The 1990âÂÂ91 European Cup was the 36th season of the European Cup, a tournament for men's football clubs in nations affiliated to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It was won for the first time by Red Star Belgrade on penalties in the final against Marseille; both were first-time finalists. This was only the second time that an Eastern European side had won the competition, after Steaua BucureÃÂti of Romania in 1986. It was also the last tournament to be solely knock-out based, with a group stage added for the next season. Red Star won the tournament as the only Yugoslav club shortly before the breakup of Yugoslavia. This was also the last season to feature a team from East Germany, since the East and its West counterpart reunified in October 1990. Although this was the first season which English clubs were readmitted to European competition Liverpool did not compete in the European Cup as English champions due to the last year of their six year ban.
Milan were eliminated by Marseille in the quarter-finals after the second leg had been awarded as a 3âÂÂ0 win for Marseille when the eventual runners-up were leading 1âÂÂ0, and 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate, in injury time, when the floodlights failed. Milan refused to play on when floodlights were fixed and were banned, giving Marseille a 3âÂÂ0 automatic win.
A total of 31 teams participated in the competition. Teams are ordered below by the 1989 UEFA association coefficients.
Although 1990âÂÂ91 marked the return of English clubs to the Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup, after a five-year ban resulting from the Heysel Stadium disaster, Liverpool had been banned for an additional year, so could not participate in the European Cup as English champions.
Ajax, the Dutch champions, were not allowed to participate in a European Cup competition because of the poor behaviour of their fans during a game the previous season, so their spot in the qualification was simply vacated, giving the two-time defending champions Milan a first-round bye.
Notes
For the first and second round draws, teams were ranked according to their 1990 UEFA club seeding coefficients. The seedings took into account performances in European competitions from 1985âÂÂ86 to 1989âÂÂ90, and were calculated by taking the club's total UEFA coefficient points earned divided by total matches played.
The 30 teams were divided into a seeded and unseeded pot, each containing 15 teams, for the draw.
Bayern Munich won 7âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Rangers won 10âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Real Madrid won 10âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
CSKA Sofia won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Dinamo BucureÃÂti won 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Porto won 13âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade won 5âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Dynamo Dresden won 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Malmö FF won 5âÂÂ4 on aggregate.
Napoli won 5âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Spartak Moscow won 4âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Swarovski Tirol won 7âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Club Brugge won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Lech Poznaà  won 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Marseille won 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The 16 teams were divided into a seeded and unseeded pot, each containing 8 teams, for the draw.
Bayern Munich won 7âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Porto won 4âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
2âÂÂ2 on aggregate. Dynamo Dresden won 5âÂÂ4 on penalties.
0âÂÂ0 on aggregate. Spartak Moscow won 5âÂÂ3 on penalties.
Real Madrid won 11âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Milan won 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Marseille won 8âÂÂ4 on aggregate.
<sup>1</sup> â Match abandoned due to rioting after 78 mins. With Red Star Belgrade leading 2âÂÂ1, they were awarded the match 3âÂÂ0.
<sup>2</sup> â With the score at 1âÂÂ0 to Marseille during stoppage time at the end of the second half, the floodlights failed. Milan refused to play on when lighting was restored and Marseille were awarded the match 3âÂÂ0.
Bayern Munich won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The match was abandoned in the 78th minute as per the decision by the match referee Emilio Soriano Aladrén due to Dynamo Dresden fans causing commotion in the stands and pelting the pitch with objects that landed in the vicinity of Red Star player Robert ProsineÃÂki who was about to take a corner kick and the assistant referee on the sideline. Following several minutes of unsuccessful attempts to calm the fans, the match referee ordered the teams off the pitch and the contest was never resumed. Red Star Belgrade led 2âÂÂ1 on the night and 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate at the moment of the stoppage. At a disciplinary hearing several days later, UEFA awarded a 3âÂÂ0 win to Red Star Belgrade and banned Dynamo Dresden for a year from European competition.<br>Red Star Belgrade won 6âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Spartak Moscow won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The match was interrupted in injury time due to poor visibility after two of the four floodlights in the stadium failed. Marseille led 1âÂÂ0 on the night and 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate at the moment. When power was restored after 15 minutes, Milan director Adriano Galliani decided not to let his team go back on the pitch at which point the contest was abandoned permanently. UEFA awarded a 3âÂÂ0 win to Marseille and banned Milan for a year from European competition including suspending Galliani from all official club functions for two years.<br>Marseille won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade won 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Marseille won 5âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
The top scorers from the 1990âÂÂ91 European Cup are as follows: