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Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Winners, 1971: Leeds United Beat Juventus
Leeds United won the 1971 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Juventus on away goals after a dramatic 3-3 aggregate final.
European glory in 1971
The 1971 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup victory was Leeds United's second triumph in the competition and one of the defining European achievements of the Don Revie era. Leeds faced Italian giants Juventus in a dramatic two-leg final and won on the away-goals rule after the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.
The route to the final
Leeds' European campaign took them through Sarpsborg, Dynamo Dresden, Sparta Prague and Vitória Setúbal before a semi-final against Liverpool. Leeds won the semi-final 1-0 on aggregate, with the decisive victory coming at Anfield. That set up a final against Juventus.
A chaotic final
The original first leg in Turin was abandoned after 51 minutes because of heavy rain and a waterlogged pitch. The rearranged match eventually finished 2-2 at the Stadio Comunale. The return at Elland Road ended 1-1, leaving the aggregate score at 3-3. Leeds therefore won on away goals.
The Revie team
The success belonged to the same extraordinary core that dominated English football: Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter, Paul Reaney, Paul Madeley, Eddie Gray and Peter Lorimer. Don Revie's tactical organisation and the squad's combination of technical ability, physical strength and defensive discipline made Leeds a formidable European opponent.
Why the 1971 Fairs Cup matters
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a major European competition of its era and Leeds had already won it in 1968. The 1971 victory reinforced Leeds United's status as a European force and provided another chapter in the club's greatest period of success.