Juventus Football Club finally managed to regain the European Cup trophy after 11 years, winning the Champions League final against Ajax on penalties in Rome. That was the climax of a successful season, that saw Juventus winning the Supercoppa Italiana in the late summer of 1995, before going on to finish second in the league. Following the Champions League title, strikers Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli were unceremoniously sold to Chelsea and Middlesbrough, respectively. The club also dropped Pietro Vierchowod and Paulo Sousa, much to the surprise of outside observers, since they both were established in the first team. Also Massimo Carrera, who had lost his regular place in the first XI left. Instead, Juventus decided to sign playmaker Zinedine Zidane from Bordeaux, along with young striker Christian Vieri, who signed from Atalanta.