This Day in History: 2023-08-25

Nr. 506

AJAX VERSUS BAYERN, CRUYFF VERSUS BECKENBAUER (1973)

Ajax’s Johan Cruyff was still riding high in 1973 when his club met Franz Beckenbauer and Bayern Munich in the European Cup quarter-final. Billed as the ultimate gladiators’ duel, the game ended in a rout with the Dutch putting four goals past the shell-shocked Germans in the first leg and winning 1-2 in the return leg. This victory helped Ajax on their way to their third consecutive European Cup final. Later that year Cruyff transferred to Barcelona where he won European Footballer of the Year. Bayern, however, would bounce back and they won three European Cups from 1974-76 with Beckenbauer being crowned European Footballer of the Year in 1976.

Two of Europe’s greatest players, Beckenbauer and Cruyff, meet as captains of two of the continent’s most famous clubs.