The 1957-58 season culminated in one of the competition’s best ever-finals, befitting the only occasion in which the tournament’s most successful sides have met in the decisive game. It also saw the first appearances of future winners Ajax and Benfica. But the tournament was overshadowed by the tragic Munich air-disaster which claimed the lives of eight of the famous Busby Babes as they returned from their quarter-final victory over Red Star Belgrade.

The early rounds had seen the usual suspects, as much as they had been established by year three of the competition, Real, United, Red Star and Milan advancing to the quarter-finals with limited troubles. Rapid Vienna had taken Milan to a play-off in the first round but lost out 4-2 in the deciding game, although at least this time they had ensured the game was played at the truly neutral venue of Zurich. The Austrians were unlucky to have faced finalists in two successive years and take both to a third game. Benfica were knocked out by Sevilla who had been granted a spot in the competition as they finished second to winners Real in La Liga. This practice seems to have ended in 1965, when Inter were the only Italian representatives in the tournament following their double triumph in the European Cup and Serie A. Sevilla had been coached by Helenio Herrera for the 56/57 season but he had moved to Portugeuse side Belenenses in the summer. He would make his mark on the tournament in due course.

In the last eight Sevilla were drawn against Real. Elsewhere there was a clash between the two beaten semi-finalists of the previous year; Red Star and Manchester United, Milan facing Borussia Dortmund and newcomers Ajax playing Vasas. Ajax would progress past East German entrants SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt, 4-1. In an classic cold war twist of fate the Wismut team were stranded in West Germany at the border town of Bentheim (between Germany and the Netherlands) after missing a connection on their way to Amsterdam for the second-leg. The coach Fritz Gödicke had to pawn his watch in order to fund accommodations for the team, with the players required to share beds. Thankfully Ajax were sympathetic to their plight (after their victory of course) and covered the costs of the hotels, even managing to rescue Gödicke’s watch from the pawn shop.

The holders made light work of Sevilla, destroying them 8-0 in the home leg. Di Stéfano bagged four (a first for the competition) and Kopa managed two. Sevilla did battle bravely in the return leg, leading 2-0 at half-time but the game ended up 2-2. Real’s two goals that night were scored by Jesús ‘Chus’ Pereda who would do little else in a Madrid shirt, perhaps due to a fall-out with coach Luis Carniglia, but later would play for Barcelona and score twice in Spain’s winning-run to the 1964 European Championship. The summer had seen Real strengthen their defence with the signing of another South American star in José Santamaría, the powerful ball playing centre-back of the Uruguay national team, who joined from Peñarol. Santamaría would become a mainstay of the Real team, an essential counterbalance to the attacking elements of the side. In a world where a defender who can build the play is seen as an essential part of any top level team, Santamaría was noting in the early 60s:

‘There is no point in accomplishing a good tackle, if, once you have possession, you simply kick the ball upfield, hoping for the best.’^

Vasas won the weakest of the four quarter-finals, defeating Ajax 6-2 on aggregate. In Amsterdam, the home side had led 2-0 but the Hungarians scored twice in the last 20 minutes to secure a draw. Vasas won the return leg 4-0 with all the goals coming in the first half. Not a noted powerhouse of Hungarian football, 1957 was Vasas first title win. They would enjoy a good run in the 60s, winning the domestic championship five times and reaching the quarter finals in 1968, but they would represent one of the final flourishes of Hungary’s golden age. Ajax on the other hand, had qualified after winning the first edition of the Eredivisie, itself a product of the institution of professionalism in Dutch football. It would be a few years before the effects of this would manifest itself on the field but the seed had been planted. Dutch football was on the rise and it would pass Hungary on the way up. The reward for the Hungarians would be a semi-final against the holders. Almost 250,000 spectators were in attendance across the two legs but the tie was over after 50 minutes in the first-leg in Madrid. A hat-trick from Di Stéfano, which took his tally to nine so far in the competition, and a strike from Ramón Marsal gave Madrid an unassailable four-goal advantage. Vasas made a game of it in Budapest, winning 2-0 but Madrid were on their way to their third final in a row.

Milan reached their second semi-final, continuing the strong showing of Italian teams by virtue of 5-2 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund. The Germans had performed well the year before against United but still operated within a semi-professional system, with regionalized leagues. They would be a couple of years behind the Dutch with the Bundesliga not beginning until 1963 so Borussia’s performances were not without merit.

