UEFA Cup

The UEFA Cup was introduced for the 1971/72 season and comprises clubs that have qualified for the competition from a variety of different routes.

It is open to teams finishing in leading positions behind the champions in their domestic top divisions, the winners of the national Cup competition, the winners of the League Cup competition in certain countries, the three winners of the final matches in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, and three clubs from UEFA's Fair Play League.

Certain national champions which do not qualify for the UEFA Champions League in a particular season also participate in the same season's UEFA Cup. In addition, the eight third-placed clubs at the end of the UEFA Champions League group stage drop into the UEFA Cup, entering the competition at the end of the group stage.

The number of clubs that can be entered by an association and their entry point in the competition depends on the association's position in UEFA's coefficient ranking list and can vary from year to year. The UEFA Cup was traditionally a straight knock-out competition with ties based on a home and away basis. The final was also held over two legs until the 1997/98 season since when it has been held as a single match in a neutral stadium.

The UEFA Cup was born out of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was founded on 18 April 1955. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup involved representative sides from cities in Europe that regularly held trade fairs. In 1971 the competition broke its ties with the international trade fairs and came under the auspices of UEFA.

Tottenham Hotspur FC were the first UEFA Cup champions in 1971/72, and English sides have gone on to win the competition on six occasions. Italian clubs, however, have proved most successful with nine triumphs, including three apiece for Juventus FC and FC Internazionale Milano. Only Liverpool FC, who last won the competition in 2001, can claim as many UEFA Cup successes.

Odds to win 2006 UEFA Champions League

Past UEFA Cup Winners