Pierino Prati

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Lore & Background

Also known as 'Pierino the pest', Prati began his career playing in Serie C1 with Salernitana, winning the title and promotion to Serie B during the 1965–66 season. He is mostly remembered for his highly successful and prolific stint with Italian club AC Milan under manager Nereo Rocco in the 60s and 70s, during which he achieved great international and domestic success, winning a Serie A title, a European Cup, two Cup Winners' Cups, an Intercontinental Cup, and two Coppa Italia titles, forming an excellent partnership with Gianni Rivera. He made his Serie A debut with the club during the end of the 1965–66 season, on 18 September 1966, in a 2–1 win over Venezia, but was briefly loaned to Serie B club Savona during the 1966–67 season. He later helped Milan to win the 1967–68 Serie A title, finishing the season as the top goalscorer in the Italian league, with 15 goals. He was also notably part of their European Cup victory in 1969, scoring a hat-trick in the 4–1 defeat of Ajax in the final, and six goals in total throughout the competition. As of 2023, he is the last man to have scored a hat-trick in the European Cup/Champions League final. Ferenc Puskás (twice) and Alfredo Di Stefano (both of Real Madrid) are the only other players to have achieved this. Overall, he played for 12 seasons (233 games, 100 goals) in the Italian Serie A with Milan, Roma and Fiorentina. He also played for Savona once again in Serie C2 in his later career, as well as the Rochester Lancers in the NASL.

In Their Own Story

The 1969 European Cup final was played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on 28 May 1969. AC Milan faced Ajax, who had become the first Dutch side to reach the final. Milan's Pierino Prati scored a hat-trick, powering his team to a 4–1 victory. Ajax had reached the final after a dramatic quarter-final against Benfica, where they were deadlocked 4–4 on aggregate and won the replay 3–0 after extra time. Milan, meanwhile, had a bye in the second round due to the withdrawal of several Eastern European clubs, and in the semi-final they knocked out defending champions Manchester United. Prati's hat-trick in the final remains, as of 2025, the most recent by any player in a European Cup or Champions League final.

Reader's Guide

Prati was capable of playing anywhere along the front-line, as a striker, supporting forward, and as a winger. At Milan, he was often deployed on the left wing due to his pace, technique, distribution, and was also known for his powerful and accurate shot from both inside and outside the penalty area, as well as his ability in the air.

Did You Know?

• Prati is the last player to score a hat-trick in a European Cup final, doing so in 1969 against Ajax.
• He won the Serie A top scorer award in the 1967–68 season with 15 goals.
• Prati's son, Cristiano, is also a footballer who plays in the lower Italian divisions.