1981 UEFA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1981 UEFA Cup Final was the two-legged final of the 1980–81 UEFA Cup, the tenth season of the UEFA Cup, UEFA
's second-tier club football tournament. The matches were contested between Ipswich Town
of England and AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands
; despite losing the second leg of the final 4–2, Ipswich won 5–4 on aggregate. The legs were played on 6 May 1981 at Ipswich's Portman Road
stadium and 20 May 1981 at AZ's Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.
and Manchester United
. AZ finished the 1979–80 Eredivisie season in second place, three points behind champions AFC Ajax.
Ipswich played Greek side Aris Saloniki
in the first round of the competition, winning 5–1 at Portman Road and going through 6–4 on aggregate having lost the return leg in Greece 3–1. Two victories over Prague club Bohemians in the second round was followed by a 5–1 aggregate win against Polish team Widzew Łódź. The quarter-finals saw Ipswich face French team AS Saint-Étienne
, who, with Michel Platini
would go on to win the French league that season. An "marvellous" 4–1 victory for the English club in France, followed by a 3–1 home win, knocked out the French team with a 7–2 aggregate victory. Two 1–0 wins over German club 1. FC Köln
saw Ipswich progress to their first European cup final.
AZ started their European campaign with a 10–0 aggregate victory over Luxembourgeois team FA Red Boys Differdange
which was followed by a 6–1 overall win against Bulgarian club Levski Spartak
. The third round ended with a 7–2 aggregate win for the Dutch club over Yugoslav team Radnički Niš; this was followed with a 2–1 overall victory against Belgian club Lokeren. An away 1–1 draw followed by a 3–2 home victory against French club Sochaux
secured AZ's passage in the UEFA Cup final.
style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
|
GK
1
Eddy Treijtel
RB
2
Richard van der Meer
CB
3
John Metgod
CB
4
Ronald Spelbos
LB
5
Hugo Hovenkamp (c)
MF
6
Jan Peters
MF
7
Jos Jonker
MF
8
Peter Arntz
MF
9
Kristen Nygaard
CF
10
Kees Kist
CF
11
Pier Tol
Substitutes:
FW
12
Kurt Welzl
Manager:
Georg Keßler
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
|
GK
1
Paul Cooper
DF
2
Mick Mills
(c)
DF
3
Russell Osman
DF
4
Terry Butcher
DF
5
Steve McCall
MF
6
Frans Thijssen
MF
7
John Wark
MF
8
Arnold Mühren
FW
9
Paul Mariner
FW
10
Alan Brazil
FW
11
Eric Gates
Substitutes:
Manager:
Bobby Robson
of A.C. Milan
in the 1962–63 European Cup.
, leading England to the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup
, the best result for the nation since another former Ipswich manager, Alf Ramsey
, led the country to World Cup victory in 1966
.
AZ went on to reach the semi-final of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup; Ipswich made it to the third round in the 2001–02 UEFA Cup.
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's second-tier club football tournament. The matches were contested between Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
of England and AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
; despite losing the second leg of the final 4–2, Ipswich won 5–4 on aggregate. The legs were played on 6 May 1981 at Ipswich's Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
stadium and 20 May 1981 at AZ's Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.
Route to the final
Ipswich qualified for the UEFA Cup as a result of finishing third the previous season behind LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. AZ finished the 1979–80 Eredivisie season in second place, three points behind champions AFC Ajax.
Ipswich played Greek side Aris Saloniki
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
in the first round of the competition, winning 5–1 at Portman Road and going through 6–4 on aggregate having lost the return leg in Greece 3–1. Two victories over Prague club Bohemians in the second round was followed by a 5–1 aggregate win against Polish team Widzew Łódź. The quarter-finals saw Ipswich face French team AS Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
, who, with Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
would go on to win the French league that season. An "marvellous" 4–1 victory for the English club in France, followed by a 3–1 home win, knocked out the French team with a 7–2 aggregate victory. Two 1–0 wins over German club 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
saw Ipswich progress to their first European cup final.
AZ started their European campaign with a 10–0 aggregate victory over Luxembourgeois team FA Red Boys Differdange
FA Red Boys Differdange
Football Association Red Boys Differdange was a football club, based in Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg. It is now a part of FC Differdange 03.-History:...
which was followed by a 6–1 overall win against Bulgarian club Levski Spartak
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
. The third round ended with a 7–2 aggregate win for the Dutch club over Yugoslav team Radnički Niš; this was followed with a 2–1 overall victory against Belgian club Lokeren. An away 1–1 draw followed by a 3–2 home victory against French club Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
secured AZ's passage in the UEFA Cup final.
