSC Anderlecht	4th
	Inge Danielsson	Ajax Amsterdam	4th
	Odd Iversen	Rosenborg Trondheim	4th
	Ladislav Kuna	FC Spartak Trnava	4th
	Pirri	real Madrid	4th

→ Main article : List of UEFA Champions League top scorer

Players used AC Milan

1.

AC Milan

Goal : Fabio Cudicini (6 / -); Villiam Vecchi (1 / -) Defense : Angelo Anquilletti (7 / -); Roberto Rosato (7 / -); Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (7 / -); Saul Malatrasi (6 / -); Luigi Maldera (4 / -); Nello Santin (3 / -) Midfield : Gianni Rivera (7/2); Giovanni Lodetti (7 / -); Giovanni Trapattoni (5 / -); Giorgio Rognoni (3 / -); Romano Fogli (2 / -); Nevio Scala (1 / -) Forward : Pierino Prati (7/6); Kurt Hamrin (6/1); Angelo Sormani (5/3); Lino Golin (1 / -); Carlo Petrini (1 / -) Coach : Nereo Rocco

See also

• European Cup Winners' Cup 1968/69
• Exhibition Cities Cup 1968/69

Web links

Commons : European Cup of National Champions 1968/69  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official UEFA website for the 1968/69 European Cup
• Game details for the 1968/69 season at rsssf.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ “The new draw in the European Cup” in “Volkszeitung Kärnten” No. 200 of September 1, 1968, page 7, POS. Box center left