History
Wednesday 13 July 2005
e-mail
Print
Digg
Save
FC Porto were the last European/South American Cup winners (©Getty Images )
The European/South American Cup was not actually created so that the champions of Europe and South America could play each other. Rather, the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the European Champion Clubs' Cup, was established so that South America could have a champion to take on Europe's winners, with Uruguay proposing the idea.
Modest start
The beginnings, as in most competitions, were modest, but the new idea showed promise in the very first intercontinental match between Peñarol, the Uruguayan champions from Montevideo, and Real Madrid CF, who at that time were the undisputed kings of European club football. That opening edition in 1960 featured Alfredo di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás as Real romped to a 5-1 win in Madrid after the first leg had finished goalless. At that stage the competition was played over two legs home and away, but since 1981 the competition has been played as one match in Tokyo, Japan.
Star-studded
The competition has always been graced by great players, with Eusébio representing SL Benfica and Pelé of Santos facing off in the 1962 decider. Pelé scored twice as Santos won the first leg 3-2 and he hit a hat-trick as the Brazilians prevailed 5-2 in the return leg in Lisbon. After that promising start, the competition became dogged by foul play in the late 1960s. Indeed, by the 1970s some European teams were unwilling to take part. AFC Ajax started the trend in 1971 and 1973, with FC Bayern München (1974) and Liverpool (1977) following suit, while the 1975 competition did not take place at all.
New format and venue
The decision to play the match in Tokyo on a one-off basis from 1981 on breathed new life into the competition, with Nacional of Uruguay winning the first such encounter in 1981, when they overcame Nottingham Forest FC. The first European winners in Tokyo were Juventus FC, who defeated Argentinos Juniors on penalties in 1985. Club Atlético Boca Juniors ended a run of five successive wins by European teams in 1999/2000 to make it eleven titles to ten for South America since the move to Tokyo.
Porto triumph
FC Bayern München, winners in 1977, levelled the scores when they beat Boca 1-0 in the 2001 edition thanks to Samuel Kuffour's extra-time winner, and Madrid gave Europe the lead before Boca's 2003 penalties victory against Milan. The last European/South American Cup final took place on 12 December 2004 with FC Porto defeating CD Once Caldas after a penalty shootout marathon which came after a goalless draw. Europe may have triumphed in the final few editions and enjoyed the better of the competition since it moved to Japan, but South America still finished 22-21 ahead in the final tally.
©uefa.com 1998-2009. All rights reserved.
