The UEFA Intertoto Cup (UIC) was organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
1995 - 2009
For more information please contact EL Sports (ELS), the successor of European Football Pool (EFP).
About UIC
The origins of the UEFA Intertoto Cup (UIC) date back to 1961, when the first international summer tournament was played under the name International Football Cup (IFC).
The tournament filled the summer gap between football seasons, when the state pools companies had few attractive matches to include on their coupons. In 1995, the competition was taken over by UEFA and incorporated in its calendar as the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
The UEFA Intertoto Cup was used as a between-seasons competition for clubs ranked directly below those that qualify for the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.
It provided attractive fixtures for lotteries wishing to run an uninterrupted year-round sports betting programme for their players, with much of the lottery profits going to amateur and grassroots football.
The UEFA Intertoto Cup evolved over the years into one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the football calendar. It became a great opportunity for up-and-coming clubs to prepare for the domestic season, sample the electrifying atmosphere of European club football and even qualify for the UEFA Cup. At the same time, it was a chance for sports betting organizations across Europe to bridge domestic football's summer break with an attractive schedule of games for their players.
In the last years of the tournament, the competition was open to 49 clubs. The 11 victorious teams which qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup and subsequently went furthest in the competition each received a UEFA Intertoto Cup trophy. (All the UIC winners)
Much of the income generated by participating lotteries through this competition was channeled into amateur and grassroots football, making the UEFA Intertoto Cup a unique way to both enjoy and support the game.
The competition was discontinued after the 2008 tournament. Teams who originally would have entered the Intertoto Cup directly enter now in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Europa League. The pictures show EFP (now ELS) President Risto Nieminen and then UEFA General Secretary David Taylor conducting the very last UEFA Intertoto Cup draw in April 2008 (Nieminen, Nieminen and Taylor 1, Nieminen and Taylor 2).
Read more about State gaming companies supporting the UEFA Intertoto Cup (English | French | German).
Regulations
Official rules and regulations of the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008 (English | French | German).
Press releases
Articles and press releases on the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the European Football Pool.
Archives
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2007
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2006
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2005
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2004
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2003
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2002
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2001
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2000
UEFA Intertoto Cup 1999
