Runners-up Stade Reims Dates 4 Sep 1955 – 13 Jun 1956 Teams 16 Matches played 29 | Champion Real Madrid C.F. Top scorer Miloš Milutinović Goals scored 127 | |
Champions Real Madrid (1st title) Similar 1999–2000 UEFA Champio, 1997–98 UEFA Champio, 1970–71 European Cup, 2001–02 UEFA Champio, 1959–60 European Cup | ||
The 1955–56 European Cup was the first season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football tournament. The tournament was won by Real Madrid, who beat Stade Reims 4–3 in the final at Parc des Princes, Paris, on 13 June 1956.
Contents
The participating clubs in this first edition of the European Cup were selected by the French football magazine L'Equipe on the basis that these were the most representative and prestigious clubs in Europe. Of the originally selected teams, Chelsea (England) was barred from participation by the country's Football Association, who saw the tournament as a distraction to domestic football. Chelsea were replaced by Gwardia Warszawa of Poland. In addition, Holland Sport, Honved and BK Copenhagen rejected the opportunity to represent the Netherlands, Hungary and Denmark respectively, being replaced by PSV Eindhoven, Vörös Lobogó and Aarhus. This was also the only UEFA tournament to include a representative of Saarland, unified into West Germany in 1957.
The first round pairings were fixed by the organisers and not drawn as would be the case for all future European Cup matches.
Second leg
Real Madrid won 7–0 on aggregate.
Partizan won 8–5 on aggregate.
Hibernian won 5–1 on aggregate.
Djurgården won 4–1 on aggregate.
Vörös Lobogó won 10–4 on aggregate.
Stade Reims won 4–2 on aggregate.
Rapid Wien won 6–2 on aggregate.
Milan won 7–5 on aggregate.
Note - differences in information: website RSSSF writes that goal on 26 minute scored Robert Körner, website UEFA writes that goal on 26 minute scored Alfred Körner
Second leg
Hibernian won 4–1 on aggregate.
Stade Reims won 8–6 on aggregate.
Real Madrid won 4–3 on aggregate.
Milan won 8–3 on aggregate.
Second leg
Stade Reims won 3–0 on aggregate.
Real Madrid won 5–4 on aggregate.