The 1957–58 European Cup was the third season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Real Madrid, who beat Milan 3–2 in the final, in extra time following a 2–2 draw after 90 minutes.[1] This was Real Madrid's third European Cup title in a row. However, the 1957–58 season was marred by the air disaster in Munich, when eight Manchester United players died on their way home from Belgrade, after a 3–3 draw in the quarter-final second leg with Red Star Belgrade. The English champions were ultimately defeated in the semi-finals by the eventual runners-up, Milan of Italy, after being highly touted to win the competition and dominate European football for many years like Real Madrid before them, with the "Busby Babes" having an average age of only 22.
It was the first time that teams from the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and East Germany participated, while Turkey could not send any club, since the Turkish FA failed to register Beşiktaş for the draw in time.[2]Sevilla was invited despite having been runners-up in Spain the year before, as Spanish champions Real Madrid had already qualified as holders; the two Spanish sides met in the quarter-finals, the first time two sides from the same country played against each other in the competition.
Teams
A total of 24 teams participated in the competition.
The draw for the preliminary round took place at the headquarters of the French Football Federation in Paris on Tuesday, 23 July 1957.[3] As title holders, Real Madrid received a bye, and the remaining 23 teams were grouped geographically into three pots. The first four teams drawn in each pot, and four more teams in pot 1, would play the preliminary round in September, while the remaining clubs received byes.
Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt qualified due to a coin toss, after their play-off against Gwardia Warsaw was abandoned with the result of 1–1 after 100 minutes due to floodlight power failure.
^Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt qualified due to a coin toss, after their play-off against Gwardia Warsaw was abandoned after 100 minutes due to floodlight power failure with the result of 1–1.
^To allow an evening kick-off at Dalymount Park in Dublin, which had no floodlights, the teams agreed to change over at half-time without a break. Consequently, the Irish part-timers ran out of steam and Manchester United's 1–0 half-time lead increased to 6–0. The second leg, played under lights at Old Trafford with the normal half-time break, produced a closer scoreline.