Milan were in the midst of one of their finest eras, having won Serie A three times in the ‘50s, they would win one more before the decade was out. Yet, they were enduring a difficult domestic season eventually finishing 9th. Their focus was, through choice or otherwise, on becoming the first Italian team to win the European Cup. The Rossoneri were now coached by Giuseppe ‘Gipo’ Viani, who had joined the club in ‘56, and led them to the title in his first season. A Serie A winner with Inter as a player, Lo Sceriffo (the Sherrif) was known for his tempestuous personality. He is also considered by many and perhaps it’s not an appropriate analogy for an Italian, The Godfather of catenaccio. The story goes (from Viani) that he came up with the idea to add an extra defender behind the defence whilst observing fishing trawlers when out for a morning stroll in Salerno, southeastern Italy. The boats were equipped with a reserve net to pick up the fish that slipped through the first net and Viani determined he needed to pull the same trick on the football pitch.

Viani was the coach of Salernitana at the time and his discovery and its application helped get them promoted to Serie A in 1947 with the best defensive record in Italy. The system was given his name Vianema, but it was the first successful application of what we now consider catenaccio (door-bolt) in Italian football. Readers with a keen memory however will remember, in the tournament’s first season of the competition we had Karl Rappan and his Servette team with his Verrou system. It is entirely possible that Viani did come up with idea completely on his own but it’s more likely that this was an example of the spread and evolution of tactical ideas that continues to this day. What makes cattenacio so interesting is that the implementation took place in a major European league and the addition of the European Cup brought these ideas to a wider audience, not just among the playing and coaching staff but media and fans too. One televised European Cup tie could expose an entire nation to a new concept over the course of ninety minutes.

Fulfilling a key role in Viani’s system, Cesare Maldini had joined the team in 1954 and was anchoring the back-line in front of the legendary Lorenzo Buffon. A cousin of Gianluigi’s father, Lorenzo was an outstanding goalkeeper who would later captain Italy at the 1962 World Cup. The season previous Milan had also signed Narciso Soldan formerly of Inter as a backup and he would have a major role to play in their campaign.

But like many future Italian teams who became synonymous with defensive football in this period, the team was also loaded with some sublime attacking talent. In Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Niels Liedholm, Milan had two of best players of the 50s. Schiaffino who had scored in the Maracana (a day ironically enough, in which the Uruguyan’s aped Rappan’s system) in the final game of the 1950 World Cup was now 32 but still remained a man for the big occasion and so it would prove in the latter rounds of the tournament. He had been the World’s most expensive footballer when he joined Milan from Peñarol in 1954 for £72,000. Liedlholm, the tall Swede, at 35 was also in the twilight of his career but he remained an outstanding passer who could dictate the pace of games. He also possessed a dangerous long throw. Known as ‘the Baron’ following his marriage to an Italian Countess, he was an assured presence as captain of the side. Gold Medal winner at the 1948 Olympics, he would lead Sweden to their finest hour in their home World Cup later in the summer of 1958, as they reached the final. Unlike Schiaffino, he was unable to break Brazillian hearts. Joining them up front was the Argentine duo of Ernestos – Grillo, a prolific striker for Independiente who joined Milan for the start of the 1957 season and ‘Tito’ Cucchiaroni, a left winger signed from Boca Juniors. Both had cost £40,000, a fee in excess of the British record at the time which stood at £34,000.

Milan’s opponents in the last-four would be Manchester United. What would have been an epic clash between Italian and English heavyweights became a footnote in history as a patched-up United side did their best to make a game of it following the Munich Air Disaster which occurred on February 6th 1958. Less than 10 years after the Superga crash which killed the entire Grande Torino side, another one of Europe’s great teams was cut down in their prime. It is another tragic reminder of the risks those early pioneering clubs, coaches and players took to make the European Cup happen.

United had secured their passage into the semi-finals after overcoming Red Star Belgrade 4-3. After winning 2-1 at Old Trafford United looked to have finished the tie off after an outstanding first half performance in Serbia, in which they led 3-0. Bobby Charlton’s influence on the side was growing and a goal in Manchester was bettered with a brace in Belgrade, his first away trip with the side. Red Star, however, roared back in the second half and with a half hour to go it was 3-3. United, however were able to hang on and ensured they would reach the last four for the second successive season.

