UEFA Intertoto Cup

The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup is a summer football competition for European clubs that have not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. Invited to participate are clubs ranked directly below those that qualify for the major UEFA competitions. The top three teams went on to take part in the UEFA Cup until the 2005–2006 season. From the 2006–2007 season, eleven winning teams go through to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup.

The cup bills itself as providing both an opportunity for clubs to enter the UEFA Cup who otherwise would not get the chance, but also as an opportunity for sports lotteries (or pools) to continue during the summer. Intertoto-cup.com Accessed June 7 2006 This reflects its background, which was as a tournament solely for football pools. In 1995, the tournament came under official UEFA sanctioning UEFA.com UEFA Intertoto Cup history; Accessed June 7 2006 and UEFA Cup qualification places were granted.

History

The Intertoto Cup was conceived by the later FIFA vice president and founder of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Ernst B. Thommen, and the Austrian coach, Karl Rappan, who coached the Swiss national team at the 1938 World Cup and the Austrian national team at the 1954 World Cup. Background on the Intertoto Cup, Elbech, Søren Florin; Accessed June 7 2006 The 'cup for the cupless' was also heavily promoted by the Swiss newspaper 'Sport'. 'Toto', in the cup's name, is the German term for Football pools.

Thommen, who had set up football betting pools in Switzerland in 1937, had a major interest in having purposeful matches played in the summer break. The betting background made the tournament initially distasteful for the UEFA. They permitted this new tournament but refrained from getting officially involved. Clubs which qualified for one of the official continental competitions, such as the European Champions Cups and Cup Winners Cup, were not allowed to participate.

The first tournament was held in 1961 as the International Football Cup (IFC). Initially, the Cup had a group stage, which led to knock-out matches culminating in a final. By 1967 it had become difficult to organize the games. The knock out rounds and the final were thus scrapped, and the tournament became one without a winner.

By 1994, UEFA had reconsidered its opinion, took official control of the tournament and changed its format. Initially, two winners were given a place in the UEFA Cup. The success of one of the first winners, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, in 1995, encouraged UEFA to add a third UEFA Cup place to Intertoto clubs. Bordeaux, after winning the Intertoto Cup, had gone on to reach the UEFA Cup final, thanks to young players such as Zinedine Zidane and Bixente Lizarazu.

Many clubs dislike the competition and see it as disruptive in the preparation for the new season. As a consequence, they do not nominate themselves for participation even if entitled. In particular, following its 1995 relaunch, clubs in England and Scotland were sceptical about the Intertoto Cup. After initially being offered three places in the cup, all English top division teams rejected the chance to take part. Intertoto Cup: English Joy Accessed June 7 2006 Following threats of bans of English and Scottish teams from all UEFA competitions , the situtation was eventually resolved with three English and one Scottish club entering weakened teams, and none of them qualifying.

In following years, UEFA made it possible for nations to forfeit Intertoto places. For example, in 1998, Scotland, San Marino and Moldova forfeited their places, whilst England, Portugal and Greece forfeited one of their two. 1998 Intertoto Cup Draw Accessed June 7 2006

Other clubs have built upon their success in the UI Cup, following it up with great campaigns in the UEFA Cup. Furthermore, UEFA reject this assertion that the tournament is disruptive. They point out that in the 2004-05 season, two of the three 2004 Intertoto Cup winners went on to qualify for the Champions League.

Format

From 1998 till 2005, nations were allocated places according to their UEFA coefficients, much as with other UEFA tournaments. The tournament was played with two-legged knockout ties at each stage, with clubs from more successful nations entering at a later stage. Three 'winners' qualified for the UEFA Cup first round. From 1995 to 1998, the format had included an earlier group stage.

From the 2006–2007 season, the format for the Cup changed. There are three rounds instead of the previous five, and the eleven winning teams from the third round will go through to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. Previously only three teams went through, to the First Round proper of the UEFA Cup. [1]

Only one team from each national association will be allowed to enter. However, should one or more nations not take up their place, the possibility has been left open for nations to have a second entrant. Seedings and entry are determined by each association, [2] Teams from the weakest federations will enter at the first round stage, while those from middling federations will be granted a bye into the second round, and those from the strongest federations will be granted a bye into the third round.

Winners of UEFA Intertoto Cup and Intertoto Cup