1968 European Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1968 European Cup Final was the 13th European Cup Final and the culmination of the 1967–68 European Cup, a club football tournament for the champions of European leagues. The match was held at Wembley Stadium, London
, on 29 May 1968, between Manchester United
of England
and Benfica of Portugal
. United beat the Portuguese champions
4–1 after extra time.
The first half passed without incident, but, eight minutes into the second half, Bobby Charlton
opened the scoring for Manchester United with a rare headed goal. However, the lead only lasted for 22 minutes before Jaime Graça scored for Benfica. The score remained at 1–1 until the end of normal time, forcing the match into extra time, but it might not have ended that way had Alex Stepney
not made a crucial save when one-on-one with Eusébio
.
The temperature was clearly playing a part in the players' fitness, and Benfica's players were clearly flagging when George Best
put United in the lead again three minutes into extra time. Picking up the ball 25 yards from goal after the Benfica players failed to deal with Stepney's long kick downfield, Best broke into the penalty area and dribbled round the goalkeeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. Brian Kidd
, who was celebrating his 19th birthday, added United's third a minute later, before Charlton rounded off the scoring before 100 minutes had been played.
United were without their high scoring forward Denis Law
, who was sidelined with a knee injury and watched the match on television while in hospital.
United's win meant that they became the first English team to win the European Cup
, just a year after Celtic
had become the first British team to do so. The win also marked the culmination of Manchester United's ten years of rebuilding after the 1958 Munich air disaster
, in which eight players had been killed and manager Matt Busby
had been left fighting for his life. Captain Bobby Charlton
and Bill Foulkes
who had both survived the crash played in the game.
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MANCHESTER UNITED:
|
GK
1
Alex Stepney
RB
2
Shay Brennan
CB
5
Bill Foulkes
CB
10
David Sadler
LB
3
Tony Dunne
RM
4
Pat Crerand
CM
9
Bobby Charlton
(c)
LM
6
Nobby Stiles
RF
7
George Best
CF
8
Brian Kidd
LF
11
John Aston
Substitute:
GK
12
Jimmy Rimmer
Manager:
Matt Busby
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 29 May 1968, between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Benfica of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. United beat the Portuguese champions
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
4–1 after extra time.
The first half passed without incident, but, eight minutes into the second half, Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
opened the scoring for Manchester United with a rare headed goal. However, the lead only lasted for 22 minutes before Jaime Graça scored for Benfica. The score remained at 1–1 until the end of normal time, forcing the match into extra time, but it might not have ended that way had Alex Stepney
Alex Stepney
Alexander Cyril "Alex" Stepney is a former English football player who was Manchester United's goalkeeper when they became the first English club to win the European Cup.-London beginnings:...
not made a crucial save when one-on-one with Eusébio
Eusébio
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans...
.
The temperature was clearly playing a part in the players' fitness, and Benfica's players were clearly flagging when George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
put United in the lead again three minutes into extra time. Picking up the ball 25 yards from goal after the Benfica players failed to deal with Stepney's long kick downfield, Best broke into the penalty area and dribbled round the goalkeeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....
, who was celebrating his 19th birthday, added United's third a minute later, before Charlton rounded off the scoring before 100 minutes had been played.
United were without their high scoring forward Denis Law
Denis Law
Denis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
, who was sidelined with a knee injury and watched the match on television while in hospital.
United's win meant that they became the first English team to win the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, just a year after Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
had become the first British team to do so. The win also marked the culmination of Manchester United's ten years of rebuilding after the 1958 Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
, in which eight players had been killed and manager Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
had been left fighting for his life. Captain Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
and Bill Foulkes
Bill Foulkes
William Anthony Foulkes is a former English footballer who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3...
who had both survived the crash played in the game.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | BENFICA: | ||
| GK | 1 |  José HenriqueJosé Henrique José Henrique Rodrigues Marques , known as José Henrique, is a retired Portuguese footballer.A goalkeeper, he is best known for his successful spell at Benfica, being nicknamed Zé Gato .-Club career:... |
|
| RB | 2 | Adolfo Calisto Adolfo Calisto Adolfo António da Luz Calisto is a former Portuguese footballer who played left back and was one of the top players SL Benfica and the Portuguese national football team during the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in Barreiro.-Player:... |
|
| CB | 3 | Humberto Fernandes |
|
| CB | 4 | Jacinto Santos Jacinto Santos Jacinto José Martins Godinho Santos is a former Portuguese footballer who played as defender.- Football career :... |
|
| LB | 5 | Fernando Cruz Fernando Cruz Fernando da Conceição Cruz was a Portuguese footballer. He played for SL Benfica as a left-back, from 1959/60 to 1969/70.-Club career:... |
|
| RM | 6 | Jaime Graça |
|
| CM | 7 | Mário Coluna Mário Coluna Mário Esteves Coluna is a former Portuguese and Mozambican footballer. He was primarily a left-half and was nicknamed the "O Monstro Sagrado" .-Career:... (c) |
|
| LM | 8 | José Augusto |
|
| RF | 9 | José Torres José Augusto Torres José Augusto da Costa Séneca Torres was a Portuguese football centre forward and coach.Nicknamed O Bom Gigante , most of his 21-year senior career was spent at Benfica, with great individual and team success... |
|
| CF | 10 | Eusébio Eusébio Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans... |
|
| LF | 11 | António Simões António Simões António José Simões da Costa ; born Corroios, 14 December 1943) is a Portuguese footballer and a current coach. He played as a left winger for Benfica, from 1961/62 to 1974/75. With only 1.58 m of height, he is seen as the first "Giant Gnome" of Portuguese football, before Rui Barros... |
|
| Substitute: | |||
| 12 | Nascimento |
||
| Manager: | |||
 Otto GlóriaOtto Glória Otto Martins Glória was a Brazilian football coach. He had his greatest successes with SL Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal, which he guided to nine national trophies... |
|||
Alex StepneyAlex Stepney
Alexander Cyril "Alex" Stepney is a former English football player who was Manchester United's goalkeeper when they became the first English club to win the European Cup.-London beginnings:...
Shay BrennanShay Brennan
Seamus Anthony "Shay" Brennan was an English-born Irish footballer in the 1960s. He was a full back for Manchester United....
Bill FoulkesBill Foulkes
William Anthony Foulkes is a former English footballer who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3...
David Sadler Tony DunneTony Dunne
Anthony Peter Dunne , Irish football player who regularly appeared at left-back. He had 33 caps for the Republic of Ireland, playing for the national team in 1962–1975. He was Irish Footballer of the Year in 1969....
Pat CrerandPat Crerand
Patrick Timothy "Paddy" Crerand is a Scottish-born former footballer of Irish descent. After six years at Celtic he moved to Manchester United where he was a member of teams that won the English League title twice, the FA Cup and European Cup...
Bobby CharltonBobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
(c)
Nobby StilesNobby Stiles
Norbert "Nobby" Peter Stiles MBE is a retired English footballer. He was born in Collyhurst, Manchester.Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring 1 goal. He played every minute of England's victorious 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign...
George BestGeorge Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
Brian KiddBrian Kidd
Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....
John Aston Jimmy RimmerJimmy Rimmer
John James "Jimmy" Rimmer is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Manchester United, Swansea City, Arsenal and Aston Villa. He was capped once for England....
Matt BusbyMatt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
Man of the Match: John AstonLinesmen Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...  Aurelio Angonese (Venice) Francesco Francescon (Padua) |