The Old Trafford club had chartered a plane, The Elizabethan, to ensure there would be no repeat of the issues they faced after playing Dukla Prague in the round previous. On that occasion, due to fog in the UK, their flight home took them only as far as Amsterdam. With a match against Birmingham City kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, their enterprising secretary, Walter Crickmer had to improvise. He got them back for the game just in time via a rail journey from Amsterdam to the Hook of Holland where they caught the ferry to Harwich in Essex before driving to Birmingham where they were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw. On this occasion, the stakes were even higher as United faced league leaders Wolves on Saturday at Old Trafford and a win would see the Red Devils cut the lead at the top to 4pts. Three successive league titles, equalling the Herbert Chapman assembled Huddersfield and Arsenal sides of the 20s and 30s, was still a possibility for Busby.

‘All flights cancelled flying tomorrow’ read the telegram Duncan Edwards sent to his landlady, whilst the 44 passengers of British Airways Flight 609 loitered in the airport cafe at Munich airport. The plane had landed there early in the afternoon of February 6th to refuel and encountered snow falling in the Bavarian capital. Following two aborted take-offs from a slushy runway, Captain James Thain and co-pilot Kenneth Rayment had instructed the passengers to disembark as they attempted to solve the technical problem that had caused the plane to fail to reach its necessary take off speed. Station engineer William Black advised Thain that the solution was to release the throttle slower than normal. After informing Black that this had already been attempted, Black then advised that engines would need to be retuned to fix completely but this would require an overnight stay. With the starboard engine operating as normal, the flight crew made the decision to attempt a third take-off as typically only one engine was required to get the plane airborne. With a long runway, it was decided to release the throttle even more gradually in order to gain the necessary speed.

With the players now back in their seats a third attempt was made. As the plane accelerated towards its targeted take-off speed of 119knots, slush on the tarmac forced it to decelerate rapidly. With limited room on the runway left and now too late to abandon take-off, the plane crashed through a fence, crossed a road and struck a house, splitting in two. The tail-part of the plan struck a fuel compound and burst into flames. Despite Captain Thain being dismissed by his employers for his failure to clear ice of the wings, an enquiry found that the slush on the runway was the main cause of the disaster.

Seven United players died instantly. Captain Roger Byrne, 28 who had appeared in 33 successive fixtures for England. Eddie Colman (21), the dynamic midfielder nicknamed ‘Snakehips’, Mark Jones (24) uncompromising centre-half, David Pegg (22) the left-winger who had tormented Real in Madrid the year previous. Tommy Taylor (26), the outstanding centre-forward, Billy Whelan (22), the Irishman who had been United’s top scorer in the title-winning ‘57 season and Geoff Bent (25), a full-back, who because of injury had not made an appearance that season, and was travelling as back-up to Byrne. 15 days later, England’s brightest prospect, Duncan Edwards (21) also passed away. His kidneys had been badly damaged and attempts to use an artificial kidney machine led to blot clotting. Eventually, his body couldn’t keep up the fight. Some of the final words he spoke were in relation to the upcoming fixture against Wolves. Five of the eight who died had started the game against Red Star.

In total, 23 men lost their lives. In addition to eight players, United secretary Crickmer, coach Bert Whalley who had nurtured so many of the Babes in the youth and reserve teams and trainer Tom Curry would all pass away. Eight journalists the most famous of whom were Henry Rose of the Daily Express and Frank Swift, a former Man City star, who wrote for the News of the World. And finally, four crew members, including Captain Kenneth Rayment.

The news hit Manchester, where snow also fell, around 6pm. At first it came in small fragments leading to families to scramble for what little information they could find. Early reports had suggested there were no survivors but as more details began to emerge, the families became more frantic. Bobby Charlton’s mother Cissie walked to a local telephone box but could not reach Old Trafford due to the lines being down with the weather. She would cry hysterically in the cramped booth as her calls found no answer. Jimmy Murphy who stayed at home to manage Wales through a World Cup play-off victory in Cardiff, arrived back at Old Trafford to find Busby’s secretary Alma George in a state of shock. Murphy slept at the stadium, waking up after a night of tears and whisky.

