1968 Intercontinental Cup
Encyclopedia
The 1968 Intercontinental Cup was a football tie held over two legs in 1968 between the winners of the 1967–68 European Cup, Manchester United
, and Estudiantes de La Plata
, winners of the 1968 Copa Libertadores.
The first leg was held on 25 September 1968 at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando
, home of Boca Juniors
, as Estudiantes' ground was deemed unsuitable. Nevertheless, Estudiantes won the first leg 1–0, the winning goal coming from Marcos Conigliaro in the 27th minute.
Old Trafford
hosted the return leg three weeks later on 16 October 1968. The match finished up as a 1–1 draw, granting Estudiantes their first Intercontinental Cup
title. Juan Ramón Verón
opened the scoring in the 7th minute, but Willie Morgan
equalised in the 90th minute.
Players were sent off in both legs of the tie, Nobby Stiles
being dismissed for Manchester United in the 79th minute of the first leg. The second leg was marred by violence, and resulted in George Best
and José Hugo Medina being sent off as a result of a large scuffle towards the end of the match.
, the Manchester United team might have expected a negative reception from the locals, given the violence that dogged the 1967 Intercontinental Cup
between Celtic
and Racing Club de Avellaneda
. On the contrary, the players were welcomed warmly, with parties and even a polo match organised in their honour. An official reception was organised for the Manchester United team, which manager Matt Busby took his team along to with the intention of establishing good relations with their Argentine counterparts; however, the Estudiantes side pulled out at the last minute, causing Busby much irritation.
Later, an interview with Benfica coach Otto Glória
appeared in the press, in which he referred to Manchester United midfielder Nobby Stiles
as "an assassin", which Busby found to be in bad taste. An extension of the interview was published in the match programme, with Glória going on to call Stiles "brutal, badly intentioned and a bad sportsman". Stiles had been in the England team that beat Argentina
on the way to winning the 1966 World Cup
; that match had also been bad-tempered, and England manager Alf Ramsey
described the Argentines as "animals" after the game, so the Argentines no doubt viewed Glória's comments about Stiles as fair retribution, though it did nothing to temper the increasingly hostile atmosphere.
, whose conduct caused Busby to later comment that "holding the ball out there put you in danger of your life". In response to Otto Glória's comments, Nobby Stiles was targeted with particular violence by the Estudiantes players, receiving punches, kicks and headbutts for his trouble, yet each time he walked away without retaliating. However, even the referees seemed to be against Stiles; at one point, the linesman reported Stiles to the referee apparently for simply standing too close to Bilardo. After suffering incessant hounding by the Estudiantes players, Stiles finally retaliated and was immediately sent off by referee Hugo Sosa Miranda, meaning that he would be suspended for the second leg. Bobby Charlton
also suffered a severe head wound and required stitches.
The Estudiantes' players' constant pressure meant that the English side was unable to get into a rhythm, but they put up a resistant defensive effort and conceded only one goal in the game; Marcos Conigliaro headed home a corner from Juan Ramón Verón
in the 28th minute to give Estudiantes the advantage going into the away leg at Old Trafford
.
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MANCHESTER UNITED:
|
GK
1
Alex Stepney
RB
2
Tony Dunne
LB
3
Francis Burns
CM
4
Pat Crerand
CB
5
Bill Foulkes
CM
6
Nobby Stiles
OR
7
Willie Morgan
IR
8
David Sadler
CF
9
Bobby Charlton
IL
10
Denis Law
OL
11
George Best
Manager:
Sir Matt Busby
-side Arsenal
while Manchester United defeated Newcastle United
3-1 in a warm-up match.
created the first real chance, with a shot from 30 metres out that was defended by Estudiantes goalkeeper Alberto José Poletti. Despite the English pressure, Poletti made several saves, giving his team the confidence to step up their attacks. Estudiantes then surprised the crowd with a seventh-minute goal from Juan Ramón Verón
; the goal came from the second free kick of the match, as Raúl Madero
crossed for Verón to head the ball in Alex Stepney
's net, silencing the crowd.
