JUVENTUS were celebrating their first "real" European Cup final triumph yesterday after age and experience helped them to a well deserved victory against Ajax's young, but ultimately overawed team.

The 4-2 penalty shoot out success over the holders meant that Juventus were champions of Europe for the second time in their history but for the first time in their hearts.

Their first win on May 29th, 1985 is remembered as the blackest day in their history rather than one of the greatest coming as it did just a few hours after 39 fans, mostly Juventus followers, died in a riot before the match against Liverpool.

It was a time of mourning not celebrating in the club's home city of Turin.

But while the Heysel disaster and the untimely death last year from leukemia of young Juventus defender Andrea Fortunato were remembered on banners in the stadium and by the team and manager Marcello Lippi, Wednesday's victory brought nothing but joy.

And as well as helping Juventus come to terms with the events of 11 years ago, it also settled an old score, avenging Juventus's 1-0 loss to Ajax in the 1973 European Cup final.

Lippi, who coached Juventus to the Italian championship in his first season in charge last year, was again the architect of Juventus's success.

Although the match finished after 120 lively minutes before Juventus won the shoot out, the Italians were the moral victors in regular playing time and deserved winners overall.

Ajax coach Louis Van Gaal admitted afterwards he was surprised Lippi played with three men Alessandro del Piero, skipper Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli in attack from the start.

That gave Juventus the initiative against the Dutch defence in which both Winston Bogarde and Frank de Boer were carrying injuries.

Ajax had plenty of possession, and at times especially in the opening 45 minutes played some good football themselves, but with Edgar Davids, playing his last match before moving to AC Milan, conceding the midfield battle to Didier Deschamps, Ajax were unable to mount any sustained pressure.

Juventus also played some delightful one touch football, and with Deschamps having an excellent match in midfield and Moreno Torricelli defending brilliantly they seemed able to break through the Ajax defence almost at will.

Ajax lacked the width that long term injury Marc Overmars gives them and missed the defensive bite of the suspended Michael Reiziger.

The only goals were scored by Ravanelli after 13 minutes and Jari Litmanen who equalised for Ajax after 41 with his ninth goal of the competition, confirming him as this season's top scorer in the European Cup.

There were thrills and near misses in front of both goals, but the biggest mistake of the night could have spared everyone the agony of extra time and penalties.

With 86 minutes played, Vialli playing in almost certainly his last match for Juventus, rounded Ajax goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and with an empty net at his mercy, shot into the side netting.

. Swedish international striker Martin Dahlin has joined Roma from Borussia Moenchengladbach in a deal worth about £2.4 million to the German club.