Cup Winners Cup. No surprising results at all – according to the draws, the expected teams won from the beginning to the end. True, there was a chance of unusual final: Belgian Mechelen had a chance to reach the final and perhaps win the Cup for a second time in a row and Bulgarian CFKA Sredertz, with some luck, could have been the other finalist, even the winner, but that was theory – Mechelen faced up and coming Sampdoria in the ½ finals and was eliminated 2-1 and 0-3. The Bulgarians played against Barcelona coached by Cruijff and their chances on paper translated into playing bravely in reality – they did that and lost both legs: 2-4 and 1-2. Thus, the expected finalists met at the end and the Spaniards scored twice – one goal in each half, one goal early in match and the second nearing the end. Sampdoria had no answer.
Final, Wankdorf Stadium, Berne, 10 May 1989, att 45000
FC Barcelona (1) 2 UC Sampdoria (0) 0
4′ 1-0 B: Salinas
79′ 2-0 B: Recarte
FC Barcelona
Zubizarreta; Aloisio, Alesanco, Urbano; Milla (Soler 61), Amor, Eusebio,
Roberto; Lineker, Salinas, Bequiristain (Recarte 74)
UC Sampdoria
Pagliuca; L.Pelligrini (Bonomi 49), Mannini (S.Pellegrini 27), Lanna,
Salsano; Pari, Victor, Cerezo, Dossena; Vialli, Mancini
Referee: Courtney (England)
To a point, it was fair Sampdoria to lose – they were ‘newcomers’ among the top European teams and perhaps were not yet at their peak. Plenty of talent, but they had to play against experienced opponent now spurred by their own legend Cruijff and eager to succeed. It would have been better if Sampdoria won, but they had to wait.
Barcelona won its 3rd Cup Winners Cup and it was very important success – the club needed victory, Cruijff needed victory, the fans demanded it. Cruijjf did not have the squad he wanted, so it was very important to won a trophy, so to be able to shape the team he envisioned – and, in passing, the ½ against CFKA Sredetz, gave him the opportunity to see a player fitting his needs, Christo Stoichkov. Anyhow, Barcelona won and ended the first season of Cruijff as a coach with success. The road to the Cup was rather rocky: 2-0 and 5-0 against Fram (Iceland) in the first round, almost a slip in the second round against Lech (Poznan) – 1-1 and 1-1, so Barcelona prevailed in the gamble of penalty shoot-out 4-3. Again difficulties in the ¼ finals – Barca won 1-0 in Denmark against AGF (Aarhus), but at home the second leg ended 0-0. Finally confident in the ½ finals against CFKA Sofia – 4-2 and 2-1, and 2-0 in the final against Sampdoria. Barcelona did not lose at all during the campaign, but given the class of their opponents it was not overwhelming campaign. All ended well, but it was not the team Cruijff had in mind and changes were made right after this success (Lineker was out, Ronald Coeman and Michael Laudrup – in). In a sense, Barcelona’s victory was only preliminary – a standing point from which to start winning at earnest.