The first time around, the Rossoneri were robbed: after winning 4-2 against a Santos side with Pelé in their ranks at San Siro in 1963, they were 2-0 up at half time in the second leg of the Intercontinental Cup final. However, the Argentine referee Brozzi’s decisions all went in favour of the Rossoneri’s opponents, so much so that he was later expelled from refereeing, and Santos came back to win 4-2 before also winning the play-off match 1-0 thanks to a penalty. AC Milan felt they had suffered a great injustice and couldn’t wait to get their revenge.

That opportunity came in October 1969. In the first leg at San Siro, the Rossoneri won 3-0. However, their Argentine opponents were already showing extreme signs of aggression, so much so that AC Milan’s management asked for a meeting with Estuadiantes’ vice-president in the San Siro dressing room at the end of the match: “Relax, nothing to worry about” was the reply. However, all hell broke loose in Buenos Aires. The Rossoneri were subject to all sorts: punches and kicks on the pitch, Nestor Combin’s arrest off it for draft evasion, fear in Italy that Prati was dead. But that AC Milan team, proud and hard as nails, held out for victory. If Combin doesn’t come back on the plane, we won’t go home: that was the champions’ roar. They came home, in shock, but with the Intercontinental Cup on board.