| 1969 European Cup final | |
| Event: | 1968–69 European Cup |
| Team1: | Milan |
| Team1association: |  |
| Team1score: | 4 |
| Team2: | Ajax |
| Team2score: | 1 |
| Date: | 28 May 1969 |
| Stadium: | Santiago Bernabéu |
| City: | Madrid |
| Referee: | José María Ortiz de Mendíbil (Spain) |
| Attendance: | 31,782 |
| Previous: | 1968 |
| Next: | 1970 |
The 1969 European Cup final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on 28 May 1969 between AC Milan of Italy and Ajax of the Netherlands, to determine the champions of the 1968–69 European Cup. Ajax made history by becoming the first Dutch side to reach the final, but they were beaten by their Italian opponents 4–1.[1] [2]
As of 2024, Milan's Pierino Prati remains the most recent player to score a hat-trick in a European Cup or Champions League final.
Milan had a bye in the second round due to the withdrawal of a number of Eastern European clubs from the competition. In their semi-final, they knocked out defending European champions Manchester United.
In the quarter-finals, Ajax were deadlocked 4–4 on aggregate against Portuguese side Benfica after two legs, forcing a replay. The Dutch champions won 3–0 in the replay, but it took extra time to do so.
| Milan | Round | Ajax | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Play-off | ||
 Malmö FF | 5–3 | 1–2 (A) | 4–1 (H) | First round | Nürnberg | 5–1 | 1–1 (A) | 4–0 (H) | ||
| Bye | Second round |  Fenerbahçe | 4–0 | 2–0 (H) | 2–0 (A) | |||||
| Celtic | 1–0 | 0–0 (H) | 1–0 (A) | Quarter-finals | Benfica | 4–4 (r) | 3–1 (A) | 1–3 (H) | 3–0 | |
| Manchester United | 2–1 | 2–0 (H) | 0–1 (A) | Semi-finals | Spartak Trnava | 3–2 | 3–0 (H) | 0–2 (A) | ||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||