The format gave every participant a fresh story. Clubs qualified through one achievement rather than a full league campaign, and the field changed every season. Two-legged ties began immediately, meaning a heavyweight could face elimination before the autumn had properly started.
That structure produced genuine variety. Shamrock Rovers met Bayern Munich in 1966-67, with Bayern advancing 4-3 on aggregate after a late Gerd Müller goal. Merthyr Tydfil defeated Atalanta in the first leg of another memorable tie, while Bangor City faced Atlético Madrid.
The competition was never simply a refuge for smaller clubs. Barcelona won it four times, while Ajax, Arsenal, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Anderlecht and Manchester United also lifted the trophy.
Its winners often carried momentum beyond Europe. Manchester United’s 1991 triumph preceded the club’s dominant domestic era under Alex Ferguson. Sampdoria won in 1990, claimed Serie A the following year and reached the European Cup final in 1992. The final champion, Lazio, defeated Mallorca 2-1 at Villa Park, with Alessandro Nesta, Pavel Nedvěd, Christian Vieri and Roberto Mancini in the squad.
Modern UEFA competitions now use 36-club league phases in the Champions League and Europa League, adding matches while offering greater protection to established powers. The Conference League has expanded the map but has not replaced the Cup Winners’ Cup’s distinct identity.
A revival could restore that missing route: direct entry for national cup winners, home-and-away knockouts and no long league phase. The next question is whether UEFA can create space for it without adding another burden to an already crowded calendar. If that balance can be found, the Cup Winners’ Cup would bring back something modern European football increasingly lacks: uncertainty by design.