"Yuri Voinov Soviet International No, it wasn't a game of victory at any price." "There weren't any political demands or pressures." "It was purely sport, for the prestige of our country." "No other tasks were imposed on us." "Narrated by Terence Stamp" "He really had a huge success." "Alfredo Di Stefano Real Madrid The club reached the top, both financially and in terms of honours." "He was an honest man, who didn't put his hand in the till." "He always had a cigar to smoke, and was very polite." "There are few people in the sporting world who have done what he did." "At Madrid, there were three or four of us who gave the orders, not one," "Alfredo was one, Santamaria was another," "Gento was another, and Del Sol was the other." "We gave orders in the areas we were playing." "We insulted each other and we quarrelled, but sportingly, because afterwards we came off the pitch and were great friends." "And we encouraged each other to make things better." "We didn't give up, thinking "Unlucky, our opponents were better."" "No, you have to push and push and push." "The final of the third European Cup takes place in Brussels." "Danova and Grillo in the build-up to the first Italian goal, scored by Schiaffino." "1-0 to Milan." "Kopa, marked by Beraldo and Cucchiaroni..." "And the equaliser comes through an incredible shot from Di Stefano." "The Spanish team has won its third consecutive title against a noble and powerful rival." "Milan put a new system into practice." "Francisco Gento Real Madrid They turned into a very defensive team, and we were amazed by that new system." "They played with a sweeper to cover us in a very pressured way, but we could cope with it because we coped with all systems." "We were El Madrid," "Kopa, after the match, with Di Stefano, put the trophy in front of me." "Nils Liedholm Milan They were saying that we should really have won." "But I said "Take the trophy back, it won't matter in the future."" ""The only thing that will be remembered from this game is that Real Madrid won."" "What is your opinion of the Russian team?" "José Villalonga Speaking in 1964 Apart from my personal opinion, they are current European champions." "Reaching the final again shows they have exceptional quality." "Having said that Hungary were magnificent, now we're in the final, the team to fear is Russia." "José Angel Iribar Spanish International The Spanish team was very well balanced." "The most important player, at least in my opinion, was Luis Suàrez." "Then again, we also had a very good defence, with Olivella, Zoco, Rivilla and Calleja." "We used to perform very well, and on top of that, the team played as one." "When we arrived in England, we weren't seen as the favourites." "Benfica had acquired the same popularity as Real Madrid," "Gianni Rivera Milan who had been the dominant team of the previous years." "Real Madrid lost their popularity after the arrival of Benfica, so Benfica were considered the favourites." "It's difficult to get to the top, but it's even more difficult to stay there." "Helenio Herrera Speaking in 1964 Our rivals are jealous of us not just because of our success, but because we are always at the top." "For instance, Juve, Bologna, Milan, Roma, they always go up and down, up and down, but we are always up there." "I promise that as long as I am coach of Inter, I want Inter to be at the top." "Come and buy your straw hats!" "When they said that Inter was the team of catenaccio, they made a big mistake." "Giacinto Facchetti Italian International Inter weren't only good at defence and counterattack." "It's true that in matches abroad, we used to play a more defensive game." "We had very fast players, so it was possible for us to focus on the counterattack and achieve better results that way." "But when we played at home, we concentrated on attacking football." "The victory in the European Championship of 1968 was extremely important for the Italian team." "For the previous 30 years." "not only had Italy not managed to win any international or European championship, we hadn't even qualified from the group stage of any important competition." "Victory in the European Championship brought the Italian team back to the level of the best teams in the world." "Wim Jansen Feijenoord Everybody at the time looked up to Italy and Spain, the big countries with their great players, Rivera and Di Stefano." "The moment a club from a different country won the European Cup," "I think everybody from these countries started to believe they could win it too." "I think that was most important." "Self-confidence in football, especially for the northern countries, was very important at that time." "Sir Bobby Charlton English International" "We were dwarfs - they thought there must have been a circus act." "Jimmy Johnstone Celtic When they saw me. and Bobby Lennox." "Ronnie Simpson - no teeth." "Ronnie had no teeth at all." "He used to put both teeth in the back of his bonnet, and keep them in the right-hand side." "And we looked at these guys, and said "My God. they're film stars."" "The Ambre Solaire." "and their teeth - they're gleaming." "We said "Uh-oh, We're onto a doon here."" "No, It was the reverse, wasn't it?" "Jock Stein was so instrumental in it." "I couldn't put words to it." "Because people talk about Jock Stein as being the greatest manager ever, and the greatest manager ever for what?" "Jock Stein was the greatest manager simply because he knew just exactly what he wanted out of each and every one of us." "George Best Manchester United" "Wim Van Hanegem Feijenoord They were almost arrogant, as if they were saying "We still have to play this, erm, Feijenoord..."" "But that's trivial." "It's the way they were standing around, very full of themselves, doing a bit of warming up in a little circle." "Besides the fact that we were motivated already, that gave us an extra push." "This phrase "total football"" "was developed during the period Ajax were playing their best football - in the final years that I was there." "Rinus Michels Former Ajax  