Manchester United now needed to score three goals to win and two to force a play-off. George Best
forced Poletti into a spectacular save in the 12th minute. Moments later, Willie Morgan
shot towards goal, and David Sadler headed the rebound to Bobby Charlton
, whose shot was saved by Poletti. Sadler then gave away a free kick in the middle of the pitch for a foul on an Argentine player that forced the European referee to give him a warning. Verón retaliated for his team-mate with a foul on Crerand near the English team's penalty area and also received a warning. Best, Crerand and Brian Kidd
starting combining with each other to create chances for Denis Law
, and although the pressure from the home side forced the Estudiantes players into kicking the ball out of play and blocking any long-range shots, the English side was unable to score.
In the 35th minute, Law lost his marker and created enough space for a shot, only to find Poletti blocking the shot at the edge of the penalty area. Law picked up an injury three minutes later and was taken off the field for treatment, before being substituted by Carlo Sartori
just before half-time. While Law was off the field, Estudiantes nearly scored their second goal when Marcos Conigliaro received a pass from Oscar Malbernat
and hit the crossbar with Stepney at full stretch. The referee allowed three minutes of injury time before blowing his whistle for half-time.
Manchester United had a chance to equalise shorty after the start of the second half, but Kidd hit the crossbar. Estudiantes came out for the second half with a more tactical approach, and started a series of fast counter-attacks; three Estudiantes players took the ball towards the English side of the field, and attempted to pick out Verón with a high pass. However, Tony Dunne
was able to intercept the cross and broke up the attack. Although the Estudiantes team continued with their conservative approach to prevent the home side from gathering any momentum, Morgan managed to break through the Argentine defence, but just as José Hugo Medina caught up with him, Morgan elbowed him in the face. Medina grabbed Morgan's jersey and threw him to the ground. The two players clashed again a minute later, and the Yugoslavian referee later gave Medina a warning for a foul on Dunne.
With 17 minutes left to play, Estudiantes brought on Juan Echecopar in place of Felipe Ribaudo. In the 75th minute, Best punched Medina in the face and pushed Néstor Togneri
to the ground in the Argentine half of the field. The referee sent off Best and Medina, following which Best spat at Medina, resulting in the two having to be escorted to their respective changing rooms. However, the British crowd prevented Medina from going to his locker room by throwing coins. Manchester United eventually equalised in the 90th minute, when a shot from Morgan beat Poletti, but it proved not to be enough and Estudiantes won the title. Soon after the whistle, a Manchester player punched a player of Estudiantes in the face while running towards his team's locker room.
The Estudiantes team attempted to run a lap of honour, but the home fans continued to throw objects onto the pitch, cutting the lap of honour short.
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ESTUDIANTES:
|
GK
1
Alberto José Poletti
DF
2
Oscar Malbernat
DF
3
Ramón Aguirre Suárez
DF
4
Raúl Madero
DF
5
José Hugo Medina
MF
6
Carlos Bilardo
MF
7
Carlos Pachamé
MF
8
Néstor Togneri
FW
9
Felipe Ribaudo
FW
10
Marcos Conigliaro
FW
11
Juan Ramón Verón
Substitutes:
FW
12
Juan Echecopar
Manager:
Osvaldo Zubeldía
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...
, and Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
, winners of the 1968 Copa Libertadores.
The first leg was held on 25 September 1968 at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
, home of Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, as Estudiantes' ground was deemed unsuitable. Nevertheless, Estudiantes won the first leg 1–0, the winning goal coming from Marcos Conigliaro in the 27th minute.
Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
hosted the return leg three weeks later on 16 October 1968. The match finished up as a 1–1 draw, granting Estudiantes their first Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
title. Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
opened the scoring in the 7th minute, but Willie Morgan
Willie Morgan
William "Willie" Morgan is a Scottish former professional football player.A winger, Morgan started his career with Burnley, making his first-team debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 1963...
equalised in the 90th minute.
Players were sent off in both legs of the tie, Nobby Stiles
Nobby 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...
being dismissed for Manchester United in the 79th minute of the first leg. The second leg was marred by violence, and resulted in 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...
and José Hugo Medina being sent off as a result of a large scuffle towards the end of the match.
