Soccer: UEFA Europa League, Summary and Data

Information about the UEFA Europa League with the last 10 winners of the competition, the teams with the most trophies won in the history of the tournment and an index to every final played.

The UEFA Cup is a soccer competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It began in 1971 and replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It is the second most important European competition for club teams, after the UEFA Champions League. Soccer clubs qualify for the UEFA Cup based on their performance in national leagues and national cup competitions.

The UEFA Cup starts with two knockout qualifying rounds. Participants from associations ranked 18 and lower enter the first qualifying round, and participants from associations ranked 9-18 join them in the second qualifying round. In addition, three places in the first qualifying round are reserved for the Fair Play winners, and eleven places in the second qualifying round are reserved for the UEFA Intertoto Cup winners. Winners of the qualifying rounds join teams from the associations ranked 1-13 in the first round proper. In addition, losers in the third qualifying round of the Champions League also enter this round, and another place is reserved for the title-holders. There are 80 teams total in this round. After the first round proper, the 40 survivors enter a group phase, with the clubs being drawn into eight groups of five each.

The UEFA Cup group phase is played in a single round-robin format, with each club playing two home and two away games. The top three teams in each group advance, where they are joined by the eight third-place teams in the Champions League group phase. From this point, knockout play resumes, with two-legged ties leading to the one-off final, which is held at a neutral ground meeting UEFA's criteria for a four star stadium.

The winners keep the trophy for a year, and after handing it back, they can keep a four fifths size replica permanently. The regulations also states that the original trophy is handed to any club that wins the UEFA Cup three times in a row, or five times overall, though this has not happened yet.

Years: 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972