The UEFA Cup traditionally was the only one among the three European trophies which gave most countries multiple entries. This has led to several national finals:
1971/72 England Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers 1979/80 West Germany Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Mönchengladbach 1989/90 Italy Juventus v Fiorentina 1990/91 Italy Internazionale v Roma 1994/95 Italy Parma v Juventus 1997/98 Italy Internazionale v Lazio 2006/07 Spain Sevilla v EspanyolNever a single country was more dominant than in 1979/80: West Germany had five entrants that year (4 by right, and Borussia Mönchengladbach as the holders - they hadn't qualified for Europe in the Bundesliga), and all five reached the quarterfinals. This necessarily led to (at least) one inter-German tie, and 1.FC Kaiserslautern were eliminated by Bayern München 4-2 on aggregate. But all other German clubs made it past the quarterfinals, giving an all-German semifinal line-up:
VfB Stuttgart v Borussia Mönchengladbach (2-3 on aggregate) Bayern München v Eintracht Frankfurt (3-5 on aggregate)The West Germany v Rest of Europe balance that UEFA Cup makes convincing reading: from 36 matches, the West German teams won 23, drew 7 and lost 6, scoring 74 goals and conceding 29. Typically, the team with the worst record (Eintracht, 8 4 1 3 14-8), who finished lowest of the 5 in the Bundesliga as well, went on to win the trophy. No German team was eliminated by a non-German team in the UEFA Cup that year!
Only two clubs have ever retained the UEFA Cup: Real Madrid won it in both 1984/85 and 1985/86, and Sevilla in 2005/06 and 2006/07. The only country to keep it 3 consecutive seasons is Italy, and they did so on two occasions: between 1988/89 and 1990/91 (Napoli, Juventus, and Internazionale the winners) and between 1992/93 and 1994/95 (Juventus, Internazionale, and Parma).
If one combines the records of the Fairs' Cup and the UEFA Cup, English clubs won 6 times between 1967/68 and 1972/73.
The record number of consecutive participations in the UEFA Cup is 11; all teams to play at least 5 consecutive seasons (including eliminations in the qualifying rounds of the tournament proper):
12 FC Brugge (1996/97-2007/08) 10 Crvena zvezda Beograd (1998/99-2007/08) CSKA Sofia (1998/99-2007/08) Slavia Praha (1998/99-2007/08) 9 PAOK Thessaloniki (1997/98-2005/06) Shahtar Donetsk (1998/99-2006/07) FC Vaduz (1999/00-2007/08) 8 Celtic (1996/97-2003/04) Grazer AK (1998/99-2005/06) Brøndby (1999/00-2006/07) 7 PSV (1979/80-1985/86) Spartak (Moskva) (1981/82-1987/88) Sporting CP (Lisboa) (1988/89-1994/95) Parma (1998/99-2004/05) FK Ventspils (2000/01-2006/07) Wisla Kraków (2000/01-2006/07) Litex Lovech (2001/02-2007/08) Nistru Otaci (2001/02-2007/08) 6 1.FC Köln (1971/72-1976/77) [also in Fairs' Cup 1970/71] Grasshopper Club (1972/73-1977/78) Dundee United (1977/78-1982/83) Werder Bremen (1982/83-1987/88) Internazionale (1983/84-1988/89) Skonto Riga (1994/95-1999/00) Rangers (1997/98-2002/03) Austria Wien (2002/03-2007/08) 5 1.FC Kaiserslautern (1979/80-1983/84) Sportul studentesc Bucuresti (1983/84-1987/88) Partizan Beograd (1984/85-1988/89) Eintracht Frankfurt (1990/91-1994/95) Internazionale (1993/94-1997/98) Lazio (1993/94-1997/98) Dynamo Tbilisi (1994/95-1998/99) Rapid Wien (1997/98-2001/02) AEK Athinai (1998/99-2002/03) Celta Vigo (1998/99-2002/03) Zimbru Chisinau (1999/00-2003/04) Dinamo Zagreb (2000/01-2004/05) Birkirkara (2001/02-2005/06) Levski Sofia (2001/02-2005/06) Sporting CP (Lisboa) (2001/02-2005/06) Auxerre (2002/03-2006/07) Besiktas (2002/03-2006/07) Schalke 04 (2002/03-2006/07) Artmedia Petrzalka (Bratislava) (2003/04-2007/08) Banants Yerevan (2003/04-2007/08) FC Basel (2003/04-2007/08) Dinamo Bucuresti (2003/04-2007/08) Etzella Ettelbruck (2003/04-2007/08)
Apart from 1.FC Köln, Vitória FC (Setúbal) also has a series of 7 seasons if we take the Fairs' Cup into account: 1968/69-1974/75 (3 seasons in the Fairs and 4 in the UEFA Cup).
