The 1972 European Cup final was a football match held at De Kuip, Rotterdam, on 31 May 1972, that was contested between AFC Ajax of the Netherlands and Internazionale of Italy to determine the champions of the 1971–72 European Cup. Ajax defeated Inter by a score of 2–0 to claim their second successive European Cup victory, following their triumph in the 1971 final. Two second-half goals from forward Johan Cruyff provided the margin of victory for the Dutch side.
This game has been cited as Total Football's greatest moment. Ajax dominated much of the game as Inter defended desperately with their catenaccio strategy.[1][2][3]
Route to the final
| Ajax | Round | Inter Milan | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
 Dynamo Dresden
|
2–0 | 2–0 (H) | 0–0 (A) | First round |  AEK Athens
|
6–4 | 4–1 (H) | 2–3 (A) |
 Olympique de Marseille
|
6–2 | 2–1 (A) | 4–1 (H) | Second round |  Borussia Mönchengladbach
|
4–2 | 4–2 (H) | 0–0 (A) |
 Arsenal
|
3–1 | 2–1 (H) | 1–0 (A) | Quarter-finals |  Standard Liège
|
2–2 (a) | 1–0 (H) | 1–2 (A) |
 Benfica
|
1–0 | 1–0 (H) | 0–0 (A) | Semi-finals |  Celtic
|
0–0 (5–4 p) |
0–0 (H) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (A) |
Match
Details
Ajax  | 2–0 |  Inter Milan |
|---|---|---|
Cruyff  47', 78' |
Report |
       Ajax
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    Inter Milan
|
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See also
References
- ^ Liew, Jonathan (27 November 2015). "From 2-3-5 to gegenpress: how football's tactical fads have come and gone". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ Siregar, Cady (13 December 2018). "What is Total Football? Famous tactics explained: the clubs, countries & players to use it". Goal.com. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ "1972 final highlights: Ajax 2-0 Inter". UEFA.com. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2020.