1956: Reims inaugurates the finals
In the mid-1950s, the Stade de Reims dominated French football, with Raymond Kopa as the figurehead. The very fresh C1, created under the impetus of France, is called the Champion Clubs' Cup and in 1956, Reims met Real Madrid for the very first final. But in reality, the two clubs know each other well: a year earlier, Real beat Reims 2-0 at Parc des Princes in the Latin Cup final, the ancestor of this C1. In June 1956, champagne football came very close to a feat: Reims led 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in the 11th minute before finally losing 4-3 against the great Real of Alfredo Di Stéfano.
1959: No revenge for the Rémois
Three years later, Reims returned to the final, still against Real Madrid, who have since become three-time defending champions. But this time, Kopa is in the camp opposite, that of the Madrilenians. The match takes place in Stuttgart and even if Kopa is discreet after an injury, the score is final: 2 to 0 for Real.
1976: Saint-Etienne and the “square posts”
On May 12, 1976, the Greens of Jean-Michel Larqué face in the final Bayern Munich of Franz Beckenbauer at Hampden Park, Glasgow (Scotland), in front of 65,000 spectators. AS Saint-Étienne arrives in the C1 final after eliminating clubs such as Glasgow Rangers, Dynamo Kiev or PSV Eindhoven. But the Stéphanois are cursed: they find twice the crossbar of the Munich goals. A bar with projecting edges that repels the onslaught of the Greens, birth of the legend of "square posts". Nothing else remains in France from this meeting: neither the goal refused for offside by Munich striker Gerd Müller, nor the victorious goal scored on a free kick by the German Franz Roth in the 57th (1-0 ).
1991: OM not under the lucky stars
In 1991, the Olympique de Marseille, chaired by Bernard Tapie, reached for the first time the final of the European Cup of Champions Clubs. This is the hundredth final in all European competitions (C1, C2 and C3). The end of the USSR is only a matter of weeks and East and West have one last battle to fight in Europe. Belgrade against Marseille. The swansong of the best football from all the Yugoslav provinces, against a Marseille workforce that makes you dream: Waddle, Papin, Abedi Pelé ... Behind the scenes, the tensions between Tapie and his coach Franz Beckenbauer push the latter to leave, replaced by Belgian technician Raymond Goethals from the quarters. In the final in Bari in the San Nicola Stadium, and in front of 56,000 people, the two clubs remain silent. Zero to zero at the end of extra time. The Marseillais finally bow on penalties, 5 to 3.
1993: the Marseillais, forever the first
It is now called the Champions League: in 1992, the C1 changed its name. And its 1993 final is unprecedented. After two knockout rounds, the Marseille club played a group round in which they finished first, at the expense of Glasgow Rangers, Club Brugge and CSKA Moscow, qualifying for the final against great Milan AC. On May 26, 1993, OM led by Didier Deschamps beat AC Milan 1-0 in the final over a header from Basile Boli just before half-time, becoming the very first French club to reign over Europe. But 1993 will also be marred by the "OM-VA" affair, which will be worth Marseille the loss of its league title.
2004: Monaco is subjected to Mourinho's law
During the 2003-2004 edition of the C1, a new change of formula takes place, the second group stage is replaced by the round of 16. Monaco of Didier Deschamps, who started out as a coach, enjoyed the group stage (8-3 against La Coruña!), Crossed the obstacle Lokomotiv Moscow in the eighth, then dismissed the great Real Madrid and his playmaker Zinedine Zidane in quarterfinals and Chelsea in the semi-finals. With a surprise in the final: ASM challenges the Portuguese FC Porto in Gelsenkirchen in Germany. But Monaco's state of grace does not last: José Mourinho's men outclass those of Deschamps 3-0.
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