In 1956, Sir Matt Busby and Harold Hardman defied the authorities to enter the championship of champions. United's first thrilling encounters with the likes of Real Madrid and Benfica immediately caught the imagination of the fans, and Europe remains the challenge which gives the season its flavour. The European quest brought tragedy as well as glory for Manchester United with the Munich air crash in 1958. Amazingly, Busby rebuilt the club and ten years later, United conquered Europe. In 1999 Sir Alex Ferguson finally bridged the gap from Busby's era by winning the European Champions League.