Ajax won their first European Cup in 1971, launching a three-year Dutch dominance and introducing penalty shoot-outs to the competition.
Key Facts
- Tournament edition
- 16th season of the European Cup
- Final date
- 2 June 1971
- Final venue
- Wembley Stadium, London
- Winner
- Ajax (first title)
- First Greek finalist
- Panathinaikos
- Real Madrid absence
- First non-appearance after 15 consecutive seasons
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ajax, representing the Netherlands as reigning Dutch champions, qualified for the 1970–71 European Cup. UEFA reformed the competition by introducing penalty shoot-outs to replace coin tosses for drawn ties and extended the away goals rule to all rounds, not just the first two.
Ajax defeated Panathinaikos 2–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 2 June 1971. It was Ajax's first European Cup title and Panathinaikos became the first Greek club to reach the final. Defending champions Feyenoord were eliminated in the first round by Romanian side UTA Arad.
Ajax's victory initiated a three-year period of Dutch dominance in European football, with the club winning the European Cup in 1971, 1972, and 1973. The introduction of penalty shoot-outs established a lasting method for resolving knockout ties in UEFA competitions.