Past finals: Inter

The 2009/10 season will be the fifth time FC Internazionale Milano have featured in the European Champion Clubs' Cup final, a first appearance of the UEFA Champions League era ending a 38-year wait for a another shot at glory. UEFA.com looks back on their previous four finals, two of which ended in victory.

1963/64 FC Internazionale Milano 3-1 Real Madrid CF
Inter's first final marked a changing of the guard in European football, Helenio Herrera's side overcoming a Madrid team who had won the first five editions of the competition. On to solid foundations, including sweeper Armando Picchi and full-back Giacinto Facchetti, former FC Barcelona coach Herrera had grafted Spain's Luis Suárez, Brazil's Jair and Italy's own Sandro Mazzola to form a team who became synonymous with the catenaccio style of play, and it was Mazzola who opened the scoring in the 43rd minute at the Praterstadion in Vienna. Aurelio Milani added another a minute past the hour and, though Felo briefly revived Madrid's hopes in the 70th minute, Mazzola's second goal and Inter's third 14 minutes from time took the trophy to Italy.

1964/65 FC Internazionale Milano 1-0 SL Benfica
Inter were on home ground at San Siro for their second successive final, and duly emulated Madrid and their final opponents Benfica in winning back-to-back European Cups. Appearing in their fourth final in five years, the Portuguese side were undone first by the heavy pitch, then by Jair's goal two minutes before half-time which ensured Inter, who had beaten Rangers FC and Liverpool FC in previous rounds, retained the trophy.

1966/67 Celtic FC 2-1 FC Internazionale Milano
Inter knocked out holders Madrid 3-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals and, though it took a play-off for them to defeat PFC CSKA Sofia in the last four, the trophy was heading back to Italy when Mazzola gave Inter a seventh-minute advantage from the penalty spot in the Lisbon final. However, the Nerazzurri were denied a third triumph by second-half strikes from Tommy Gemmell and Steve Chalmers as Celtic, fielding ten Glasgow-born players in the final at Estádio Nacional, became the first British winners.

1971/72 AFC Ajax 2-0 FC Internazionale Milano
Ajax had won a first European Cup in 1971 and were too good for Inter at De Kuip in Rotterdam. A typically dynamic display from the Dutch side was rewarded as Johan Cruyff scored two minutes into the second half and the same player completed a victory which was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggested with a second goal 14 minutes from time.