MARCELLO LIPPI, the Juventus coach, said after the game. "The team who deserved to win, won. When we won the Italian League championship, it was a great personal joy, because it was the first time I'd won a title as coach. But this time, and I mean this sincerely, it's a joy I feel for the team who have worked so hard and battled for this.

"We left nothing to Ajax. They're quick and they're skillful. But we gave them no chance to get under way. We won this in the best way, Otr, goalkeeper did a marvellous job, he said.

Juventus skipper Gianluca Vialli, who had missed a sitter in the 86th minute, immediately burst into tears. Later he had to fend off questions about his widely expected departure from the club possibly to Britain.

"I'm really happy, because we've won the cup. It's a great experience and in a moment like this, with the team and the officials, I think it's right to talk only about this great victory.

After two years of hard work, and some fun as well, we've fully deserved this. My feeling now is that football rewards effort.

Ajax coach Louis Van Gaal put the defeat down to the injuries his squad have suffered, which meant that certain key players missed the final completely and others were not fully fit to face the Italian onslaught.

"We played not so well, and of course, Juventus played very well. They put pressure on our players, who could not play well because they were injured. We missed too many players and Juventus played very well,

Lippi summed up. The secret was we really wanted to win. The best two teams from the Champions League were on the pitch here tonight. And the best one of them won."