# 1980–81 UEFA Cup

The 1980–81 UEFA Cup was the 10th edition of the UEFA Cup, the third-tier club football competition organised by UEFA. The final was played over two legs at Portman Road, Ipswich, England, and at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was won by Ipswich Town of England, who defeated AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands by an aggregate result of 5–4 to claim their only UEFA Cup title.
This was the only European title for Ipswich Town, who never made it past a quarterfinal round before, and would never go beyond the third round in future competitions. As of 2024, this has been the only appearance in a major European final for both teams, which was also the case with the finalists of the European Cup Winners' Cup that season. Both are the only current instances in a major UEFA tournament; it has also happened with the finalists of the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which is considered an unofficial tournament by UEFA.
According to a UEFA decision in 1979, the UEFA ranking was introduced to serve as the method to determine the number of competing teams per country, and the Fairs Cup entry criteria was finally abolished.

## Association team allocation

A total of 64 teams from 31 UEFA member associations participate in the 1980–81 UEFA Cup. For the first time, an association ranking based on the newly introduced UEFA country coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:
* Associations 1–3 each have four teams qualify.
* Associations 4–8 each have three teams qualify.
* Associations 9–21 each have two teams qualify.
* Associations 22–32 each have one team qualify.

### Association ranking

For the 1980–81 UEFA Cup, the associations are allocated places according to their 1979 UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1974–75 to 1978–79.
| Rank | Association | Coeff. | Teams |
| 1 | West Germany | 52.617 | 5 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 39.200 | 4 |
| 3 | Belgium | 38.300 | 4 |
| 4 | England | 38,141 | 3 |
| 5 | Spain | 35.800 | 3 |
| 6 | Soviet Union | 33.050 | 3 |
| 7 | Yugoslavia | 28.250 | 3 |
| 8 | East Germany | 26.650 | 3 |
| 9 | Italy | 25.932 | 2 |
| 10 | France | 24.250 | 2 |
| 11 | Hungary | 22.650 | 2 |
| 12 | Czechoslovakia | 21.500 | 2 |
| 13 | Poland | 18.850 | 2 |
| 14 | Portugal | 17.750 | 2 |
| 15 | Austria | 17.700 | 2 |
| 16 | Switzerland | 17.650 | 2 |
| 17 | Scotland | 16.500 | 2 |
| Rank | Association | Coeff. | Teams |
| 18 | Sweden | 15.400 | 2 |
| - | Wales | 15.000 | 0 |
| 19 | Greece | 15.000 | 2 |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 13.200 | 2 |
| 21 | Romania | 10.800 | 2 |
| 22 | Turkey | 10.000 | 1 |
| 23 | Denmark | 7.750 | 1 |
| 24 | Republic of Ireland | 7.332 | 1 |
| 25 | Norway | 6.250 | 1 |
| 26 | Finland | 5.498 | 1 |
| 27 | Northern Ireland | 4.666 | 1 |
| 28 | Cyprus | 3.999 | 1 |
| 29 | Malta | 3.664 | 1 |
| 30 | Iceland | 3.331 | 1 |
| 31 | Albania | 2.000 | 0 |
| 32 | Luxembourg | 1.666 | 1 |

### Teams

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for competition:
* TH: Title holders
* CW: Cup winners
* CR: Cup runners-up
* LC: League Cup winners
* 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position
* P-W: End-of-season European competition play-offs winners
Qualified teams for 1980–81 UEFA Cup :
| Eintracht Frankfurt (TH) | Hamburger SV (2nd) | Stuttgart (3rd) | Kaiserslautern (4th) |
| Köln (5th) | AZ Alkmaar (2nd) | PSV Eindhoven (3rd) | Utrecht (5th) |
| Twente (6th) | Standard Liège (2nd) | Molenbeek (4th) | Lokeren (5th) |
| Anderlecht (6th) | Manchester United (2nd) | Ipswich Town (3rd) | Wolverhampton (LC) |
| Real Sociedad (2nd) | Sporting de Gijón (3rd) | Barcelona (4th) | Shakhtar Donetsk (2nd) |
| Dynamo Kyiv (3rd) | Dynamo Moscow (5th) | Sarajevo (2nd) | Radnički Niš (3rd) |
| Napredak Kruševac (4th) | Dynamo Dresden (2nd) | Magdeburg (4th) | Vorwärts Frankfurt (5th) |
| Juventus (2nd) | Torino (3rd) | Sochaux (2nd) | Saint-Étienne (3rd) |
| Újpest Dózsa (2nd) | Vasas (3rd) | Zbrojovka Brno (2nd) | Bohemians Prague (3rd) |
| Widzew Łódź (2nd) | Śląsk Wrocław (3rd) | Porto (2nd) | Boavista (4th) |
| VÖEST Linz (2nd) | LASK (3rd) | Grasshoppers (2nd) | Servette (3rd) |
| St Mirren (3rd) | Dundee United (4th) | IFK Göteborg (2nd) | Elfsborg (3rd) |
| Aris (2nd) | Panathinaikos (3rd) | Levski-Spartak Sofia (3rd) | Beroe Stara Zagora (4th) |
| Steaua București (2nd) | Argeș Pitești (3rd) | Fenerbahçe S.K. (2nd) | KB (2nd) |
| Dundalk (2nd) | Moss (2nd) | KuPS (2nd) | Ballymena United (2nd) |
| Pezoporikos Larnaca (2nd) | Sliema Wanderers (2nd) | ÍA (2nd) | Red Boys Differdange (2nd) |
Notes
* ^ Italy: Milan had originally qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing second in the 1979–80 Serie A, but the team was punished with an administrative relegation on May 19 due to its central role in the Totonero match fixing scandal. The vacant UEFA Cup spot was taken by Torino, which was promoted to third in the standings as a result of Milan's relegation.

## Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows. Matches were scheduled for Wednesdays, though some matches in the first two rounds exceptionally took place on Tuesdays.
Schedule for 1980–81 UEFA Cup :
| Round | First leg | Second leg |
| First round | 16–17 September 1980 | 24 September – 1 October 1980 |
| Second round | 21–22 October 1980 | 4–5 November 1980 |
| Third round | 26 November 1980 | 10 December 1980 |
| Quarter-finals | 4 March 1981 | 18 March 1981 |
| Semi-finals | 8 April 1981 | 22 April 1981 |
| Final | 6 May 1981 | 20 May 1981 |

## First round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Zbrojovka Brno | 5–1 | VOEST Linz | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Kaiserslautern | 3–3 (a) | Anderlecht | 1–0 | 2–3 |
| Magdeburg | 5–3 | Moss | 2–1 | 3–2 |
| AZ Alkmaar | 10–0 | Red Boys Differdange | 6–0 | 4–0 |
| Ballymena United | 2–4 | Vorwärts Frankfurt | 2–1 | 0–3 |
| Dynamo Dresden | 2–0 | Napredak Kruševac | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Argeș Pitești | 0–2 | Utrecht | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| Bohemians Prague | 4–3 | Sporting Gijón | 3–1 | 1–2 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 1–1 (a) | Levski Sofia | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 1–3 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 1–0 | 0–3 |
| Sochaux | 3–2 | Servette | 2–0 | 1–2 |
| Twente | 5–3 | IFK Göteborg | 5–1 | 0–2 |
| Fenerbahçe | 1–3 | Beroe Stara Zagora | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Porto | 1–0 | Dundalk | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Grasshopper | 8–3 | KB | 3–1 | 5–2 |
| Hamburg | 7–5 | Sarajevo | 4–2 | 3–3 |
| Elfsborg | 1–2 | St Mirren | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Ipswich Town | 6–4 | Aris | 5–1 | 1–3 |
| ÍA | 0–10 | Köln | 0–4 | 0–6 |
| Juventus | 6–4 | Panathinaikos | 4–0 | 2–4 |
| Lokeren | 2–1 | Dynamo Moscow | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| KuPS | 0–14 | Saint-Étienne | 0–7 | 0–7 |
| LASK Linz | 2–6 | Radnički Niš | 1–2 | 1–4 |
| Manchester United | 1–1 (a) | Widzew Łódź | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 3–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Molenbeek | 3–4 | Torino | 1–2 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Śląsk Wrocław | 2–7 | Dundee United | 0–0 | 2–7 |
| Sliema Wanderers | 0–3 | Barcelona | 0–2 | 0–1 |
| Standard Liège | 3–2 | Steaua București | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Újpest | 1–2 | Real Sociedad | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Vasas | 1–2 | Boavista | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| Stuttgart | 10–1 | Pezoporikos Larnaca | 6–0 | 4–1 |

### Second leg

Zbrojovka Brno won 5–1 on aggregate.
3–3 on aggregate; Kaiserslautern won on away goals.
Magdeburg won 5–3 on aggregate.
AZ Alkmaar won 10–0 on aggregate.
Vorwärts Frankfurt won 4–2 on aggregate.
Dynamo Dresden won 2–0 on aggregate.
Utrecht won 2–0 on aggregate.
FC Bohemians Praha won 4–3 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate; Levski Sofia won on away goals.
Eintracht Frankfurt won 3–1 on aggregate.
Sochaux won 3–2 on aggregate.
Twente won 5–3 on aggregate.
Beroe Stara Zagora won 3–1 on aggregate.
Porto won 1–0 on aggregate.
Grasshopper won 8–3 on aggregate.
Hamburg won 7–5 on aggregate.
St Mirren won 2–1 on aggregate.
Ipswich Town won 6–4 on aggregate.
Köln won 10–0 on aggregate.
Juventus won 6–4 on aggregate.
Lokeren won 2–1 on aggregate.
Saint-Étienne won 14–0 on aggregate.
Radnički Niš won 6–2 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate; Widzew Łódź won on away goals.
PSV Eindhoven won 3–2 on aggregate.
Torino won 4–3 on aggregate.
Dundee United won 7–2 on aggregate.
Barcelona won 3–0 on aggregate.
Standard Liège won 3–2 on aggregate.
Real Sociedad won 2–1 on aggregate.
Boavista won 2–1 on aggregate.
Stuttgart won 10–1 on aggregate.

## Second round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Zbrojovka Brno | 2–3 | Real Sociedad | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Kaiserslautern | 2–4 | Standard Liège | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| Köln | 4–1 | Barcelona | 0–1 | 4–0 |
| Dundee United | 1–1 (a) | Lokeren | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Utrecht | 3–4 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| Sochaux | 3–2 | Boavista | 2–2 | 1–0 |
| Twente | 1–1 (a) | Dynamo Dresden | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Porto | 2–3 | Grasshopper | 2–0 | 0–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Ipswich Town | 3–2 | Bohemians Prague | 3–0 | 0–2 |
| Beroe Stara Zagora | 1–3 | Radnički Niš | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Levski Sofia | 1–6 | AZ Alkmaar | 1–1 | 0–5 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 2–3 | Hamburg | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| St Mirren | 0–2 | Saint-Étienne | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| Torino | 3–2 | Magdeburg | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Stuttgart | 7–2 | Vorwärts Frankfurt | 5–1 | 2–1 |
| Widzew Łódź | 4–4 (4–1 p) | Juventus | 3–1 | 1–3 (a.e.t.) |

### Second leg

Real Sociedad won 3–2 on aggregate.
Standard Liège won 4–2 on aggregate.
1. FC Köln won 4–1 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate; Lokeren won on away goals
Eintracht Frankfurt won 4–3 on aggregate.
Sochaux won 3–2 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate; Dynamo Dresden won on away goals
Grasshoppers won 3–2 on aggregate.
Ipswich Town won 3–2 on aggregate.
Radnički Niš won 3–1 on aggregate.
AZ Alkmaar won 6–1 on aggregate.
Hamburg won 3–2 on aggregate.
Saint-Étienne won 2–0 on aggregate.
Torino won 3–2 on aggregate.
Stuttgart won 7–2 on aggregate.
4–4 on aggregate; Widzew Łódź won 4–1 on penalties.

## Third round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 4–4 (a) | FC Sochaux-Montbeliard | 4–2 | 0–2 |
| Grasshopper | 3–3 (4–3 p) | Torino | 2–1 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Hamburg | 0–6 | Saint-Étienne | 0–5 | 0–1 |
| Ipswich Town | 5–1 | Widzew Łódź | 5–0 | 0–1 |
| Lokeren | 3–2 | Real Sociedad | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| Radnički Niš | 2–7 | AZ Alkmaar | 2–2 | 0–5 |
| Standard Liège | 5–2 | Dynamo Dresden | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| Stuttgart | 4–5 | Köln | 3–1 | 1–4 (a.e.t.) |

### Second leg

4–4 on aggregate; Sochaux won on away goals.
3–3 on aggregate; Grasshoppers won 4–3 on penalties.
Saint-Étienne won 6–0 on aggregate.
Ipswich Town won 5–1 on aggregate.
Lokeren won 3–2 on aggregate.
AZ won 7–2 on aggregate.
Standard Liège won 5–2 on aggregate.
Köln won 5–4 on aggregate.

## Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Saint-Étienne | 2–7 | Ipswich Town | 1–4 | 1–3 |
| AZ Alkmaar | 2–1 | Lokeren | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| Grasshopper | 1–2 | Sochaux | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| Standard Liège | 2–3 | Köln | 0–0 | 2–3 |

### Second leg

Ipswich Town won 7–2 on aggregate.
AZ Alkmaar won 2–1 on aggregate.
Sochaux won 2–1 on aggregate.
Köln won 3–2 on aggregate.

## Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Sochaux | 3–4 | AZ Alkmaar | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| Ipswich Town | 2–0 | Köln | 1–0 | 1–0 |

### Second leg

AZ Alkmaar won 4–3 on aggregate.
Ipswich Town won 2–0 on aggregate.

## Final
### Second leg

Ipswich Town won 5–4 on aggregate.