1985 European Cup Final vs Liverpool

Lore & Background

Juventus have won a record 36 Italian league titles, 15 Coppa Italia trophies, and nine Supercoppa Italiana trophies, making them the leading club in the historical Italian Football Federation (FIGC) classification. Internationally, the club has won two European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, one European Cup Winners' Cup, three UEFA Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and one UEFA Intertoto Cup. With eleven international trophies, Juventus occupy the sixth position in Europe and 12th position worldwide for most confederation titles; they are placed fourth in the all-time Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) ranking, having obtained the highest coefficient score during seven seasons since its introduction in 1979, the most for an Italian team in both cases and joint second overall in the last cited. Under Giovanni Trapattoni between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Juventus became the first club to win all three major UEFA competitions (UEFA Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, and European Champions' Cup). With additional triumphs in 1984 European Super Cup and 1985 Intercontinental Cup, I Bianconeri became also the first in football history to complete a clean sweep of international trophies; an improved record by winning the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and remained the only club to have won every official UEFA men's club tournament until the first 2022 Europa Conference League final.

In Their Own Story

The air in Brussels didn't just hang heavy; it choked with smoke and a dread that no police barricade could contain. Inside the stadium, the usual roar of the crowd was replaced by a suffocating, somber tension. When Michel Platini stepped up to take the penalty following a foul on Paolo Rossi, the silence was deafening. As the ball nestled into the net, the Juventus players erupted—not in wild abandon, but in a release of nervous energy instantly tempered by the grim reality outside the pitch walls. It was a victory that tasted distinctly of ash and sorrow, etched into history not merely for the trophy lifted, but for the terrible price paid to win it.

Reader's Guide

Juventus was founded as Sport-Club Juventus in late 1897 by students from the Massimo d'Azeglio Lyceum school in Turin. The club was renamed Foot-Ball Club Juventus in 1899, and entered the Italian Football Championship in 1900. In 1905, Juventus won their first Italian championship. The club adopted its famous black-and-white striped shirts, inspired by English side Notts County. In 1923, Edoardo Agnelli, vice president of FIAT, became club president. Juventus won its second league title in 1925–26. During the 1930s, Juventus dominated the national championship, winning five consecutive league titles between 1931 and 1935. Under Giovanni Trapattoni, who took charge in 1976, Juventus won further league titles and secured its first major European trophy with the 1976–77 UEFA Cup. The Trapattoni era continued into the 1980s, with Juventus winning three more Serie A titles by 1984, and becoming the first Italian club to win 20 league championships. Juventus reached the pinnacle of European football by winning the 1985 European Cup final against Liverpool. Under Marcello Lippi in the 1990s, Juventus won five league titles and the 1996 Champions League, reaching three consecutive Champions League finals between 1996 and 1998. Between 2012 and 2020, Juventus won a record nine consecutive Serie A titles and reached two UEFA Champions League finals.

Did You Know?

• Juventus is the most widely supported football club in Italy and among the most supported worldwide.
• Juventus players have won eight Ballon d'Or awards and three FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
• The club has provided more players to the Italy national team than any other, including to its FIFA World Cup-winning squads of 1934, 1982, and 2006.
• Juventus is owned by the Agnelli family since 1923.