1991 - Red Star Belgrade 0 - 0 Olympique Marseille (Red Star wins on penalties)
This was my first ever European Cup final.
I remember watching this with my dad and fittingly, an elderly Yugoslavian friend of the family. He was a real tome of club footballing knowledge. He assured me that the real name of the 'red team from Eastern Europe', as I called them, was a rather more unpronounceable Crvena Zvezda. Also the Pele who suited up for Marseille was not related to the Brazilian legend - but infact a Ghanaian ponytailed footballer prenamed Abidi. He also assured me that the best Yugoslav who played that game was not even on the side of the winners from Belgrade but infact on the bench for the French champions. I guess he was right, although Dragan Stojkovic, Pixie, did come off the bench for a small part of extra time. Then again, Dejan Savicevic did play the game for Red Star and in my mind was the best in show. (more on him later).
I've always loved penalty shootouts - it's my guilty pleasure. After the penalty shootouts of Italia 90, I was excited by the prospect of yet another one here - especially since the game was very boring. True to form it was another exciting shootout (is there ever one which is not?) and the unheralded team from Yugoslavia were European club champions. I will always maintain that this triumph was a prelude to that nation dominating football in the 90s - sadly civil war put paid to that dream.
1992 - Barcelona 1 - 0 Sampdoria
The eagerly awaited return of English clubs to the continental game was a damp squib for me - Arsenal lost to Benfica in the knockout rounds. Due to the lack of TV coverage I didn't get to see that match as it was only the mini-league stage onwards that was televised. Additionally, Milan didn't participate since Sampdoria won the Serie A title. Interestingly it was the Italian team that met Barcelona, the media darlings in the final.
The game was better than the final the year before. I remember Michael Laudrup dribbling a lot and getting nowhere and Lombardo heading a lot (that's probably why he's bald I reckoned) while Koeman won the game with a typically thunderous free kick. Thanks to the weekly coverage of Serie A matches I was more familiar with Sampdoria's team - goalie Pagliuca (whom I always felt looked like a preppy version of Sylvester Stallone), Attilio Lombardo, Gianluca Vialli and captain Roberto Mancini. I remember thinking, if only Milan had played they would have shown Barcelona up. Again, I would have to wait for this eventuality.
Later that summer teammates Koeman and Laudrup would meet on opposite sides in the European Championship semi-final. Laudrup's Denmark would prevail on penalties.
1993 - Marseille 1 - 0 Milan
The first Champions' League final but altogether anaemic for me. I was so excited to see Milan make the final. I didn't get to see them win back to back titles in 89 and 90, so for me it was like seeing them 'finally' making it there as opposed to 'returning to the final' that the media kept mentioning.
The game was tepid as Milan huffed and puffed but seemed very tired, drained no doubt from their Serie A championship season. Marseille seemed one step ahead on all occasions despite their talismanic striker and best player from the previous season starting the final on the Milan bench - Jean Pierre Papin. Roberto Donadoni, who seemed sluggish, eventually came off for the Frenchman but Milan could not find a way through. Basil Boli scored a first half goal and Marseille sat back and protected their lead. I was very disappointed. But I wouldn't be for long.....
It emerged later that Marseille had bribed some French team (Valenciennes I think) to throw their final league game so that they would be rested for the final. They were stripped of various titles and relegated. I greeted this news with no small measure of glee. Milan promptly bought Marcel Desailly from Marseille.
1994 - Milan 4 - 0 Barcelona
Ah what a night. There has never been such an annhilation in a Champions' League Final. I suspect there never be another like it. Barcelona was actually lucky to lose only 4 - 0 as Dejan Savicevic (yes him again) hit the post twice. Barcelona was the supposed 'dream' team, media darlings, expected to brush aside the meaningless opposition of Milan who were missing Baresi and Costacurta through suspension.
Right from start to finish Milan, playing in white, dominated. Dejan Savicevic aptly demonstrated why he was one of the premier midfielders in the world, setting up 2 goals and scoring one himself. Marcel Desailly surged forward to score a brace while Daniele Massaro notched the fourth. Barcelona came expecting a cakewalk but were swept aside by an imperious, and perhaps wounded, Milan. From a footballing perspective, the best final ever. 2 attacking teams going full throttle at each other. Milan destroyed Barcelona - Capello completely outclassed Cruyff.
What made this year (1994) doubly special was Arsenal beating Parma in the Cup Winners' Cup final - and that after starting Ian Selley in midfield! The only sad note was that I never actually got to see that game.
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