<P> In 1968, ten years after the Munich air disaster, Manchester United became the first English team to win the competition, defeating Benfica in the final 4--1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium in London . Matt Busby, United's manager at the time of the disaster in Munich, survived life - threatening injuries suffered in the crash and was still at the helm for United, and two other Munich survivors played in the game--Bobby Charlton, who scored two goals in the game, and Bill Foulkes . </P> <P> Milan brought another Italian victory in 1969 knocking out the two previous winners en route to the final . The 1969 final was against Ajax, marking the emergence of teams from the Netherlands . </P> <P> In 1970 Feyenoord of Rotterdam were the first Dutch outfit to collect the European Cup (defeating Celtic 2--1 after extra time). However, for the next three years, Ajax and its exponents of "Total Football", including Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens, among others, together with their pioneering tactician and coach Rinus Michels, would more profoundly take European centre stage, dispatching Panathinaikos, Internazionale and Juventus in successive finals . </P> <P> The mid-1970s belonged to Bayern Munich . Led by Franz Beckenbauer, and also starring Sepp Maier, Gerd Müller, Uli Hoeneß and Paul Breitner, the German club not only emulated Ajax's trio of victories but was unmistakably inspired by the beacon of "Total Football". In its first final, Bayern triumphed over Atlético Madrid in a replayed match . The following year, Leeds United were vanquished 2--0 in an ill - tempered affair at the Parc des Princes, Paris . Lastly, Saint - Étienne were downed at Hampden Park, Glasgow, in 1976 . After this golden period, the side slowly declined and would not win another European Cup for 25 years . </P>

Name three early successes which the league enjoyed