Netherlands Coach Nonetheless, it is possible, and I don't doubt this, that other teams in the history of football, like the Hungarians, and maybe the Austrians even further back, the Wunderteam," "played a football that could be called "total football"." "Wolfgang Overath West German International Schön stood for a new world, for a different time." "Helmut Schön was a trainer who tried to be cooperative with his players, to talk." "Sepp Herberger would say "That's how you do it."" ""That's how it goes." Full stop." "There were no discussions." "Helmut Schön was the transition to a new kind of trainer." "Helmut Schön Speaking in 1974 The ideal kind of football is a mixture of both the individual technique of the South American with the knowledge of the European." "We will never try to copy South American style, just as South American nations can't try and copy us or the English or other European nations." "The Germans were a mixture of good footballers, like southern Europeans, like the Italians and Spanish, who were talented footballers, and others who were more like the English, with dedication, willpower, stamina and bite." "And this mix was significant for the Germans." "They didn't just fight or play football, they always did both." "And that's why the Germans have always been so strong." "Antonin Panenka Czechoslovak International My roommate at that time was Ivo Viktor." "I told him the night before that I was going to take a penalty like that." "He was a bit pessimistic, and didn't think it was an appropriate kick for such an important moment of a European Championship." "But I took it like that anyway, and he was the first to come and congratulate me, and we all piled on top of each other in a heap." "As it happens, I spoke to Pelé about it, Ivo Viktor Czechoslovak International and he said "A penalty like that could only have been taken by a madman or a genius!"" "Panenka was probably a combination of both!" "Bill Shankly Speaking in 1974" "Bob Paisley Speaking in 1981" "Kenny Dalglish Liverpool" "John Keith Author, England" "Jessie Paisley Bob Paisley's widow" "The first thing I did was look at the fans." "I saw all the Italian flags." "I still remember that moment vividly." "Paolo Rossi Italian International I was happy because we'd won the world championship, but at the same time sad, because it was over, and I knew I would miss that feeling." "I decided on Juventus" "Michel Platini Juventus even though I knew nothing about them, not speaking Italian." "But I chose Italy because the fixture list was better, fewer matches." "I didn't want to be in England playing football over Christmas and New Year!" "A better fixture list, and a country with a bit more sunshine!" "Gullit was more like a coach." "He liked to give instructions to the other players, but also make tactical suggestions to the coach." "Paolo Maldini Milan He liked to find the solutions to the problems." "Van Basten was a great player." "He was more reserved than Gullit, but technically he was very good, and he was very proud." "In the build-up to the tournament." "I realised I had a team with great edge and motivation." "This had to do with the fact that in the previous years, it hadn't worked out." "There had been a lot of problems, and everybody was ready to make something of it for once, you could tell." "Franco Baresi Milan Rijkaard arrived a year later, adapted immediately." "and was reunited with Gullit and Van Basten." "He was also important to the club, a good central midfielder who could take on three or four players because he was physically strong." "Jürgen Klinsmann West Germany  Inter The Holland-Germany game was at that time not just Holland against Germany, but also AC Milan against Inter." "And we were the lucky winners." "The Dutch missed three or four great chances right at the start that could have decided the game." "We got better and better, and won 2-1." "But it was more than just Germany against Holland." "It was a Milan city championship." "Quite simply. we missed a great chance to become European champions, and we were badly shocked." "I personally took a long time to get to grips with it." "You come so close, and then you just give it away, you throw the chance away." "It was, of course, an outstanding feeling, on the one hand because those were the crucial goals for the team to win." "We were a very close-knit team that had been playing together for quite a while." "It had always been our goal to become champions of Europe." "Oliver Bierhoff German International And there's the fact that when you come in as a striker and are perhaps frustrated because you haven't played as well as you wanted to in previous matches, it's a great satisfaction." "We knew we weren't the best team, technically or tactically, but we had a great team spirit." "Our spirit was so strong that we pushed to one side all our problems and said" ""We'll fight and we'll play to win this title no matter who is playing us."" "It worked." "Aimé Jacquet Former France Coach I took my pilgrim stick and showed it to all the players." "I said "Who wants to stay with me?"" ""Who wants to have a challenge with me?"" ""Who wants to stay?" "Come on!"" "I kept the ones who wanted to, and eliminated those who didn't." "I took all the young players of this new generation " "Zidane, Dugarry, Lizarazu," "Lots of young players who had the desire and the quality." "France managed to recruit and train young players via the clubs." "Marcel Desailly French International In addition, they had the opportunity to gain experience abroad." "When they reunited as the French national team, it really took off." "Each one could bring something extra to the team, allowing it to move up to a higher level." "It was a big match for both teams." "Zinedine Zidane French International Italy were leading 1-0 until the last minute." "It was quite spectacular." "because we changed the match result at the very last minute." "For us it was a great match, and it was our second big trophy." "therefore it's a particular memory."