The 1959 European Cup final was the fourth final in the pan-European football competition, the European Cup, now known as the UEFA Champions League. It was contested by Real Madrid of Spain and Stade de Reims of France. It was played at the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart on 3 June 1959 in front of 80,000 people. The match finished 2–0 to Real Madrid, winning their fourth European Cup in a row and beating Reims in final for the second time in four years, following the 1956 final. Real Madrid dominated the match, with goals scored by Enrique Mateos and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Match programme cover
The UEFA Champions League is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competition winners through a round robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout format, and a single leg final. It is the most-watched club competition in the world and the third most-watched football competition overall, behind only the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.
Johan Cruyff (pictured in 1972) won the European Cup three times in a row with Ajax.
The two teams line up for the UEFA Champions League Anthem before each match and a flag of the Champions League "starball" logo is waved in the centre circle.
The "starball" logo is incorporated into the design of the competition's official match ball, the Adidas Finale.
AC Milan and Real Madrid are two of the competition's most successful teams.