| Founded | 1961 (taken over by UEFA in 1995) |
|---|---|
| Abolished | 2008 |
| Region | Europe (UEFA) |
| Number of teams | 50 |
| Last champions | Braga |
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued after the 2008 tournament.[1] Teams who originally would have entered the Intertoto Cup directly enter in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Europa League from this point.
The tournament was founded in 1961–62, but was only taken over by UEFA in 1995.
Any club who wished to participate had to apply for entry, with the highest placed club (by league position in their domestic league) at the end of the season entering the competition. The club didn't necessarily have to be ranked directly below the clubs which had qualified for another UEFA competition; if the club which was in that position did not apply, they would not be eligible to compete, with the place instead going to the club which did apply.
The cup billed itself as providing both an opportunity for clubs who otherwise would not get the chance to enter the UEFA Cup and as an opportunity for sports lotteries (or pools) to continue during the summer.[2] This reflects its background, which was as a tournament solely for football pools. In 1995, the tournament came under official UEFA sanctioning[3] and UEFA Cup qualification places were granted. Initially, two were provided; this was increased to three after one year; but in 2006, it was again increased to the final total of 11.
Contents |
The Intertoto Cup was the idea of the later FIFA vice-president and founder of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Ernst B. Thommen, and the Austrian coach Karl Rappan, who coached the Swiss national team at the 1938 FIFA World Cup and the Austrian national team at the 1954 World Cup.[2] The "Cup for the Cupless" was also heavily promoted by the Swiss newspaper Sport. It derived its name from Toto, the German term for Football pool.
Thommen, who had set up football betting pools in Switzerland in 1932, had a major interest in having purposeful matches played in the summer break. UEFA were initially disinclined to support the tournament, finding its betting background distasteful; nevertheless they permitted the new tournament but refrained from getting officially involved.[2] Clubs which qualified for one of the official continental competitions, such as the European Champions Cups and Cup Winners Cup, were not allowed to participate.
The first tournament was held in 1961 as the International Football Cup (IFC). Initially the Cup had a group stage, which led to knock-out matches culminating in a final. By 1967, it had become difficult to organize the games,[3] and so the knock-out rounds and the final were scrapped, leaving the tournament without a single winner. Instead, group winners received prizes of CHF10,000-15,000.
By 1995, UEFA had reconsidered its opinion, took official control of the tournament and changed its format. Initially, two winners were given a place in the UEFA Cup. The success of one of the first winners, Bordeaux, in reaching the final of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup encouraged UEFA to add a third UEFA Cup place in 1996.[3]
Many clubs disliked the competition and saw it as disruptive in the preparation for the new season. As a consequence, they did not nominate themselves for participation even if entitled. In particular, following its 1995 relaunch, clubs in England were skeptical about the competition; after initially being offered three places in the cup, all English top division teams rejected the chance to take part.[4] Following the threat of bans of English teams from all UEFA competitions,[4] the situation was eventually resolved with three English clubs entering weakened teams, and none of them qualifying.
In following years, UEFA made it possible for nations to forfeit Intertoto places. For example, in 1998, Scotland, San Marino and Moldova forfeited their places, and England, Portugal, and Greece forfeited one of their two, Crystal Palace being the sole English entrant despite finishing bottom of the Premiership.[5] Other clubs have built upon their success in the UI Cup, following it up with great campaigns in the UEFA Cup. Furthermore, UEFA rejected this assertion that the tournament is disruptive. They point out that in the 2004–05 season, two of the three 2004 Intertoto Cup winners went on to qualify directly for the Champions League, whilst the 3rd one qualified by winning its 3rd qualifying round tie (Schalke and Lille directly, Villarreal by winning their 3rd qualifying round tie).[3]
In December 2007, following the election of new UEFA president Michel Platini, it was announced that the Intertoto Cup would be abolished as of 2009. This was a part of a range of changes that were to be made to the UEFA Cup/Champions League System. Instead of teams qualifying for the Intertoto Cup, they will now qualify directly for the qualifying stages of the UEFA Europa League, which will be expanded to four rounds to accommodate them.
When the competition was taken over by UEFA in 1995, the format was both a group stage and a knock-out stage; 60 teams were split into 12 groups of five with the 16 best teams then contesting the knock-out stage with two-legged ties at each stage, the two winning finalists qualifying for the UEFA Cup. In 1996 and 1997, just the 12 group winners entered the knock-out round, with now three finalists advancing. Nations were allocated places according to their UEFA coefficients, much as with other UEFA tournaments.
The group stage was scrapped for the 1998 tournament, which became a straight knock-out tournament, with clubs from more successful nations entering at a later stage. This arrangement lasted until 2005.
From the 2006 tournament, the format for the Cup changed. There were three rounds instead of the previous five, and the 11 winning teams from the third round went through to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup.[6] For the first time since the 1960s, there was provision for an actual trophy – whichever sides go furthest in the UEFA Cup will each be awarded a trophy.[7] The first winners were Newcastle United, who won the 2006 tournament outright by going further in the UEFA Cup 2006–07 than the other ten qualifiers.[8]
Only one team from each national association was allowed to enter. However, if one or more nations did not take up their place, the possibility was left open for nations to have a second entrant. Seedings and entry were determined by each association.[6] Teams from the weakest federations entered at the first round stage, while those from mid-level federations entered in the second round, and those from the strongest federations entered in the third round.
