Leeds began the season in good form, with a Tony Yeboah hat-trick giving them an away win over AS Monaco in their UEFA Cup opener. But their European campaign was short-lived, and with the league title soon looking like an unrealistic target, their best hope of success was in the Coca-Cola Cup. They reached the final to claim their first cup final appearance since the 1975 European Cup Final, only to be defeated, losing 3–0 to Aston Villa.