The Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam, 23 May 1968
23rd May 1968
At the end of the 1960s, Paròn Rocco’s AC Milan truly were a force to be reckoned with. The Rossoneri won all there was to be won, leaving all the others empty-handed. The Scudetto and European Cup Winners’ Cup were won in El Paròn’s first year back, while the European Cup and Intercontinental Cup followed in his second. During their 1967/68 Cup Winners’ Cup run, the Diavolo eliminated Levski Sofia (5-1 and 1-1), Vasas Gyoer (2-2 and 1-1) and Standard Liege (two 1-1 draws and a decisive 2-0 play-off victory), leading to a tough semi-final showdown.
AC Milan have always done well against Bayern Munich in European competitions, with the Rossoneri getting the better of the Bavarians in 2002, 2006 and 2007. This excellent record started in the semi-final of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1968. This was a strong Bayern side containing the likes of Sepp Maier, Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Schwarzenbeck, one which would go on to win numerous titles. The first leg at San Siro finished 2-0 to the Rossoneri, while the return fixture ended in a 0-0 stalemate at the Grünwalder Stadion in Munich. This was a fantastic success over two legs and earned AC Milan a place in the final, where they went on to beat a Uwe Seeler-inspired Hamburg 2-0 in Rotterdam thanks to two goals from Kurt Hamrin.
