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UEFA Cup Qualification – 2004/05 Format confirmed

Last updated : 08 March 2004 By Vanderhogg

UEFA Cup format
New and improved?
There has been much press regarding the changes in format to the UEFA Cup for next year with it moving to the group format – this has been confirmed.

It was also anticipated that the Champions League qualifying failures and the 3rd placed sides in the Champions League tables would not have the parachute landing of a UEFA Cup spot – this has proven false.

What has resulted will no doubt suppress the desire (from some) for European League football for a couple of years anyway.

The format is pretty much the same as the Champions League for season 2004/05 and each round is outlined as follows:

UEFA CUP 1st Qualifying Round Jul-Aug involving 56 teams (this will not include any sides from Scotland)

Teams included:
25 Cup Winners from countries ranked 25-49
25 second-placed teams from countries ranked 25-49
3 "winners" of the Fair Play competition
1 Cup Winner of Liechtenstein
2 champions of Andorra and San Marino

UEFA CUP 2nd Qualifying Round August involving 64 teams (the 3rd placed side in Scotland will possibly be involved in this if Scotland slips from 8th place):
Teams included:
28 winners from 1st qualifying round
14 Cup Winners from countries ranked 11-24
9 second-placed teams from countries ranked 16-24
13 third-placed teams from countries ranked 9-21

UEFA CUP Round 1 September involving 80 teams:

Teams included:
32 winners from the qualifying round
10 Cup Winners from countries ranked 1-10
2 third-placed teams from countries ranked 7-8
5 fourth-placed teams from countries ranked 4-8
8 fifth-placed teams from countries ranked 1-8
3 sixth-placed teams from countries ranked 1-3
16 teams eliminated from the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League
3 Intertoto teams
1 defending cup holder

UEFA CUP Group stage Oct-Dec involving 8 groups of 5 teams each:

Teams included:
40 winners of the first round (top three in each group progress)

UEFA CUP Round 3 February involving 32 teams:

Teams included:
24 first-placed, second-placed, and third-placed teams from the group stage
8 third-placed teams from the group stage of the Champions League

UEFA CUP Round 4 March involving 16 teams:
Teams included:
16 winners of the third round

UEFA CUP Quarter Final April involving 8 teams:
Teams included:
8 winners of the fourth round

UEFA CUP Semi Final April-May involving 4 teams:
Teams included:
4 winners of the quarter finals

UEFA CUP Final May involving 2 teams:
Teams included:
2 winners of the semi finals