1968–69 European Cup
The European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1968/69 was the 14th edition of the competition. 32 club teams participated, including 31 national champion of the previous season and with Manchester United the defending champions.
The participants played in the pure Cup mode (except for the final) round-trip games for the crown of European club football. Case of a tie, the away goals rule decided. Also introduced the application of this rule to any decision, there was a playoff on neutral ground. An innovation this season was that all return games were played the first round on the same day each for the first time.
Given the events of the Prague Spring refused the Western European organizations to pit their representatives against the teams in the Eastern Bloc countries involved in the crackdown. The UEFA finally bowed to the pressure and declared contrary to its statutes, the draw for the first round to be invalid. A study conducted in camera replayed saw only games of that Eastern Bloc countries before one another, whereupon their associations withdrew their participation in the competition in protest. Were affected by this measure Dynamo Kiev ( USSR), FC Carl Zeiss Jena ( DDR), Ruch Chorzów (Poland), Ferencvaros Budapest ( Hungary) and Levski Sofia ( Bulgaria). From the reduced field of participants benefited in the second round of AC Milan and Benfica, who entered each without a fight to the quarterfinals.
The final took place on 28 May 1969 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid before 31,000 spectators instead. AC Milan won the trophy with a 4-1 victory over Ajax Amsterdam for the second time after 1963. Scorer was Denis Law of Manchester United with nine goals.
- 3.1 decider
First round
Original draw
Repeated draw with division into East and West
The first legs took place on 18 September, the return matches on 26 September / 2 Of October 1968.
2nd round
A walk-through were:
The first legs took place on 13./20. November and the return matches on 27-28. November / 4 December 1968 instead.
Quarterfinals
The first legs took place on 12./26. February, the return legs held until March 12, 1969 by February 19.
Decision-making
The match took place on 5 March 1969.
Semifinal
The first legs took place on 13./23. April and the return legs on 24 April/15. May 1969 instead.