Fans of FC Magdeburg will have a spring in their walk today as May 8 marks the day of their club’s greatest success: winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1974 against none other than AC Milan, holders of the cup and giant of Italian football. On paper the matter was clear. Nothing but a success of AC Milan was expected. They came with a star studded line-up, containing Gianni Rivera, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger to name the top players. Manager was no other than a young Giovanni Trapattoni. On the other side, Magdeburg came with a bunch of young players, all recruited within a short distance of the city of Magdeburg.

The final was the endpoint that began in Rotterdam in September 1973 when Magdeburg played NAC Breda at de Kuip. In reaching the final, their season came full circle, in winning they became legends.