Pre-match
Upon their arrival in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, the Manchester United team might have expected a negative reception from the locals, given the violence that dogged the 1967 Intercontinental Cup
1967 Intercontinental Cup
The 1967 Intercontinental Cup was a football tie held over two legs in 1967 between the winners of the 1966–67 European Cup, Celtic, and Racing, winners of the 1967 Copa Libertadores....
between 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...
and Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
. On the contrary, the players were welcomed warmly, with parties and even a polo match organised in their honour. An official reception was organised for the Manchester United team, which manager Matt Busby took his team along to with the intention of establishing good relations with their Argentine counterparts; however, the Estudiantes side pulled out at the last minute, causing Busby much irritation.
Later, an interview with Benfica coach Otto Glória
Otto 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...
appeared in the press, in which he referred to Manchester United midfielder Nobby Stiles
Nobby 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...
as "an assassin", which Busby found to be in bad taste. An extension of the interview was published in the match programme, with Glória going on to call Stiles "brutal, badly intentioned and a bad sportsman". Stiles had been in the England team that beat Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
on the way to winning the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
; that match had also been bad-tempered, and England manager Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
described the Argentines as "animals" after the game, so the Argentines no doubt viewed Glória's comments about Stiles as fair retribution, though it did nothing to temper the increasingly hostile atmosphere.
Match summary
Just prior to kick-off, a bomb that released red smoke was set off inside the stadium, and from that point, the Estudiantes team set about harrying their opposition. A particularly violent member of the Estudiantes side was their midfielder Carlos BilardoCarlos Bilardo
Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team....
, whose conduct caused Busby to later comment that "holding the ball out there put you in danger of your life". In response to Otto Glória's comments, Nobby Stiles was targeted with particular violence by the Estudiantes players, receiving punches, kicks and headbutts for his trouble, yet each time he walked away without retaliating. However, even the referees seemed to be against Stiles; at one point, the linesman reported Stiles to the referee apparently for simply standing too close to Bilardo. After suffering incessant hounding by the Estudiantes players, Stiles finally retaliated and was immediately sent off by referee Hugo Sosa Miranda, meaning that he would be suspended for the second leg. 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...
also suffered a severe head wound and required stitches.
The Estudiantes' players' constant pressure meant that the English side was unable to get into a rhythm, but they put up a resistant defensive effort and conceded only one goal in the game; Marcos Conigliaro headed home a corner from Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
in the 28th minute to give Estudiantes the advantage going into the away leg at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
.
Match details
| style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | ESTUDIANTES: | ||
| GK | 1 | Alberto José Poletti |
|
| DF | 2 | Oscar Malbernat Oscar Malbernat Oscar Miguel Malbernat is a retired Argentine footballer, who was the captain of Estudiantes de La Plata between 1967 and 1972, when the team won a local championship in 1967, three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles and one Intercontinental Cup , where he marked Manchester United's George... |
|
| DF | 3 | Ramón Aguirre Suárez Ramón Aguirre Suárez Ramón Alberto Aguirre Suárez is an Argentine former footballer, famous for his play in the successful Estudiantes de La Plata team of 1967-1970.-Career:... |
|
| DF | 4 | Raúl Madero Raúl Madero Raúl Horacio Madero is an Argentine sports physician and former football player. He served two terms as the physician of the Argentina national football team.-Sporting career:... |
|
| DF | 5 | José Hugo Medina |
|
| MF | 6 | Carlos Bilardo Carlos Bilardo Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team.... |
|
| MF | 7 | Carlos Pachamé Carlos Pachamé Carlos Oscar Pachamé is a former Argentine footballer and coach.-Playing career:As a player, Pachamé was a defensive midfielder for the Estudiantes de La Plata team that won three successive editions of the Copa Libertadores.... |
|
| MF | 8 | Néstor Togneri Néstor Togneri Néstor Rubén Togneri was an Argentine footballer.He played mostly for Estudiantes de La Plata as a central defender or defensive midfielder, and was part of the 1974 FIFA World Cup Argentina national football team... |
|
| FW | 9 | Felipe Ribaudo |
|
| FW | 10 | Marcos Conigliaro |
|
| FW | 11 | Juan Ramón Verón Juan Ramón Verón Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late... |
|
| Manager: | |||
| Osvaldo Zubeldía Osvaldo Zubeldía Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía, was a football player and an influential Argentine coach.-Playing career:... |
|||
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:...
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....
Francis BurnsFrancis Burns (footballer)
Francis Burns is a Scottish former footballer.-Manchester United:Burns was a talented left-back and captained Scotland Schoolboys and won Scottish Youth international honours. He joined Manchester United in 1965 and made his first team debut in September 1967...
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...
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...
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...
Willie MorganWillie Morgan
William "Willie" Morgan is a Scottish former professional football player.A winger, Morgan started his career with Burnley, making his first-team debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 1963...
David Sadler 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...
Denis LawDenis 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....
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...
Sir 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...
Second leg
Pre-match
The match was highly publicised around the world. Three-hundred Argentine fans made the trip to the British Isles to see the match. The match generated over £50,000 (approximately £1.27 million in 2010), a record earning for any English club at the time. The most expensive tickets were valued at £3; the least expensive were at 10 shillings. The home crowd lined up outside the stadium to buy their tickets and waited up to five hours in the heavy rain. Estudiantes played a friendly against LondonLondon
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...
-side Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
while Manchester United defeated Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
3-1 in a warm-up match.
Match summary
The match started with Manchester United looking for the goal that would level the tie; 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...
created the first real chance, with a shot from 30 metres out that was defended by Estudiantes goalkeeper Alberto José Poletti. Despite the English pressure, Poletti made several saves, giving his team the confidence to step up their attacks. Estudiantes then surprised the crowd with a seventh-minute goal from Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
; the goal came from the second free kick of the match, as Raúl Madero
Raúl Madero
Raúl Horacio Madero is an Argentine sports physician and former football player. He served two terms as the physician of the Argentina national football team.-Sporting career:...
crossed for Verón to head the ball in 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:...
's net, silencing the crowd.
Manchester United now needed to score three goals to win and two to force a play-off. 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...
forced Poletti into a spectacular save in the 12th minute. Moments later, Willie Morgan
Willie Morgan
William "Willie" Morgan is a Scottish former professional football player.A winger, Morgan started his career with Burnley, making his first-team debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 1963...
shot towards goal, and David Sadler headed the rebound to 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...
, whose shot was saved by Poletti. Sadler then gave away a free kick in the middle of the pitch for a foul on an Argentine player that forced the European referee to give him a warning. Verón retaliated for his team-mate with a foul on Crerand near the English team's penalty area and also received a warning. Best, Crerand and 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....
starting combining with each other to create chances for 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....
, and although the pressure from the home side forced the Estudiantes players into kicking the ball out of play and blocking any long-range shots, the English side was unable to score.
In the 35th minute, Law lost his marker and created enough space for a shot, only to find Poletti blocking the shot at the edge of the penalty area. Law picked up an injury three minutes later and was taken off the field for treatment, before being substituted by Carlo Sartori
Carlo Sartori
Carlo Domenico Sartori is an Italian former footballer.Born in Caderzone, Italy, the Sartoris moved to Manchester when Carlo was a child, and he grew up in the Collyhurst area of the city....
just before half-time. While Law was off the field, Estudiantes nearly scored their second goal when Marcos Conigliaro received a pass from Oscar Malbernat
Oscar Malbernat
Oscar Miguel Malbernat is a retired Argentine footballer, who was the captain of Estudiantes de La Plata between 1967 and 1972, when the team won a local championship in 1967, three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles and one Intercontinental Cup , where he marked Manchester United's George...
and hit the crossbar with Stepney at full stretch. The referee allowed three minutes of injury time before blowing his whistle for half-time.