First leg
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | |||
| GK | 1 | Paul Cooper |
|
| DF | 2 | Mick Mills Mick Mills Michael 'Mick' Denis Mills is an English former football full-back who, by the end of his career, had achieved Ipswich Town's record number of appearances and captained England at the 1982 World Cup.-Club career:... (c) |
|
| DF | 3 | Russell Osman Russell Osman Russell Charles Osman is a retired England international footballer.-Playing career:Osman was born in Repton, Derbyshire, the son of Rex Osman who played a handful of games for Derby County in the early 1950s... |
|
| DF | 4 | Terry Butcher Terry Butcher Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career... |
|
| DF | 5 | Steve McCall Steve McCall Stephen Harold "Steve" McCall is a retired English footballer who now works as a scout for Ipswich Town.A defensive midfielder during his playing days, McCall built a reputation as a cultured midfield player, with immaculate passing ability. He began his career with Ipswich Town and quickly... |
|
| MF | 6 | Frans Thijssen |
|
| MF | 7 | John Wark John Wark John Wark is a Scottish former footballer who spent most of his playing time with Ipswich Town. He won a record four Player of the Year awards before becoming one of the four inaugural members of the club's Hall of Fame... |
|
| MF | 8 | Arnold Mühren Arnold Mühren Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. His older brother Gerrie, also a midfield player, won three European Cup titles with Ajax in the early 1970s... |
|
| FW | 9 | Paul Mariner Paul Mariner Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is... |
|
| FW | 10 | Alan Brazil Alan Brazil Alan Bernard Brazil is a Scottish former football player and broadcaster. He was a forward before retirement due to injury. He is now a radio presenter on Talksport.-Club career:... |
|
| FW | 11 | Eric Gates Eric Gates Eric Lazenby Gates is an English former football player born on 28 June 1955 in Ferryhill, County Durham. He was a striker.He started 345 times for Ipswich Town with another 39 appearances as a substitute, under Bobby Robson, scoring 96 goals and winning the UEFA cup in 1981 and FA Cup in 1978 ; ... |
|
| Substitutes: | |||
| Manager: | |||
| Bobby Robson Bobby Robson Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career.... |
|||
Eddy TreijtelEddy Treijtel
Eduard Willem Treijtel is a retired football goalkeeper from the Netherlands, who won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord Rotterdam in the 1973-1974 season....
Richard van der Meer John MetgodJohn Metgod
Johannes Antonius Bernardus Metgod is a retired Dutch footballer, who is a first-team coach at Derby County.-Club career:...
Ronald SpelbosRonald Spelbos
Ronald Spelbos is a Dutch former football player and manager. He used to play central defense.-External links:**...
Hugo Hovenkamp (c) Jan PetersJan Peters (footballer)
Johannes Wilhelmus Peters is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands, who obtained 31 caps for the Dutch national team, scoring four goals, in the 1970s and early 1980s...
Jos Jonker Peter ArntzPeter Arntz
Peter Arntz is a former Dutch football player.During his club career he played for Go Ahead Eagles and AZ Alkmaar. He earned 5 caps for the Netherlands national football team, and was included in their squad for the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship.-External links:...
Kristen NygaardKristen Nygaard (footballer)
Kristen Nygaard Kristensen is a Danish former football player, who played professionally for Dutch team AZ Alkmaar and several French clubs. He scored 11 goals in 36 games for the Denmark national football team, and represented Denmark at the 1972 Summer Olympics.Born in Sunds near Herning,...
Kees Kist Pier TolPier Tol
Kees "Pier" Tol is a Dutch retired international footballer who made over 300 professional appearances in the Dutch league, scoring over 100 goals.-Club career:...
Kurt WelzlKurt Welzl
Kurt Welzl is a former international Austrian footballer.-External links:* - Weltfussball* - National Football Teams...
Georg KeßlerSecond leg
| style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | ||||
| GK | 1 | Eddy Treijtel Eddy Treijtel Eduard Willem Treijtel is a retired football goalkeeper from the Netherlands, who won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord Rotterdam in the 1973-1974 season.... |
||
| RB | 2 | Hans Reijnders |
||
| CB | 3 | John Metgod John Metgod Johannes Antonius Bernardus Metgod is a retired Dutch footballer, who is a first-team coach at Derby County.-Club career:... |
||
| CB | 4 | Ronald Spelbos Ronald Spelbos Ronald Spelbos is a Dutch former football player and manager. He used to play central defense.-External links:**... |
||
| LB | 5 | Hugo Hovenkamp (c) |
||
| MF | 6 | Jan Peters Jan Peters (footballer) Johannes Wilhelmus Peters is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands, who obtained 31 caps for the Dutch national team, scoring four goals, in the 1970s and early 1980s... |
||
| MF | 7 | Jos Jonker |
||
| MF | 8 | Peter Arntz Peter Arntz Peter Arntz is a former Dutch football player.During his club career he played for Go Ahead Eagles and AZ Alkmaar. He earned 5 caps for the Netherlands national football team, and was included in their squad for the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship.-External links:... |
||
| MF | 9 | Kristen Nygaard Kristen Nygaard (footballer) Kristen Nygaard Kristensen is a Danish former football player, who played professionally for Dutch team AZ Alkmaar and several French clubs. He scored 11 goals in 36 games for the Denmark national football team, and represented Denmark at the 1972 Summer Olympics.Born in Sunds near Herning,... |
||
| CF | 10 | Kurt Welzl Kurt Welzl Kurt Welzl is a former international Austrian footballer.-External links:* - Weltfussball* - National Football Teams... |
||
| CF | 11 | Pier Tol Pier Tol Kees "Pier" Tol is a Dutch retired international footballer who made over 300 professional appearances in the Dutch league, scoring over 100 goals.-Club career:... |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| FW | 12 | Kees Kist |
||
| MF | 14 | Chris van den Dungen |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Georg Keßler |
||||
Paul Cooper Mick MillsMick Mills
Michael 'Mick' Denis Mills is an English former football full-back who, by the end of his career, had achieved Ipswich Town's record number of appearances and captained England at the 1982 World Cup.-Club career:...
(c)
Russell OsmanRussell Osman
Russell Charles Osman is a retired England international footballer.-Playing career:Osman was born in Repton, Derbyshire, the son of Rex Osman who played a handful of games for Derby County in the early 1950s...
Terry ButcherTerry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
Steve McCallSteve McCall
Stephen Harold "Steve" McCall is a retired English footballer who now works as a scout for Ipswich Town.A defensive midfielder during his playing days, McCall built a reputation as a cultured midfield player, with immaculate passing ability. He began his career with Ipswich Town and quickly...
Frans Thijssen John WarkJohn Wark
John Wark is a Scottish former footballer who spent most of his playing time with Ipswich Town. He won a record four Player of the Year awards before becoming one of the four inaugural members of the club's Hall of Fame...
Arnold MührenArnold Mühren
Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. His older brother Gerrie, also a midfield player, won three European Cup titles with Ajax in the early 1970s...
Paul MarinerPaul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...
Alan BrazilAlan Brazil
Alan Bernard Brazil is a Scottish former football player and broadcaster. He was a forward before retirement due to injury. He is now a radio presenter on Talksport.-Club career:...
Eric GatesEric Gates
Eric Lazenby Gates is an English former football player born on 28 June 1955 in Ferryhill, County Durham. He was a striker.He started 345 times for Ipswich Town with another 39 appearances as a substitute, under Bobby Robson, scoring 96 goals and winning the UEFA cup in 1981 and FA Cup in 1978 ; ...
Bobby RobsonBobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
Summary
Ipswich's John Wark set a competition record by scoring 14 goals, equalling the long-standing scoring record in a European competition, set by Jose AltafiniJosé Altafini
José João Altafini, is an Italian Brazilian former footballer. He is the joint-third highest scorer in Italian Serie A history with 216 goals. He currently holds the record for the highest no...
of A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the 1962–63 European Cup.
Post-match
Bobby Robson left the club to become the England national football team managerEngland national football team manager
The role of an England national football team manager was first established in May 1947 with the appointment of Walter Winterbottom. Before this, the England team was selected by the "International Selection Committee", a process in which the Football Association would select coaches and trainers...
, leading England to the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, the best result for the nation since another former Ipswich manager, Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
, led the country to World Cup victory in 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
.
AZ went on to reach the semi-final of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup; Ipswich made it to the third round in the 2001–02 UEFA Cup.