1972 Intercontinental Cup

Dutch program
Event	Intercontinental Cup
Independiente Ajax 1 4
on aggregate
First leg
Independiente Ajax 1 1
Date	6 September 1972
Venue	Independiente Stadium, Avellaneda
Referee	Tofiq Bahramov (Soviet Union)
Attendance	45,000
Second leg
Ajax Independiente 3 0
Date	28 September 1972
Venue	Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam
Referee	José Romei (Paraguay)
Attendance	46,511

The 1972 Intercontinental Cup was an association football tie held over two legs in September 1972 between the winners of the 1971–72 European Cup, Ajax, and the winners of the 1972 Copa Libertadores, Independiente.

The first leg was held on 6 September 1972 at Independiente Stadium (La Doble Visera), home of Independiente, and ended in a 1–1 draw, with goals from Johan Cruyff and Francisco Sá. The return leg was held on 28 September 1972 at the Olympic Stadium, which was won by Ajax 3–0. Therefore the Dutch side won their first Intercontinental Cup trophy.^[1]

Qualified teams

Team	Qualification	Previous finals app.
Ajax	1971–72 European Cup champion	None
Independiente	1972 Copa Libertadores champion	1964, 1965

Bold indicates winning years

Venues

Independiente Stadium in Avellaneda (left) and Olympisch Stadion in Amsterdam, venues for the series

Overview

The match was notable for being the first and only time Johan Cruyff played in Argentina,^[2] as he would not join the trip with the Netherlands national team to the 1978 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 known Buenos Aires sites.^[2]

Johan Cruyff, injured, is taken out the field.

The early goal by Cruyff (who might have fouled Independiente defender Miguel 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 coach Ștefan Kovács had to implore them to play on.^[4]

After the match, the Ajax players complained about the violence shown by their rivals. Forward Sjaak Swart defined rival defender Ricardo Pavoni as "a gangster", also stating "he believes he is Carlos 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]

Plyers of Ajax celebrating with the Cup

Some football personalities attended the match in Avellaneda, being president of Real Madrid CF Santiago 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 in Amsterdam, 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 on aggregate).^[1]

Match details

First leg

1972 Intercontinental Cup

6 September 1972

First leg

Independiente	1–1	Ajax
Sá 81'	Report	Cruyff 5'

Independiente Stadium, Avellaneda

Attendance: 45,000^[5]

Referee: Tofiq Bahramov (Soviet Union)

Independiente

Ajax