Champions Juventus (2nd title) Champion Juventus F.C. Top scorer Jari Litmanen Goals scored 159 | Runners-up Ajax Dates 9 Aug 1995 – 22 May 1996 Attendance 1,870,462 Matches played 61 | |
Teams 16 (group stage)
24 (total) Similar 1996–97 UEFA Champio, 1994–95 UEFA Champio, 1997–98 UEFA Champio, 1993–94 UEFA Champio, 1998–99 UEFA Champio | ||
The 1995–96 UEFA Champions League was the 41st season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the fourth since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Juventus, who beat defending champions Ajax on penalties in the final for their first European Cup since 1985, and their second overall. It was the only Champions League title that Juventus won in the 1990s, despite their reaching the next two finals, and one of only two Italian wins in the final, despite there being a Serie A club in every final for seven consecutive years from 1992 to 1998.
Contents
It was the first tournament in which three points were awarded for a win instead of two.
Qualifying round
Dynamo Kyiv won their tie against Aalborg BK, but, in their first group game against Panathinaikos, they were accused of a failed attempt to bribe referee Antonio López Nieto to get a win. Despite an appeal, they were thrown out of the competition by UEFA and were banned for the subsequent two years. Aalborg BK replaced them in the group stage. Dynamo's ban was eventually reduced to just one (current) season.
Group stage
11 teams of 16 made their debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage: Aalborg BK, Blackburn Rovers, Borussia Dortmund, Ferencváros, Grasshopper, Juventus, Legia Warsaw, Nantes, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid and Rosenborg. Panathinaikos had already played in the group stage of the 1991-92 European Cup.
Top goalscorers
The top scorers from the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League (excluding qualifying round) are as follows:
