A can of Coke almost canceled the European war!

There are always surprises in the past in football. The reasons for postponement of football games are endless: fan riots, bomb threats, extreme weather, and even teams not being able to get the number of players on the field - this sport has long been used to it.

But a European Champions Cup match was plunged into chaos due to an "out of control" can of Coke? This was definitely the first time this happened, and the game earned a nickname that has gone down in history: "The Battle of the Coke Cans."

1. Before the game: The arrogance of the Serie A giants and the counterattack of the Bundesliga dark horses

On October 20, 1971, Inter Milan went to Monchengladbach to face the host Monchengladbach in the European Champions Cup (it was still called the European Champions League at the time, not the UEFA Champions League today).

At that time, Inter Milan was the absolute favorite to win the championship-the team was star-studded, and the financial gap between them and Borussia was even greater. The Italian media made no secret of their disdain for their opponents, calling Borussia Monchengladbach a "little country team" and confident that the visiting team would win easily. Some reporters even joked that the wooden goalposts of the German stadium seemed to transport people back to a century ago.

But the game did not go according to the Italian's script. Borussia launched a fierce attack from the beginning. To Inter Milan's surprise, they took a 2-1 lead in the 21st minute. The home fans instantly became excited, singing, dancing, shouting, and constantly provoking insults at the away team players - the atmosphere became increasingly chaotic. The referee later admitted that he almost stopped the game because the situation was out of control.

2. The farce broke out: a can of Coke hit the Inter Milan striker.

At this moment, the moment that changed everything happened. An unknown object flew from the stands, right on the head of China and Milan forward Boninsegna. His teammate Mazzola watched as he fell to the ground unconscious. The Inter Milan players immediately surrounded the referee and shouted out all the curse words they could think of in Italian.

However, the referee is helpless - who should be punished? Should the game be cancelled? Will angry German fans storm the stadium? His indecision only escalated the confusion.

Borussia players insisted that Boninsegna was faking, while Inter Milan players were furious. The commotion in the stands now completely spread to the court. In the midst of the dispute, Mazzola suddenly discovered a key clue: several fans were holding Coke cans. He got an empty can from an Italian fan and handed it to the referee as evidence - he insisted it was the can that hit Boninsegna.

3. Mentality collapse: Inter Milan "defaulted to win" and was massacred by Borussia.

Inter Milan players were sure that this game would be awarded a default victory (3-0 win), and their mentality went directly "offline". When the game restarted 7 minutes later, the Italian team seemed to have accepted the result of "technical victory". Borussia Seize the opportunity to chase and score goals, and finally beat their opponents with an astonishing 7-1. They celebrated this victory all night long.

In the locker room, the Inter Milan team doctor revealed that Boninsegna had a big swelling on his head and was so frightened by the atmosphere that he even wanted to flee directly back to Italy.

But Inter Milan players are even more convinced that they will win this victory outside the stadium. Sporting director Franco Manny consulted club lawyer Pepino Prisco to find out what UEFA rules said about such a situation. Prisc's answer later became legendary: "I read the UEFA rule book ten times in French, and there is no provision for this situation at all!"

4. Complaint battle: UEFA's dilemma and the key police investigation

Despite this, Inter Milan submitted a formal complaint, requesting a 0-3 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Borussia Mönchengladbach filed a counterclaim, arguing that the Coke cans were thrown from the visiting team's fan section - why should the German club pay for the behavior of the visiting team's fans?

With no rules covering such incidents, UEFA is in an unprecedented dilemma. The breakthrough came from the German police. They did not let the incident go easily and launched an unexpectedly in-depth investigation.

The investigation results shocked everyone: the perpetrator was a Borussia fan, but for some reason, he was among the Italian fans at the time. The truth finally came to light, and Inter Milan immediately asked UEFA to convene a special meeting to modify the rules of the competition.

5. Ending: Rule rewriting + rematch, a double regret between the giants and dark horses

UEFA complied - they rewrote the relevant regulations and ordered the game to be replayed, but only if the second round was played first. This "first round" rematch was arranged to be held at a neutral venue.

In the end, Inter Milan won 4-2 in the second leg in Milan, while the first leg rematch in Berlin ended 0-0. This infamous Coke can ultimately caused Borussia Mönchengladbach to miss a historic opportunity to eliminate the European giants. However, Inter Milan did not have the last laugh - they lost 0-2 in the final to Ajax at their peak and missed the championship.