Leeds United F.C. in European football

Summary

Leeds United made their European debut in the 1965–66 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, entering the competition for three consecutive seasons before winning it in 1967–68. They had been runners-up in the same tournament the previous year. Leeds won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup again in 1970–71, the final edition before it was succeeded by the UEFA Cup. During the 1970s the club reached two more European finals: the 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1975 European Cup final, losing both.

Their 1979–80 UEFA Cup campaign, which ended in the second round, was their last European involvement for over a decade. Relegation to the Second Division in 1982 kept Leeds out of Europe until they won promotion in 1990 and then the league title in 1992, which earned a place in the European Cup. There they were eliminated in the second round by Rangers. In 1999–2000 Leeds reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals, their best European run in 25 years.

The following season they advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, losing to Valencia; qualification changes allowed them entry as the third-placed team in their domestic league. Leeds' most recent European campaign was the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, where they reached the third round. By then the club was in severe financial difficulty and began selling key players, contributing to relegation from the Premier League at the end of 2003–04.