Listed are all 11 teams that won the third round matches, qualifying them for the UEFA Cup. The outright winners (determined by their UEFA Cup performance) are marked in bold.
| Year | Overall winners | Other Third round winners | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Braga | Aston Villa | Deportivo La Coruña | Stuttgart | Rosenborg | Napoli |
| Rennes | Vaslui | Elfsborg | Grasshopper | Sturm Graz | ||
| 2007 | Hamburger SV | Atlético Madrid | AaB | Sampdoria | Blackburn Rovers | Lens |
| Leiria | Rapid Wien | Hammarby | Oţelul Galaţi | Tobol | ||
| 2006 | Newcastle United | Auxerre | Grasshopper | OB | Marseille | Hertha BSC |
| Kayserispor | Ethnikos Achna | Twente | Ried | Maribor | ||
The results shown are the aggregate total over three legs. Listed are all 2-3 teams that won the final matches, qualifying them for the UEFA Cup.
During this time there were no competition winners, as only group stages were contested. The outright winners (determined by their best champions) are marked in bold
| Year | Group A1 | Group A2 | Group A3 | Group A4 | Group A5 | Group A6 | Group B1 | Group B2 | Group B3 | Group B4 | Group B5 | Group B6 | Group B7 | Group B8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Slovan Bratislava | Hamburg | Union Teplice | MVV | Košice | – | Eintracht Braunschweig | Slavia Prague | Marseille | Öster | Wisła Kraków | Austria Salzburg | Baník Ostrava | Polonia Bytom |
| 1968 | Nuremberg | Ajax | Sporting | Feyenoord | Español | ADO Den Haag | Karl-Marx-Stadt | Empor Rostock | Slovan Bratislava | Košice | Lokomotíva Košice | Odra Opole | Eintracht Braunschweig | Legia Warsaw |
| 1967 | Lugano | Feyenoord | Lille | Lierse | – | – | Hannover | Zagłębie Sosnowiec | Polonia Bytom | Gothenburg | Ruch Chorzów | Košice | KB | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
The results shown are the aggregate total over two legs unless otherwise noted.
| Season | Winners | Runner-Up | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Inter Bratislava | 4 – 3 | ||
| 1965–66 | Lokomotive Leipzig | IFK Norrköping | 4 – 1 | ||
| 1964–65 | Polonia Bytom | SC Leipzig | 5 – 4 | ||
| 1963–64 | Inter Bratislava | Polonia Bytom | 1 – 0* | ||
| 1962–63 | Inter Bratislava | Padova | 1 – 0* | ||
| 1961–62 | Ajax | Feyenoord | 4 – 2* | ||
| * - Single match finals (although 1962–63 has been unofficially reported (http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/intertoto.html) as over two legs) | |||||
From 2006 onwards, the final round was no longer termed as the "Final", but instead simply as the "Third Round". In addition, there were 11 winners, compared to three under the old system. The club which progressed furthest in the UEFA Cup were declared overall winners. The Third Round winners and losers from 2006 are included in this table. Teams which are in bold have been overall winners.
| Nation | Winners And Group Champions | Runners-Up And Group Runners-Up | Winning And Group Champion Clubs | Runner-Up And Group Runners-Up Clubs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czechoslovakia | 47 | 18 | Banik Ostrava (5), Inter Bratislava (4), Košice (5), Slovan Bratislava (7), Nitra (3), Slavia Prague (4), Lokomotiva Kosice (2), Union Teplice (3), Zilina, Jednota Trencin (2), Spartak Trnava (4),Zbrojovka Brno (3), Tatran Prešov, Bohemnians Prague (2),Sparta Prague | Inter Bratislava (3), Jednota Trencin, Union Teplice, Dukla Prague, Košice, Zilina (2), Slavia Prague (3), Bohemnians Prague (4), Spartak Trnava, Zbrojovka Brno | |
| West Germany | 24 | 22 | Eintracht Braunschweig (5), Eintracht Frankfurt (2), Fortuna Düsseldorf, Hamburg (3), Hertha Berlin (3), Hannover (3), Nuremberg, Duisburg (4), Kaiserslatuern, Werder Bremen | Borussia Dortmund, Kaiserslatuern (5), Schalke 04, SpVgg Fürth, Werder Bremen (3), 1860 Münich, Hannover, Hertha Berlin (3), Duisburg (3), Kickers Offenbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Fortuna Düsseldorf | |
