UEFA Champions League (1997)

Lore & Background

This was the third of three consecutive finals featuring the defending champions, all of whom lost. Dortmund reached the final by defeating Manchester United in the semi-finals; Juventus overcame Ajax. The clubs had previously met in the 1993 UEFA Cup final (Juventus won 6–1 on aggregate), the 1994–95 UEFA Cup semi-finals (Juventus progressed), and the 1995–96 Champions League group stage (each won away).

In Their Own Story

Rain lashed down on Munich's Olympiastadion, turning the pitch into a slick, high-stakes canvas where drama unfolded in real-time. With the scoreline already sitting at 3-1 to Dortmund, tension still crackled as Juventus threw everything forward for an equalizer. Then came the substitution that would echo through football history: a teenager, barely out of his teens, stepped onto the grass with eyes wide but steady. The ball rolled back to him near the halfway line. No hesitation. One touch, one strike—a deafening scream of leather and netting that silenced the Italian giants instantly and sent the traveling BVB faithful into absolute delirium. In that split second, Dortmund stopped just winning a match; they etched their name into eternity.

Reader's Guide

In the 29th minute, Karl-Heinz Riedle put Dortmund ahead with a low shot from inside the six-yard box after Paul Lambert's cross. Five minutes later, Riedle made it 2–0 with a header from an Andreas Möller corner. Christian Vieri had a goal disallowed for hand-ball. In the second half, Alessandro Del Piero scored via a back-heel after a cross by Alen Bokšić to make it 2–1. In the 71st minute, substitute Lars Ricken chipped Angelo Peruzzi from over 20 yards with his first touch, 16 seconds after coming on, to make it 3–1. Ricken's goal was the fastest ever by a substitute in the event.

Did You Know?

• Karl-Heinz Riedle scored two goals in the final, making him the top scorer of the match.
• Lars Ricken's goal 16 seconds after coming on was the fastest ever by a substitute in the UEFA Champions League final.
• The match was the third consecutive final featuring the defending champions, all of whom lost.