Manchester United had a chance to equalise shorty after the start of the second half, but Kidd hit the crossbar. Estudiantes came out for the second half with a more tactical approach, and started a series of fast counter-attacks; three Estudiantes players took the ball towards the English side of the field, and attempted to pick out Verón with a high pass. However, Tony Dunne
Tony 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....
was able to intercept the cross and broke up the attack. Although the Estudiantes team continued with their conservative approach to prevent the home side from gathering any momentum, Morgan managed to break through the Argentine defence, but just as José Hugo Medina caught up with him, Morgan elbowed him in the face. Medina grabbed Morgan's jersey and threw him to the ground. The two players clashed again a minute later, and the Yugoslavian referee later gave Medina a warning for a foul on Dunne.
With 17 minutes left to play, Estudiantes brought on Juan Echecopar in place of Felipe Ribaudo. In the 75th minute, Best punched Medina in the face and pushed Néstor Togneri
Néstor Togneri
Néstor Rubén Togneri was an Argentine footballer.He played mostly for Estudiantes de La Plata as a central defender or defensive midfielder, and was part of the 1974 FIFA World Cup Argentina national football team...
to the ground in the Argentine half of the field. The referee sent off Best and Medina, following which Best spat at Medina, resulting in the two having to be escorted to their respective changing rooms. However, the British crowd prevented Medina from going to his locker room by throwing coins. Manchester United eventually equalised in the 90th minute, when a shot from Morgan beat Poletti, but it proved not to be enough and Estudiantes won the title. Soon after the whistle, a Manchester player punched a player of Estudiantes in the face while running towards his team's locker room.
The Estudiantes team attempted to run a lap of honour, but the home fans continued to throw objects onto the pitch, cutting the lap of honour short.
Match details
| style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | MANCHESTER UNITED: | |||
| GK | 1 | 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:... |
||
| RB | 2 | Shay Brennan Shay Brennan Seamus Anthony "Shay" Brennan was an English-born Irish footballer in the 1960s. He was a full back for Manchester United.... |
||
| LB | 3 | Tony Dunne Tony 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.... |
||
| CM | 4 | Pat Crerand Pat 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... |
||
| CB | 5 | 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... |
||
| CM | 6 | David Sadler |
||
| OR | 7 | Willie Morgan Willie Morgan William "Willie" Morgan is a Scottish former professional football player.A winger, Morgan started his career with Burnley, making his first-team debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 1963... |
||
| IR | 8 | 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.... |
||
| CF | 9 | 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... |
||
| IL | 10 | 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.... |
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| OL | 11 | 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... |
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| FW | 12 |  Carlo SartoriCarlo Sartori Carlo Domenico Sartori is an Italian former footballer.Born in Caderzone, Italy, the Sartoris moved to Manchester when Carlo was a child, and he grew up in the Collyhurst area of the city.... |
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| Sir 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... |
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Alberto José Poletti Oscar MalbernatOscar Malbernat
Oscar Miguel Malbernat is a retired Argentine footballer, who was the captain of Estudiantes de La Plata between 1967 and 1972, when the team won a local championship in 1967, three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles and one Intercontinental Cup , where he marked Manchester United's George...
Ramón Aguirre SuárezRamón Aguirre Suárez
Ramón Alberto Aguirre Suárez is an Argentine former footballer, famous for his play in the successful Estudiantes de La Plata team of 1967-1970.-Career:...
Raúl MaderoRaúl Madero
Raúl Horacio Madero is an Argentine sports physician and former football player. He served two terms as the physician of the Argentina national football team.-Sporting career:...
José Hugo Medina Carlos BilardoCarlos Bilardo
Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team....
Carlos PachaméCarlos Pachamé
Carlos Oscar Pachamé is a former Argentine footballer and coach.-Playing career:As a player, Pachamé was a defensive midfielder for the Estudiantes de La Plata team that won three successive editions of the Copa Libertadores....
Néstor TogneriNéstor Togneri
Néstor Rubén Togneri was an Argentine footballer.He played mostly for Estudiantes de La Plata as a central defender or defensive midfielder, and was part of the 1974 FIFA World Cup Argentina national football team...
Felipe Ribaudo Marcos Conigliaro Juan Ramón VerónJuan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
Juan Echecopar Osvaldo ZubeldíaOsvaldo Zubeldía
Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía, was a football player and an influential Argentine coach.-Playing career:...