Wednesday, May 6, 2009

6 May 1970 - They Don't Look Very Excited Though, Do They?

On 6 May 1970, Feyenoord became the first Dutch team to win the European Cup, beating Celtic 2-1 in the Final.

Founded in Rotterdam in 1908, Feyenoord are one of the most successful clubs in the Netherlands, rounding out the Dutch "Big Three" along with Ajax and PSV. They earned a place in the 1969-70 European Cup by winning their ninth Eredivisie title the previous season.

Feyenoord started their European campaign with a flourish, demolishing Icelandic side Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur in the first round by an aggregate score of 16-2. They faced defending champions A.C. Milan in the second round, losing the first leg in Italy 1-0, but winning the second leg 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. They repeated that pattern against A.S.K. Vorwärts Berlin, again winning 2-1 on aggregate, then beat Legia Warszawa 2-0 in the semifinal.

The Final was held at the San Siro in Milan. Celtic defender Tommy Gemmell scored first, putting the Scottish side ahead in the 29th minute. The lead was short-lived, however, as Feyenoord defender and captain Rinus Israël scored the equalizer in the 31st minute. The teams failed to score through the end of regulation, forcing the match into extra time. In the 117th minute, Feyenoord's Swedish forward Ove Kindvall scored the winning goal.

As title-holders the next season, Feyenoord were upset in the first round by Romanian side U.T.A. Arad.

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