1989 Ballon d’Or Winner: Marco van Basten, The King Of European Club Football

1989 marked Dutch goal machine Marco van Basten’s second Ballon d’Or win.

The striker had claimed football’s most illustrious prize the previous year and would eventually go on to win the accolade again in 1992.

In 1988, it was Van Basten’s involvement during Holland’s European Championship title success that secured his Ballon d’Or honour and four years later the Dutchman’s domestic performance in Serie A saw him win a third.

Yet his Ballon d’Or victory in 1989 was ultimately a result of excellence on the continent.

The year Marco van Basten became the King of European club football.

Domestic Indifference

Despite being anointed the greatest player in the European game, Marco van Basten experienced a strange season, full of both individual brilliance and mediocrity for his team.

Marco van Basten displayed all the qualities that his legacy today is built around. He is still renowned for close control, clinical finishing skill, impeccable heading ability and spectacular volleying technique.

Van Basten’s 1988/89 season was fantastic on an individual level, across the 47 games he played in all competitions, the Dutchman scored an impressive 33 goals.

Yet his prowess in front of goal failed to reflect Milan’s overall success during the campaign as domestically, the Italian side were unable to reclaim their Serie A title or capture the Supercopa Italiana.

Van Basten managed 19 Serie A goals in 33 league appearances but still finished as runner up on the list of the league’s top scorers behind Inter Milan’s Aldo Serena. AC Milan ended the campaign in third place behind Napoli and eventual Champions Inter Milan.

Yet it wouldn’t be the striker’s league displays that would see him win the Ballon d’Or.

European Glory

Having already won Serie A the previous season, Sacchi’s Milan side were looking to go a step further and attempt to conquer European football too.

Now they had an awe-inspiring trinity in attack and were ready to dominate the continent with a new signing. Dutch midfield duo Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard were joined in their front line by fellow countryman Marco van Basten who had already been sensational at Ajax.

There was no stopping Van Basten’s personal vendetta as he ended up the European Cup’s top scorer with 10 goals in just 9 games during the competition.

In the first round second leg, Van Basten scored four goals during Milan’s 5-2 home win vs Vitosha Sofia with the Italians going through 7-2 on aggregate. He converted a penalty in the second round second leg as Milan drew 1-1 away – yet with the game tied at 2-2 – they needed victory in a penalty shootout to progress.

During the Quarter finals second leg, Van Basten struck the only goal vs Werder Bremen at the San Siro and then in both legs of the Semi-final against Real Madrid, in a 1-1 draw away at the Bernabeu and again as part of their emphatic 5-0 home win.

Milan’s performance in the final was emphatic. The Italian’s completed a 4–0 victory against Steaua București with Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten himself scoring twice each.

UEFA recognised Van Basten’s crucial contribution to football within Europe by awarding him the accolade ‘Best Player of the Year.’

Marco van Basten’s Ballon d’Or triumph was a story of one man taking a competition by storm and forging a lasting legacy on the world of European football.

1989 Ballon d’Or Top 20

Trivia

• Marco van Basten is only one of five men to have won the Ballon d’Or three times or more – along with Johan Cruyff (3), Michel Platini (3), Cristiano Ronaldo (5) and Lionel Messi (7)
• Franco Baresi’s 1988/89 season was the most consistent of his entire career – making a personal high of 50 appearances.
• The 1988/89 campaign was Frank Rijkaard’s debut in Italian football – the Dutchman scoring six times in 47 games from midfield.