08 December 2023
December 8th.
A day that has had a different flavour for Juventus fans since 1985. Special, unique, wonderfully sweet.
Yes, because exactly 38 years ago today, Juventus rose to the top of the world for the first time in its history, earning victory in Tokyo on penalties against Argentinos Juniors to win their first Intercontinental Cup.
An extraordinary success, achieved in the most exciting way possible. A success that helped the team, coached by Giovanni Trapattoni, at the time to complete a cycle of victories at international level that had begun a year and a half earlier. After winning the Cup Winners' Cup, the European Super Cup and the Champions Cup, it was the turn of the trophy up for grabs against the winner of the Copa Libertadores - the most important club competition in South America - thus completing a collection that no other European team had been able to do so before.
It was a particulary sweet triumph because the match went to penalties, after an extremely balanced match that ended 2-2 after extra time, with Juve twice managing to draw level with the Argentines, first with Platini from the spot and then with Laudrup in the final ten minutes of regulation time. Thus, all square in the closing stages, with that "Fino alla fine" spirit already well rooted in the hearts and minds of the Bianconeri.
And then, histroy. The penalties, practically perfect, netting four out of five hit. The last, the most important, with the signature of "Le Roi" Michel Platini.
Tokyo became black and white for the first time and eleven years later, in the same city and in the same stadium, history would repeat itself. This time the standout star would be Alessandro Del Piero, just twenty-two years old, who with that iconic goal against another Argentine team, River Plate, gave Juve their second Intercontinental Cup crown, on 26 November 1996.
Now, however, enough words. It's time to make way for those unforgettable memories from the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
