1991 European Cup final
Football match
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1991 European Cup final was a football match held at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari, Italy, on 29 May 1991, that saw Red Star Belgrade of Yugoslavia[a] defeat Marseille of France in a penalty shoot-out. After normal time and extra time could not separate the two sides, the match was to be decided on penalty kicks. Manuel Amoros's miss for the French side proved crucial, as Red Star held their nerve to win their first European Cup title. As of 2025, this remains the last European Cup final that both clubs were making their debut appearances in the competition's final.
Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 1990–91 European Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| After extra time Red Star Belgrade won 5–3 on penalties | |||||||
| Date | 29 May 1991 | ||||||
| Venue | Stadio San Nicola, Bari | ||||||
| Referee | Tullio Lanese (Italy) | ||||||
| Attendance | 51,587 | ||||||
Teams
| Team | Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|
 Red Star Belgrade |
None |
 Marseille |
None |
Route to the final
| Red Star Belgrade |
Round | Marseille | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
 Grasshoppers |
5–2 | 1–1 (H) | 4–1 (A) | First round |  Dinamo Tirana |
5–1 | 5–1 (H) | 0–0 (A) |
 Rangers |
4–1 | 3–0 (H) | 1–1 (A) | Second round |  Lech Poznań |
8–4 | 2–3 (A) | 6–1 (H) |
 Dynamo Dresden |
6–0 | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (A) | Quarter-finals |  AC Milan |
4–1 | 1–1 (A) | 3–0 (H) |
 Bayern Munich |
4–3 | 2–1 (A) | 2–2 (H) | Semi-finals |  Spartak Moscow |
5–2 | 3–1 (A) | 2–1 (H) |
Pre-match
Red Star arrived in Italy unusually early, on Thursday, 23 May 1991, six full days ahead of the final. The team set up base in the town of Monopoli, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Bari. There they stayed in Il Melograno Hotel, an isolated accommodation on the town outskirts, and trained at the facilities of AC Monopoli.[3] Due to a lot of interest from richer European clubs already being raised for the future services of young Red Star players, the club management tried to ensure its footballers were fully focused on the task at hand. The players were placed in semi-quarantine immediately upon arrival in Italy, which meant being separated from their families without the ability to receive incoming phone calls in hotel rooms, though able to make outgoing calls.[4]
Over the coming days, the club also organized for a large entourage consisting of club legends, friends of the club, etc., to arrive in Bari in order to watch Red Star in its first European Cup final. Therefore, notable former players Rajko Mitić, Dragoslav Šekularac, Srđan Mrkušić, Stanislav Karasi, and Živorad Jevtić, former coach Miša Pavić, and several Serbian celebrities and personalities such as Ljuba Tadić, Ivan Bekjarev, and Bora Đorđević, all made their way to Italy.[5]
Match details
        Red Star Belgrade
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     Marseille
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Assistant referees:
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Match rules
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See also
Notes
- UEFA conventionally refers to Red Star Belgrade by the club's Serbian-language name, Crvena zvezda. Since the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia, the club competes under the auspices of its successor Serbian Football Association.[1][2]