1999: Juve add illustrious name to trophy
Sunday 1 August 1999
e-mail
Print
Digg
Save
Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) & Christian Bassila (Stade Rennais FC) (©Getty Images)
Former UEFA Champions League winners Juventus underlined the growing stature of the UEFA Intertoto Cup as they added their name to the list of champions in 1999 after beating Stade Rennais FC in the final. Another Ligue 1 side, FC Metz also stumbled at the final hurdle against West Ham United FC, but Montpellier Hérault SC ensured there would be some French celebrations as they triumphed against Hamburger SV.
Inzaghi inspired
More attune to restful summers, Juve endured a sluggish start to their campaign as they limped past Romanian side FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt on the away-goals' rule on their debut in the Third Round. They sparked into life in their next outing against FC Rostov, however, Filippo Inzaghi scoring five to inspire his side to an emphatic 9-1 aggregate victory. Inzaghi scored two more in the first leg of the final to set the Turin team on course for a 4-2 aggregate win.
West Ham triumph
Like Juve, Metz also went into the final on top form after brushing aside KSP Polonia Warszawa 6-1 in the semi-final. A 20-year-old Louis Saha scored three of those goals and added another in the first leg of the final as the French side took the initiative against West Ham in London. But the Premiership team fought back in the second meeting, with Frank Lampard on target as they secured a 3-2 aggregate win.
Penalty drama
That saw West Ham become the first English winners of the Intertoto Cup, but France has a far more productive association with the competition. Montpellier made it seven trophies in five seasons for Ligue 1 sides with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory against Hamburg after both legs of the final ended 1-1, but it was just reward after a tough campaign that had seen them defeat MSV Duisburg and RCD Espanyol.
©uefa.com 1998-2009. All rights reserved.