Entering both the Champions League and/or its qualifying rounds and the UEFA Cup in the same season has now become so common that a separate statistic of all clubs having done so in three or more consecutive seasons may be of interest (between square brackets the means of entering the UEFA Cup is indicated in chronological order, G denoting group stage, q denoting qualifying round):
7 Shahtar Donetsk (2000/01-2006/07) [GqqqGqG] 4 Club Brugge (2002/03-2005/06) [qGqG] 3 Anorthosis Famagusta (1997/98-1999/00) [qqq] Skonto Riga (1997/98-1999/00) [qqq] Rangers (1999/00-2001/02) [GGq] Celtic (2001/02-2003/04) [GqG] Grazer AK (2002/03-2004/05) [qqq] Wisla Kraków (2003/04-2005/06) [qqq]
Several times, winning the UEFA Cup was a club's only chance to qualify for European competition in the next season. A win by such a mediocre, mid-table (and non-domestic-cup-winning) club then led to an extra place in the UEFA Cup for the country in question. The following clubs managed to salvage their season by winning the UEFA Cup (between brackets their domestic league records, P-W-D-L-F-A-Pts):
1971/72 Tottenham Hotspur England ( 6th, 42 19 13 10 63-42 51) 1978/79 Borussia Mönchengladbach West Germany (10th, 34 12 8 14 50-53 32) 1979/80 Eintracht Frankfurt West Germany ( 9th, 34 15 2 17 65-61 32) 1983/84 Tottenham Hotspur England ( 8th, 42 17 10 15 64-65 61) 1987/88 Bayer Leverkusen West Germany ( 8th, 34 10 12 12 53-60 32) 1993/94 Internazionale Italy (13th, 34 11 9 14 46-45 31) 1996/97 Schalke 04 Germany (12th, 34 11 10 13 35-40 43)The Spurs did it twice; the Germans four times!
Internazionale's 1993/94 finish is the worst by any winner of a European club title.
All UEFA Cup winners not listed above finished among the first five of their national championship. On twelve occasions a club combined the UEFA Cup with the national title; six of those occurred in succession form 1972/73 to 1977/78, and Liverpool (1972/73 and 1975/76) and IFK Göteborg (UEFA Cup winners 1981/82 and 1986/87 and spring-fall champions in 1982 and 1987 though not in 1981 nor 1986) did it twice; the other 6 teams involved are Feyenoord (1973/74), Borussia Mönchengladbach (1974/75), Juventus (1976/77), PSV (1977/78), Real Madrid (1985/86), Galatasaray (1999/2000), Porto (2002/03) and Valencia (2003/04).
Of the above, the only teams to add a domestic cup as well were IFK Göteborg, thereby achieving a treble of UEFA Cup 1981/82, Swedish championship 1982, and Swedish Cup 1981/82, Galatasaray 1999/2000 and Porto 2002/03.
Liverpool in 2000/01 did not win the domestic league, but won both domestic cups (FA Cup and League Cup) for a unique treble.
Only 1 club managed to eliminate the holders from the UEFA Cup on more than one occasion: SV Werder Bremen. Two more clubs eliminated the UEFA Cup holders from European competition on 2 occasions.
All clubs to eliminate the defending champions more than once (seasons in which they won themselves in bold):
2 Werder Bremen (1989/90, 1999/00)
In addition Barcelona and Real Madrid each eliminated the UEFA Cup holders more than once; Barcelona once from the Champions' Cup and once from the Cup Winners' Cup, Madrid twice from the Champions' Cup and once from the UEFA Cup itself:
Real Madrid (1975/76 (ChC), 1984/85, 2000/01 (ChC) Barcelona (1974/75 (ChC), 1990/91 (CWC))
Most successful countries against the holders (within the UEFA Cup itself):
England 3 eliminations (Aston Villa 1, Liverpool 1, Tottenham Hotspur 1) West Germany 3 (Werder Bremen 2, Eintracht Frankfurt 1) France 2 (Auxerre 1, Sochaux 1) Italy 2 (Cagliari 1, Internazionale 1) Portugal 2 (Belenenses 1, Boavista 1) Spain 2 (Real Madrid 1, Valencia 1)No other country boasts more than one such elimination.
