English teams back in competition

In many quarters across Europe, English clubs were derided following the Heysel Stadium disaster, in Belgium, in 1985.

After five years, UEFA lifted the ban and allowed one club to represent England in all three competitions on the continent.

Liverpool were the league champions that year but UEFA chose runners-up Aston Villa to compete in the UEFA Cup.

Season 1990-91

First round: Aston Villa-Banik Ostrava (Czechoslovakia) 3-1, 2-1 (5-2). Hafnarfjardar (Iceland)-Dundee United 1-3, 2-2 (3-5). Dnepr (USSR)-Hearts 1-1, 1-3.

Second round: Aston Villa-Inter 2-0, 0-3 (2-3). Hearts-Bologna 3-1, 0-3 (3-4). Vitesse Arnhem-Dundee United 1-0, 4-0 (5-0).

The trio of British clubs were all sent packing, two of them at the hands of Italian clubs.

Season 1991-92

In 1991, Graeme Souness’s Liverpool finished runners-up in the English league. They were given the all-clear to compete in Europe as England’s sole representatives in the UEFA Cup along with two other Scottish teams.

First round: Liverpool-FC Kuusysi Lahti (Finland) 6-1, 0-1 (6-2). Celtic-Germinal Ekeren (Belgium) 2-0, 1-1 (3-1). Aberdeen-B1903 Copenhagen (Denmark) 0-1, 0-2 (0-3).

Second round: AJ Auxerre-Liverpool 2-0, 0-3 (2-3). Neuchatel Xamax-Celtic 5-1, 0-1 (5-2).

Third round: Tirol Innsbruck (Austria)-Liverpool 0-2, 0-4 (0-6).

Quarter-final: Genoa-Liverpool 2-0, 2-1 (4-1).

Season 1992-93

For season 1992-93, the European governing body of football decided to increase the number of English entries into the UEFA Cup to three teams.

First round: Hibernian-Anderlecht 2-2, 1-1 (3-3). Sheffield Wednesday-Spora Luxembourg 8-1, 2-1 (10-2). Manchester United-Torpedo Moscow 0-0, 0-0 (0-0, 3-4 penalties). Cologne-Celtic 2-0, 0-3 (2-3). Slavia Prague-Hearts 1-0, 2-4 (3-4).

While Hibernian bowed out on the away goals rule, Man. United were beaten on penalties while Sheffield Wednesday went into double figures in their romp over modest Spora.

Second round: FC Kaiserslautern-Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, 2-2 (5-3). Borussia Dortmund-Celtic 1-0, 2-1 (3-1). Hearts-Standard Liege 0-1, 0-1 (0-2).

Season 1993-94

First round: Young Boys-Celtic 0-0, 0-1 (0-1). Norwich-Vitesse Arnhem 3-0, 0-0 (3-0). Hearts-Atletico Madrid 2-1, 0-3 (2-4). Brondby IF (Denmark)-Dundee United 2-0, 1-3 (3-3 aet). Slovan Bratislava-Aston Villa 0-0, 1-2 (1-2).

Second round: Bayern Munich-Norwich City 1-2, 1-1 (2-3). Celtic-Sporting Lisbon 1-0, 0-2 (1-2). Deportivo La Coruna-Aston Villa 1-1, 1-0 (2-1).

Third round: Norwich-Inter 0-1, 0-1 (0-2).

Season 1994-95

With the introduction of a preliminary round and the champions from minnow countries also admitted to the UEFA Cup, 36 teams earned a bye to the first round.

Preliminary round: Motherwell-HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands) 3-0, 4-1 (7-1). Skonto Riga-Aberdeen 0-0, 1-1 (1-1).

First round: Royal Antwerp-Newcastle 0-5, 2-5 (2-10). Blackburn-Trelleborgs (Sweden) 0-1, 2-2 (2-3). Borussia Dortmund-Motherwell 1-0, 2-0 (3-0). Inter-Aston Villa 1-0, 0-1 (1-1, 3-4 penalties).

Second round: Newcastle-Athletic Bilbao 3-2, 0-1 (3-3). Trabzonspor-Aston Villa 1-0, 1-2 (2-2).