1970–71 European Cup
The 1970–71 European Cup was the 16th season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Ajax, who beat Panathinaikos in the final at Wembley Stadium in London, on 2 June 1971. It was the first time the trophy went to Ajax, beginning a three-year period of domination, and the second consecutive championship for the Netherlands. It was also the first time that a Greek team reached the final.
Wembley Stadium in London hosted the final. | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 August 1970 – 2 June 1971 |
| Teams | 33 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Ajax (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Panathinaikos |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 63 |
| Goals scored | 210 (3.33 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,848,876 (29,347 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Antonis Antoniadis (Panathinaikos) 10 goals |
UEFA had introduced for the first time penalty shoot-out as a way of deciding drawn ties – doing away with the unsatisfactory tossing of a coin. They had also decided that the away goals rule should apply to all rounds, and not just the first two, as had been the case.
This season marked the first time in European Cup history that Real Madrid failed to qualify for the tournament, having appeared in all 15 previous seasons.
Feyenoord, the defending champions, were eliminated by Romanian club UTA Arad in the first round.