| France | 19 | 8 | Auxerre (2), Bastia, Bordeaux, Guingamp, Lens (2), Lille (2), Lyon, Marseille (3), Montpellier, Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes, Strasbourg, Troyes, Saint-Etienne | Auxerre, Lille, Metz, Montpellier, RCF Paris, Rennes, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne | |
| Poland | 18 | 20 | Legia Warsaw, Odra Opole (2), Polonia Bytom (3), Ruch Chorzów, Szombierki Bytom, Wisla Kraków (3), Zaglebie Sosnowiec (3), Rybnik (2), Widzew Lodz, Pogoń Szczecin | Gwardia Warsaw, Katowice (2), Polonia Bytom (2), Ruch Chorzów (2), Szombierki Bytom, Zaglebie Sosnowiec (3), Odra Opole, Wisla Kraków, Gornik Zabrze (2), Legia Warsaw (3), LKS Lodz (2) | |
| Sweden | 18 | 14 | Elfsborg (2), Gothenburg (2), Hammarby, Malmö FF (5), Norrköpping (2), Öster (4), Atvidaberg, Djurgarden, Halmstad (2) | Atvidaberg (2), Halmstad, Norrköping, Kalmar, Örebro, Öster (2), Malmö FF (4), Landskroma (2), Gothenburg | |
| Germany | 10 | 4 | Hamburg (2), Hertha BSC, Karlsruhe, Schalke 04 (2), Stuttgart (3), Werder Bremen | Duisburg, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Wolfsburg | |
| Austria | 8 | 22 | Rapid Wien, Ried, Sturm Graz, Austria Salzburg, VÖEST Linz (2), Tirol Innsbruck, Grazer AK | Tirol Innsbruck (5), Pasching, Austria Salzburg (3), LASK Linz (3), Wiener Sportclub, Rapid Vienna, Austria Vienna, First Vienna (2), VÖEST Linz (2), Austria Klafengurt, Sturm Graz (2) | |
| Portugal | 8 | 12 | Braga, Belenenses (2), CUF (3), Leiria, Sporting | Belenenses (2), CUF (2), Leiria, Vitória Guimarães (5), Vitória Setúbal (2) | |
| Netherlands | 8 | 11 | ADO Den Haag, Ajax (2), Feyenoord (3), MVV, Twente | ADO Den Haag (3), Armsterdam, Feyenoord, Groningen, Heerenveen, NAC Breda, Utrecht, PSV, Twente | |
| Switzerland | 8 | 8 | Grasshopper (3), Lugano, Zürich (3), Young Boys | Basel, Grasshopper (3), Grenchen, Lausanne Sports, Sion, Zürich | |
| Spain | 7 | 5 | Celta de Vigo,Málaga, Valencia, Villarreal (2), Atlético Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña | Atlético Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia, Villarreal (2) | |
| Denmark | 6 | 9 | AaB, Frem (2), KB, OB, Silkeborg | OB, Frem, KB (3), Hvidovre, Esbjerg (2),Vejle | |
| Italy | 6 | 4 | Bologna, Juventus, Napoli, Perugia, Sampdoria, Udinese | Bologna, Brescia, Padova, Torino | |
| England | 6 | 1 | Aston Villa (2), Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Newcastle United, West Ham United | Newcastle United | |
| Belgium | 3 | 12 | Lierse, Standard Liège (2) | Anderlecht, Beveren-Waas, Gent (2), RCD Molenbeek, Standard Liège (7) | |
| East Germany | 3 | 5 | Lokomotive Leipzig, Karl-Marx-Stadt, Empor Rostock | Carl Zeiss Jena (2), Dynamo Dresden, Lokomotive Leipzig (2) | |
| Bulgaria | 3 | 6 | Slavia Sofia, Pirin Blagoevgrad, Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa | Cherno More Varna, Chernomorets Burgas, Slavia Sofia (3), Marek Dupnitsa | |
| Romania | 2 | 3 | Oţelul Galaţi, Vaslui | CFR Cluj, Farul Constanţa, Gloria Bistriţa | |
| Yugoslavia | 2 | 3 | Celik Zenica, Vojvodina | Vojvodina (2), Sloboda Tuzla | |
| Israel | 5 | 2 | Maccabi Netanya (4), Maccabi Haifa (1) | Maccabi Petah Tikva, Bnei Sakhnin | |
| Turkey | 1 | 2 | Kayserispor | Sivasspor, Trabzonspor | |
| Norway | 1 | 2 | Rosenborg | Lillestrøm, Bryne IL | |
| Cyprus | 1 | Ethnikos Achna | |||
| Kazakhstan | 1 | Tobol Kostanay | |||
| Slovenia | 1 | Maribor | |||
| Russia | 5 | FC Moscow, Saturn, Rotor Volgograd, Rubin Kazan, Zenit St. Petersburg | |||
| Greece | 3 | Larisa, OFI Crete, Panionios | |||
| Ukraine | 3 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Chornomorets Odessa, Tavriya Simferopol | |||
| Czech Republic | 2 | Sigma Olomouc, Slovan Liberec | |||
| Moldova | 2 | Dacia Chişinău, Tiraspol | |||
| Croatia | 1 | Segesta | |||
| FR Yugoslavia | 1 | Vojvodina | |||
| Hungary | 1 | Budapest Honvéd | |||
| Lithuania | 1 | Vėtra | |||
| Latvia | 1 | Riga | |||
| Scotland | 1 | Hibernian | |||
| Serbia | 1 | Hajduk Kula | |||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||