UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Lore & Background

The first tournament was held in 1960–61, but it was organised by the Mitropa Cup's Organising Committee and not recognised by UEFA until 1963. From 1972 onwards, the winner played the European Cup winner in the European Super Cup. The tournament ran for 39 seasons, with the final edition in 1998–99. English clubs were banned from European competition from 1985–86 to 1990–91 due to the Heysel Stadium disaster, preventing Manchester United, Everton, Coventry City, Wimbledon, and Liverpool from competing in the Cup Winners' Cup until the 1990–91 season.

Reader's Guide

The Cup Winners' Cup was always a straight knock-out tournament with two-legged home and away ties until the single match final at a neutral venue, except for the two-legged final in the first year. The away goals rule applied when aggregate scores were tied. Entry was restricted to one club per UEFA member association, except that the current holders could enter alongside their nation's new domestic cup winners. If a domestic cup holder also won the Cup Winners' Cup in the same season, the domestic cup runner-up took that association's berth. In 1998–99, Heerenveen entered despite only reaching the KNVB Cup semi-final because both finalists qualified for the Champions League.

Did You Know?

• No club ever managed to retain the Cup Winners' Cup, though eight times a winning side appeared in the following season's final as losers.
• The first Cup Winners' Cup trophy was only awarded in its maiden season to Fiorentina.
• The competition was abolished after 1998–99 and merged into the UEFA Cup (now UEFA Europa League).