1973 European Cup Semi-final vs Leeds United

Lore & Background

Ajax won the European Cup unbeaten in 1971–72, with seven wins and two draws. They are one of only four clubs to have achieved an unbeaten European Cup or Champions League campaign twice.

In Their Own Story

The mud at Elland Road clung to the white boots like a second skin. Every tackle felt like a collision with a brick wall, yet the Dutch circle moved with impossible grace. In the stands, the roar was a physical weight, but on the pitch, silence reigned around the ball. Cruyff saw the gap before anyone else existed; he turned, his body a pivot point in a storm of yellow shirts. The Leeds defender lunged, missing by an inch, and suddenly the path to goal was open. One touch to settle, one look up, and the net rippled. The silence broke into a roar that would echo for fifty years.

Reader's Guide

The source article does not provide any details about the 1973 European Cup semi-final against Leeds United. No information about that match is available in the source.

Did You Know?

• Ajax won the European Cup unbeaten in 1971–72 with seven wins and two draws.
• Ajax is one of four clubs to have won the European Cup or Champions League unbeaten twice.
• Ajax won the continental treble in 1972, winning the European Cup, Eredivisie, and KNVB Cup.