If we add Fairs' Cup and UEFA Cup records, Werder Bremen remain the only club to eliminate the defending champions more than once (namely twice); apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid two more clubs eliminated the holders of the 'third' European trophy on two occasions:
Internazionale (1965/66 (ChC), 1997/98) Újpesti Dózsa (1968/69, 1982/83 (CWC))
The list of most succesful countries against the Fairs' Cup/UEFA Cup holders within the competition itself:
England 4 eliminations (Aston Villa 1, Liverpool 1, Sheffield
Wednesday 1, Tottenham Hotspur 1)
West Germany 4 (Werder Bremen 2, Eintracht Frankfurt 1,
1.FC Köln 1)
Italy 3 (Bologna 1, Cagliari 1, Internazionale 1)
Scotland 3 (Aberdeen 1, Dundee United 1, Hibernian 1)
Spain 3 (Real Madrid 1, Valencia 1, Zaragoza 1)
Belgium 2 (Anderlecht 1, Lierse 1)
France 2 (Auxerre 1, Sochaux 1)
Portugal 2 (Belenenses 1, Boavista 1)
No other country boasts more than one such elimination.
1984/85, 1st round: Ajax 14-0 Red Boys Differdange
1972/73, 1st round: Feyenoord 9-0 US Rumelange
US Rumelange 0-12 Feyenoord
Feyenoord win 21-0 on aggregate
(tie for record for all European Cups)
1984/85, 1st round: Ajax 14-0 Red Boys Differdange, total 14 goals
1972/73, 1st round: Feyenoord 9-0 US Rumelange
US Rumelange 0-12 Feyenoord
Feyenoord win 21-0 on aggregate, total 21 goals
1984/85, 2nd round: Queens Park Rangers 6-2 Partizan (Beograd)
Partizan (Beograd) 4-0 Queens Park Rangers
6-6 on aggregate, Partizan Beograd win on away goals
1985/86, 3rd round: Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 4-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
5-5 on aggregate, Real Madrid win on away goal
1987/88, 3rd round: Honvéd 5-2 Panathinaikos [after 5-0]
Panathinaikos 5-1 Honvéd
Panathinaikos win 7-6 on aggregate
1971/72, 1st round: Lierse SK 0-2 Leeds United
Leeds United 0-4 Lierse SK
Lierse SK win 4-2 on aggregate
1988/89, 3rd round: Bayern München 0-2 Internazionale
Internazionale 1-3 Bayern München
3-3 on aggregate, Bayern München win on away goals
1989/90, 1st round: Levski-Spartak (Sofia) 0-0 Antwerp
Antwerp 4-3 Levski-Spartak (Sofia) [after 1-3 at 87']
Antwerp win 4-3 on aggregate
1996/97, 1st prel.: Sliema Wanderers 1-3 Margveti Zestafoni
Margveti Zestafoni 0-3 Sliema Wanderers
Sliema Wanderers win 4-3 on aggregate
1996/97, 3rd round: Brøndby IF 1-3 Karlsruher SC [after 0-3 at 81']
Karlsruher SC 0-5 Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF win 6-3 on aggregate
1998/99, 1st round: VfB Stuttgart 1-3 Feyenoord
Feyenoord 0-3 VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart win 4-3 on aggregate
2004/05, 2nd qual.: Rapid Wien 0-2 Rubin Kazan
Rubin Kazan 0-3 Rapid Wien
Rapid Wien win 3-2 on aggregate
2005/06, 1st round: Maccabi Petah-Tikva 0-2 Partizan Beograd
Partizan Beograd 2-5 Maccabi Petah-Tikva
Maccabi Petah-Tikva win 5-4 on aggregate
1987/88, final: Español 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Español [aet] [after 0-0 at 56']
3-3 on aggregate, Bayer Leverkusen won 3-2 on penalties
Thanks to Luis Aguilar
Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 3 Jan 2008
(C) Copyright Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 1996/2008
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