The 1970âÂÂ71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was the 13th and final season of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a European football competition for teams not qualified for the European Cup or the European Cup Winners' Cup. Back in 1969, UEFA determined this would be the final year of the Fairs Cup before taking over the organizational duties and evolving the competition into the UEFA Cup, which is now known as the UEFA Europa League.
The final was played over two legs at Stadio Comunale, Turin, Italy, and at Elland Road, Leeds, England. It was won by Leeds United of England, who defeated the Italian team Juventus on the away goals rule after a 3âÂÂ3 aggregate draw to claim their second Inter-Cities Fairs Cup title. It was the first time the competition final had been won on the away goals rule.
This was to be the final European title for Leeds United, which would cap off its most successful era later in the decade with two further finals in UEFA-organized tournaments. It was also the second Fairs Cup final lost by Juventus, who still had not won a European title. Notably, the first leg of the final was replayed from scratch two days later after the initially scheduled game, which was abandoned after 51 minutes of play with a score of 0âÂÂ0 due to heavy rain and a waterlogged pitch.
As no team had ever managed to permanently win the Inter-Cities Fairs trophy that was to be discontinued, its destination was decided in a special play-off between the first and last competition winners: Barcelona and Leeds United, respectively.
A total of 64 teams from 29 countries were entered in the 1970âÂÂ71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. For the first time, a team from Finland entered the competition, with the allocation scheme being redrawn as follows
Scotland and Yugoslavia gained a fourth berth, which Portugal lost. These places came mainly from the loss of a second Fairs Cup berth by East Germany, Norway and Northern Ireland.
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for competition:
Notes
The schedule of the competition was as follows. Matches were primarily scheduled for Wednesdays, though some matches took place on Tuesdays, and exceptionally on Thursdays. After the first leg of the final had to be postponed to a Friday, the return leg played in the following weekend was moved one day backwards to a Thursday. The first leg of the 1st round match-up between Sevilla FC and Eskisehirspor was played on a Saturday.
Twente won 4âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Eskià Âehirspor won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Barcelona won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Arsenal won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Fiorentina won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Leeds won 6âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Sparta Rotterdam won 15âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Newcastle United won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Pécsi won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Valencia won 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Sparta Prague won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Dundee United won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Juventus won 11âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Dinamo BucureÃÂti won 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Coventry City won 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Vitória Setúbal won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Vitória Guimarães won 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Dinamo Zagreb won 6âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Hibernian won 9âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Hibernian won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
2âÂÂ2 on aggregate; Leeds United won on away goals.
1. FC Köln won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Juventus won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Liverpool won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The referee called the end of the game three minutes before the regulation time and had to abandon the pitch escorted out by Beveren's players because of the pressure and the protests by the visiting team as a result of his decision. K.S.K. Beveren won 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Sparta Prague won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Sparta Rotterdam won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Twente won 8âÂÂ4 on aggregate.
Vitória Setúbal won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Bayern Munich won 5âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Juventus won 3âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Leeds won 9âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Twente won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Vitória Setúbal won 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
Juventus won 4âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
Leeds won 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
2âÂÂ2 on aggregate; 1. FC Köln won on away goals.
Liverpool won 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Juventus won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
Leeds won 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Game abandoned in the 51st minute due to heavy rain and waterlogged pitch.
3âÂÂ3 on aggregate; Leeds United won on away goals.