 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 1983–84 European Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| After extra time Liverpool won 4–2 on penalties | |||||||
| Date | 30 May 1984 | ||||||
| Venue | Stadio Olimpico, Rome | ||||||
| Referee | Erik Fredriksson (Sweden) | ||||||
| Attendance | 69,693 | ||||||
The 1984 European Cup final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Roma of Italy on 30 May 1984 at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. It was the final match of the 1983–84 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were appearing in their fourth final, having won the competition in 1977, 1978 and 1981. Roma were appearing in their first European Cup final.
Each club needed to progress through four rounds to reach the final. Matches were contested over two legs, with a match at each team's home ground. Liverpool's matches/ties ranged from close affairs to comfortable victories. They beat Athletic Bilbao by a single goal in the second round, while they beat Benfica 5–1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Roma's matches were all close affairs, winning their ties up to the semi-final by two goal margins. They beat Dundee United 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, although it was later revealed that Roma had bribed the referee in the second leg of the semi-final.
As the final was held at Roma's home ground they went into the match as favourites, despite Liverpool's previous record in the competition. Watched by a crowd of 69,693, Liverpool took the lead in the first half when Phil Neal scored, but Roma equalised before half-time through Roberto Pruzzo. With the scores level at 1–1 through full-time and extra-time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Liverpool won the shoot-out 4–2 to claim their fourth European Cup.