8 May 1974 - Even The East German Judges Liked This One

On 8 May 1974, Magdeburg became the only East German team to win a major European trophy, beating AC Milan in the Cup Winners' Cup Final.

Under manager Heinz Krügel (pictured), who joined Magdeburg in 1966, the club had risen from the East German second division to become league champions in 1972. That qualified them for the next season's Cup Winners' Cup, where, playing with a team composed entirely of East Germans, they advanced with wins over NAC Breda, Baník Ostrava, Beroe Stara Zagora, and Sporting Lisbon to face defending champions AC Milan.

The Final was played before a modest crowd of 4,000 at Feyenoord Stadion in Rotterdam. The two sides were locked in a defensive struggle for almost the entire first half when, in the 43rd minute, Milan defender Enrico Lanzi put the ball into his own net.

Milan sought desperately for an equalizer, but it was Magdeburg who found the next goal with a strike from midfielder Wolfgang Seguin in the 74th minute. That ended the scoring and Magdeburg claimed a 2-0 victory. It was part of a Double for the East Germans, who won their second league title that year.

They won the league once more in 1975, then went into decline after Krügel retired in 1976. Magdeburg currently play in the Regionalliga Nord, Germany's fourth tier.