Status cancelled Frequency annual Inaugurated 1969 (1969) | Genre sporting event Country UK, Italy Most recent 1976 (1976) | |
The Anglo-Italian League Cup (Italian: Coppa di Lega Italo-Inglese, also known as the Anglo-Italian League Cup Winners' Cup) was a short-lived football competition between teams from England and Italy – an English cup-winning team (League Cup or FA Cup) and the Coppa Italia winner, playing each other over two legs. It was contested between 1969–71 and 1975–76.
Contents
The competition was set up at the same time as the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1969.
History
The Football League Cup was changed in 1967 so the winner would be awarded a place in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. But UEFA did not allow third-tier teams to compete in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup at that time. When Queens Park Rangers won the 1967 League Cup final they were in the Third Division, as were Swindon Town when they won the 1969 League Cup.
The Anglo-Italian League Cup was organised as a way of compensating Swindon for the ruling that prevented them competing in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. A two-legged match was organised with that year's Coppa Italia champions A.S. Roma. The first-leg was held at the Stadio Olimpico, with Roma winning 2–1, but that deficeit was overturned in the return leg at the County Ground, Swindon where Swindon won 4–0 making them champions with a 5–2 aggregate.
In 1970, Coppa Italia winners Bologna defeated League Cup winners Manchester City with a 3–2 win on aggregate. The 1971 competition was the last for a few years and League Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur defeated Coppa Italia winners Torino 3–0 on aggregate.
It was briefly reinstated in 1975 (winners Fiorentina), this time between the FA Cup and Coppa Italia winners, but only lasted two seasons before being finally scrapped in 1976 (winners Napoli).