A clash of cultures
Wednesday 2 January 2008
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Inter celebrate winning the 1965 competition (©Getty Images)
In its 44 years of existence, the European/South American Cup gave football enthusiasts and observers a fascinating glimpse of two different football worlds.
Two schools
The competition, which featured many of the world's top stars brought together the European football schools - British industry, Italian sophistication, German efficiency - and their South American counterparts - Brazilian artistry, Argentine skill, Uruguayan power.
Particular edge
Since 1960, when the competition was conceived, meetings between the two continents' leading clubs have had a particular edge to them. Games have been alternately memorable, hard-fought, nerve-wracking or, unfortunately, violent. However, the European/South American Cup lost much of its sting after it moved to Japan in 1980.
Fascinating contests
The early years produced some fascinating contests. Real Madrid CF were the first winners in 1960, sweeping aside Uruguay's CA Peñarol 5-1 on aggregate. Peñarol themselves gained the trophy a year later, hammering SL Benfica 5-0 on the way, before two 1960s greats, Eusébio and Pelé, crossed swords for Benfica and Brazil's Santos FC, the latter winning in 1962.
Rugged action
The mid-60s games were often characterised by ill-discipline on the field. "This was not football, this was war," said AC Milan coach Luis Carniglia of the bitterly-contested 1963 match between the Italians and Santos FC. In 1967, four Celtic FC players were sent off in the Scots' unsuccessful play-off against Argentina's Racing Club, while Celtic keeper Ronnie Simpson was felled by a spectator's missile. 1968's game between England's Manchester United FC and another Argentine team, Club Estudiantes de la Plata, was equally rugged.
Negative hue
As the years went by, the competition became increasingly tainted by a negative hue that threatened its existence. From 1971 to 1979, Europe's club champions declined to participate on several occasions, and the fixture did not take place in 1975 and 1978.
Japanese boost
The decision to play the game over one match and move the event to Japan proved to be the shot in the arm that the European/South American Cup needed to revive its ailing fortunes, and in an atmosphere where spectators were respectful rather than hostile, the competition slowly won back lost ground.
South American dominance
From 1980 to 1985, the South American representatives won the trophy on five successive occasions - "jet-lag" was one of the reasons given for Europe's ill-fortune. Clubs from Europe tried dealing with the problem by flying in a few hours before the game - or even still operating on European time.
Commercial effect
The European clubs soon began enjoying greater success in the competition again - possibly, as UEFA's Jubilee book puts it, because "the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid had pioneered the swing towards attracting the Far East market place for both television and the sales of branded club merchandise, the 'Beckham' effect."
Club World Cup
But all good things come to an end. In May 2004, the world football body FIFA announced that the European/South American Cup was to be replaced by a new annual FIFA Club World Cup from 2005, with the continental champions from all six FIFA confederations taking part. The new event brought the curtain down on the European/South American Cup after four fascinating decades in which the competition survived turmoil to expand into a profitable sporting and commercial venture.
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