The 1980–81 UEFA Cup was won by Ipswich Town on aggregate over AZ. According to the 1979UEFA decision, Fairs Cup entry criteria were finally abolished, and UEFA ranking was introduced. Albania did not join, and it ceded its place to the West German title holders.
Zbrojovka Brno won 5–1 on aggregate. ---- Kaiserslautern 3–3 Anderlecht on aggregate. Kaiserslautern advanced on away goals rule. ---- Magdeburg won 5–3 on aggregate. ---- AZ Alkmaar won 10–0 on aggregate. ---- FC Vorwärts Frankfurt won 4–2 on aggregate. ---- Dynamo Dresden won 2–0 on aggregate. ---- Utrecht won 2–0 on aggregate. ---- FC Bohemians Praha won 4–3 on aggregate. ---- Dynamo Kyiv 1–1 Levski Sofia on aggregate. Levski Sofia advanced on away goals rule. ---- Eintracht Frankfurt won 3–1 on aggregate. ---- Sochaux won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Twente won 5–3 on aggregate. ---- Beroe Stara Zagora won 3–1 on aggregate. ---- Porto won 1–0 on aggregate. ---- Grasshopper won 8–3 on aggregate. ---- Hamburg won 7–5 on aggregate. ---- St Mirren won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Ipswich Town won 6–4 on aggregate. ---- Köln won 10–0 on aggregate. ---- Juventus won 6–4 on aggregate. ---- Lokeren won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Saint-Étienne won 14–0 on aggregate. ---- Radnički Niš won 6–2 on aggregate. ---- Widzew Łódź 1–1 Manchester United on aggregate. Widzew Łódź advanced on away goals rule. ---- PSV Eindhoven won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Torino won 4–3 on aggregate. ---- Dundee United won 7–2 on aggregate. ---- Barcelona won 3–0 on aggregate. ---- Standard Liège won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Real Sociedad won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Boavista won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Stuttgart won 10–1 on aggregate.
Real Sociedad won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Standard Liège won 4–2 on aggregate. ---- 1. FC Köln won 4–1 on aggregate. ---- Dundee United - Lokeren 1–1 on aggregate. Lokeren won on away goals ---- Eintracht Frankfurt won 4–3 on aggregate. ---- Sochaux won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- FC Twente - Dynamo Dresden 1–1 on aggregate. Dynamo Dresden won on away goals ---- Grasshoppers won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Ipswich Town won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Radnički Niš won 3–1 on aggregate. ---- AZ Alkmaar won 6–1 on aggregate. ---- Hamburg won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Saint-Étienne won 2–0 on aggregate. ---- Torino won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- Stuttgart won 7–2 on aggregate. ---- Juventus 4–4 Widzew Łódź on aggregate. Widzew Łódź won 4–1 on penalties.
Third round
First leg
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Second leg
Eintracht Frankfurt 4–4 Sochaux on aggregate. Sochaux won on away goals. ---- Torino 3–3 Grasshoppers on aggregate. Grasshoppers won 4–3 on penalties. ---- Saint-Étienne won 6–0 on aggregate. ---- Ipswich Town won 5–1 on aggregate. ---- Lokeren won 3–2 on aggregate. ---- AZ won 7–2 on aggregate. ---- Standard Liège won 5–2 on aggregate. ---- Köln won 5–4 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals
First leg
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Second leg
Ipswich Town won 7–2 on aggregate. ---- AZ '67 won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Sochaux won 2–1 on aggregate. ---- Köln won 3–2 on aggregate.
Semi-finals
First leg
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Second leg
AZ won 4–3 on aggregate. ---- Ipswich Town won 2–0 on aggregate.
