1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

The 1970–71 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 3–3 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 0–0 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.

Country team allocation
A total of 64 teams from 29 countries were entered in the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. For the first time, a team from Finland entered the competition, with the allocation scheme being redrawn as follows


 * England have five teams qualify due to the use of the title holder birth.
 * 5 countries have four teams qualify.
 * 3 countries have three teams qualify.
 * 10 associations have two teams qualify.
 * 10 associations have one team qualify.

Scotland and Yugoslavia gained a fourth birth, which Portugal lost. These places came mainly from the loss of a second Fairs Cup birth by East Germany, Norway and Northern Ireland.

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
 * Sum: Position at the halfway mark or the summer break in a calendar-based league

Notes

Schedule
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.

First round

 * }

Second leg
Twente won 4–0 on aggregate.

Eskişehirspor won 3–2 on aggregate.

Barcelona won 4–2 on aggregate.

Arsenal won 4–2 on aggregate.

Fiorentina won 3–1 on aggregate.

Leeds won 6–0 on aggregate.

Sparta Rotterdam won 15–0 on aggregate.

Newcastle United won 3–1 on aggregate.

Pécsi won 4–2 on aggregate.

Valencia won 6–1 on aggregate.

Sparta Prague won 3–1 on aggregate.

Dundee United won 3–2 on aggregate.

Juventus won 11–0 on aggregate.

Dinamo București won 5–1 on aggregate.

Coventry City won 6–1 on aggregate.

 Vitória Setúbal won 4–1 on aggregate.

 Vitória Guimarães won 4–3 on aggregate.

 Dinamo Zagreb won 6–3 on aggregate.

Second round

 * }

Second leg
 Hibernian won 3–2 on aggregate.

2–2 on aggregate; Leeds United won on away goals.

1. FC Köln won 3–1 on aggregate.

Juventus won 4–2 on aggregate.

Liverpool won 4–1 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 2–1 on aggregate.''

Sparta Prague won 3–2 on aggregate.

Sparta Rotterdam won 4–1 on aggregate.

Twente won 8–4 on aggregate.

 Vitória Setúbal won 3–2 on aggregate.

Third round

 * }

Second leg
Bayern Munich won 5–2 on aggregate.

Juventus won 3–0 on aggregate.

Leeds won 9–2 on aggregate.

Twente won 3–2 on aggregate.

 Vitória Setúbal won 4–3 on aggregate.

Quarter-finals

 * }

Second leg
Juventus won 4–2 on aggregate.

Leeds won 3–2 on aggregate.

''2–2 on aggregate; 1. FC Köln won on away goals.''

Liverpool won 4–1 on aggregate.

Semi-finals

 * }

Second leg
Juventus won 3–1 on aggregate.

Leeds won 1–0 on aggregate.

First leg
Game abandoned in the 51st minute due to heavy rain and waterlogged pitch.

Second leg
3–3 on aggregate; Leeds United won on away goals.