 Dutch program | |||||||
| Event | Intercontinental Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| on aggregate | |||||||
| First leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | 6 September 1972 | ||||||
| Venue | Independiente Stadium,Avellaneda | ||||||
| Referee | Tofiq Bahramov (Soviet Union) | ||||||
| Attendance | 45,000 | ||||||
| Second leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | 28 September 1972 | ||||||
| Venue | Olympic Stadium,Amsterdam | ||||||
| Referee | José Romei (Paraguay) | ||||||
| Attendance | 46,511 | ||||||
←1971 1973 → | |||||||
The1972 Intercontinental Cup was anassociation football tie held over two legs in September 1972 between the winners of the1971–72 European Cup,Ajax, and the winners of the1972 Copa Libertadores,Independiente.
The first leg was held on 6 September 1972 atIndependiente Stadium (La Doble Visera), home of Independiente, and ended in a 1–1 draw, with goals fromJohan Cruyff andFrancisco Sá. The return leg was held on 28 September 1972 at theOlympic Stadium, which was won by Ajax 3–0. Therefore the Dutch side won their first Intercontinental Cup trophy.[1]
| Team | Qualification | Previous finals app. |
|---|---|---|
 Ajax | 1971–72 European Cup champion | None |
 Independiente | 1972 Copa Libertadores champion | 1964,1965 |
Bold indicates winning years
The match was notable for being the first and only timeJohan Cruyff played in Argentina,[2] as he would not join the trip with theNetherlands national team to the1978 FIFA World Cup where the Dutch team reached the final.[3] Ajax arrived in Argentina bringing their own cook and food. Some Dutch supporters had previously arrived not only to watch the match but on a tourist trip to knownBuenos Aires sites.[2]
The early goal by Cruyff (who might have fouled Independiente defenderMiguel Angel López and or might have been fouled by Miguel Angel López before scoring) dictated the direction of the match. Since that, Independiente's style of play turned towards toughness to stop Ajax players. As a result, Cruyff had to leave the field after a hard tackle by defender Dante Mírcoli.[3] At the end of the first half, the Ajax players were so angry at Independiente players' violence that they refused to take to the field for the second half. Their coachȘtefan Kovács had to implore them to play on.[4]
After the match, the Ajax players complained about the violence shown by their rivals. ForwardSjaak Swart defined rival defenderRicardo Pavoni as "a gangster", also stating "he believes he isCarlos Monzón" to describe the Uruguayan's stiffness. In the same line, Ajax manager Kovacs added his testimony saying: "This was not football but war.... In Amsterdam, Independiente will have serious troubles. One of them, our magnificent pitch so they are not used to play on those surfaces. This pitch (Independiente Stadium) is not suitable to play football"[2]
Some football personalities attended the match inAvellaneda, being president ofReal Madrid CFSantiago Bernabéu one of the most notable visitors. Once the match ended, Bernabéu said:
Independiente was in control of the game in the second half, and I don't understand how they did not realise the short height of their players affected them to compete against the Dutch players. They are prepared for those emergencies and closed files to resist Independiente's attack. The local team lacked the time and luck to win.[2]
In the second leg held inAmsterdam, Ajax made a great performance,[4] showing all their virtues to easily defeat Independiente 3–0,[2] therefore winning their first Intercontinental trophy 3–1 on points (4–1 onaggregate).[1]
| Independiente | 1–1 | Ajax |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
         Independiente |  Ajax |
|
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| Ajax | 3–0 | Independiente |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
 Ajax |    Independiente |
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