Busby was severely injured and spent nine weeks in hospital, the first four days of which were spent in intensive care. Murphy would take over as manager for the rest of the season. Besides missing out on United’s semi-final, Busby would have to withdraw as Scotland manager for whom he was set to coach in the World Cup that summer, but he would have bigger battles to fight.

Ahead of the semi, Murphy attempted to sign Puskás, Kocsis and Czibor, the Honved exiles, at the time serving a suspension, but the request was denied by FIFA. United also had to do without Charlton for both legs due to his call-up for England. A curious element of the competition’s early days were such clashes with International fixtures. Still, devoid of their heart and soul, United overcame Milan in the first leg 2-1. Denis Viollet struck his eight of the competition and emergency signing Ernie Taylor, in his European debut, converted a penalty to make it 2-1. In the return-leg however, Milan showed their superiority, winning 4-0 with goals from Schiaffino (2), Liedholm and Giancarlo Danova.

There is no way of knowing of course, but with the age of the players who died, it’s clear that United had a squad that could compete domestically and continentally for several years. Given Charlton’s subsequent trajectory, it’s safe to assume that Edwards who in Charlton’s words was the only player ‘I ever really felt inferior to’ would have had had a major impact in the 60s. With Busby’s capacity to spot a player and build teams, they likely would have lifted the English title prior to 1965 when Charlton, accompanied now by George Best and Denis Law, earned their next crack at the European Cup. The Busby Babes were truly pioneers. They built the bridge to continental competition that the rest of English football would cross. Though their name was never written on the trophy itself, their achievements and impact on the European Cup cannot be understated. They were the flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester.

The ‘50s were a defining time for the game. A decade of three World Cups all of which had historic final games. With the arrival of club competitions, a new category of glamour matches was established, and it’s within these boundaries that Madrid v Milan might be considered the best club match of the 50s.

The final was held in Brussels at the Heysel Stadium, in the shadow of the Atomium, a space age building constructed for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Designed to last only one year, the Atomium is still standing in the same spot. Heysel, renamed as the King Baudouin Stadium in 1995, would go on to host the final in ‘66, ‘74 and the ill-fated final of 1985. It would be the first final held at a neutral venue and the first to go to extra-time.

After a goalless first half which saw Di Stéfano spend most of his time defending, Milan started the second half brighter and went one ahead through Schiaffino. After neat passing between Liedholm and Grillo the ball fell to the Uruguyan on the edge of the box and he swivelled to hit a half-volley on his left foot past the despairing Madrid Captain Juan Alonso. Madrid would level with 15 minutes remaining, Di Stéfano stretching to control a bouncing ball, somehow got room for a shot and he lashed it past Nelson Soldan who had been preferred to Buffon in the Milan goal. Back came the Rossoneri, Grillo putting them ahead on 77 minutes with a long range strike but their lead would last for only a minute. Joseito, a threat down the right wing chipped a cross back for Rial who cushioned a volley over Soldan and under the cross bar.

Four goals, all made in South America. Sadly, none of the wonderful Argentinians would represent their country in the World Cup that summer, as the AFA decided to select only players playing in the Argentine league. By that point Di Stéfano had Spanish nationality and Rial’s was on the way, but it underlines the talent coming from the country at the time. Argentina had a disaster in Sweden, losing to West Germany and, most famously, to Czechoslovakia 6-1.

In extra-time, yet another Argentine, Tito Cucchiaroni, almost won it for Milan, hitting the bar but it was left to a European to get the winner, the irrepressible Gento. He had struggled to get into the game but his pace began to make an impact in the additional period. Before his goal he would hit the post when he cut inside from the left and the winner came from the same playbook. His initial shot bounced back to him and he lashed at the ball a second time. On this occasion it made its way through the crowd of Milan defenders, surprising Soldan who reacted late. Madrid had the lead for the first time in the game and they would not give it up.

It was harsh on Milan who had been the better team for the majority of the game and it was probably the closest Madrid came to slipping up during their five-in-a-row. Both Milan and Viani would be back before long.

The Champions heeded the warning and Bernabéu and Saporta recognized the team needed fresh blood. Their next Galactico signing would rejuvenate the team and Di Stéfano as they galloped towards their finest hour (and a half). It was time for Ferenc Puskás.