‘I had a grass allergy a week before the Champions League final. My eyes were red, my throat was sore and I didn’t feel right but I played anyway’ Jari Litmanen on his European triumph at Ajax

Ajax’s 1995 Champions League win remains one of the most memorable triumphs in modern football history.

Louis van Gaal’s young, largely homegrown side looked to be the perfect modern template for success, combining Dutch flair and technical ability with physicality. Many predicted that years of European dominance would follow, but instead this would be the high-water mark of the team, as the newly-established Bosman ruling would soon rip apart the side.

Key to that side’s success was young Finnish playmaker Jari Litmanen, who found a home at the club after trying his luck in the Premier League.

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Jari Litmanen on Ajax’s Champions League success

Litmanen celebrates on of his 129 Ajax goals (Image credit: Getty Images)

“It’s hard to believe it’s already 30 years ago,” Litmanen recalls to FourFourTwo when asked about that landmark campaign. “Only two of us actually had any real European Cup experience – Frank Rijkaard and I. When the draw came – Milan, AEK Athens and Casino Salzburg – we were excited.

“The first game was at home against Milan and we felt no pressure because everyone just expected us to lose. Four months earlier, they’d beaten Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League final, but we won 2-0. That was a huge step for us – from that moment, everything changed.

Litmanen spent seven seasons at Ajax (Image credit: Alamy)

“The second game against Milan was played in Trieste [after crowd trouble at a previous Milan game at San Siro]. I remember the talk in Italy – they weren’t going to underestimate Ajax a second time. I scored early to make it 1-0, then we added a second to win again. Even the Milan fans applauded us. From that point, we were sure we could go far in the competition.”

Ajax’s semi-final second leg was a particularly memorable night for Litmanen, who netted twice in a 5-2 win over Bayern Munich.

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The first leg in Munich finished 0-0, then in the second leg I scored to make it 1-0, but Bayern equalised,” Litmanen adds. “At that point, with the away goal, we were out. We told ourselves, “No problem, look around, the stadium is full, the crowd is behind us.” We scored again to make it 2-1, then 3-1 and I made it 4-1.

“It was an unbelievable feeling to reach the final against Milan. We’d beaten them twice, so we felt ready, though they had more experience in those kinds of games.”

Litmanen’s place in the final was in doubt however, with Finn suffering from a grass allergy in the build-up to the game.

Clarence Seedorf, Jari Litmanen and Edwin van der Sar celebrate Ajax’s 1995 Champions League final victory over Milan (Image credit: Alamy)

“That started a week before the final,” he continues. “I couldn’t sleep and was only getting a few hours of rest during the day. My eyes were red, my throat was sore and I didn’t feel right.

“On the Monday, Van Gaal asked me if he could count on me to play in the final on Wednesday. Of course, I said yes. In the game, I wasn’t at my best and when you face Marcel Desailly, you need to be 100 per cent, so it was really tough.

“It was the worst of the three games we played against Milan that season, but we won. Patrick Kluivert came on for me and scored the winning goal – I joke with him that it was an ugly goal, but it doesn’t matter. We won the Champions League.”

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