Milan defeated heavily favoured Barcelona 4–0 in the 1994 UEFA Champions League final, one of the most one-sided finals in the competition's history.
Key Facts
- Date
- 18 May 1994
- Venue
- Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece
- Milan absentees (injured)
- Marco van Basten, Gianluigi Lentini
- Milan absentees (suspended)
- Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta
- Non-national player limit
- Maximum 3 non-nationals per team
- Barcelona omission
- Michael Laudrup excluded by Johan Cruyff
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Barcelona entered as favourites, having won La Liga four consecutive years and seeking a second European title in three years. Milan, coached by Fabio Capello, faced severe disruptions: key players were injured or suspended, and UEFA's three non-national rule forced further omissions from their squad.
The 1994 UEFA Champions League final was played on 18 May 1994 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens between Milan and Barcelona. Despite Milan's depleted squad, Fabio Capello's side produced a commanding performance. Notably, Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff chose not to include Michael Laudrup, a decision Capello later identified as a critical tactical error by his opponent.
Milan won the final convincingly, delivering one of the most lopsided results in Champions League final history. Michael Laudrup, omitted by Cruyff for the match, subsequently left Barcelona for arch-rivals Real Madrid at the end of the season, a decision widely seen as a direct fallout from the controversy surrounding his exclusion.