uefa's founding idea makes it

a crowd of almost 130,000 were in attendance on this wednesday evening, may 18. 1960 was the year, and the event was the fifth european cup final. a tournament born in basel, switzerland, where uefa was born in june of 1954. the idea was simple: let's invite all national european champions to a season-long knock-out tournament to find out, year after year, which is the best side in europe. the best champion. uefa thought this could be interesting!
this evening in glasgow, scotland, proved them right. a huge crowd had turned up to see the european champions real madrid defend their title once again - this time against german champions eintracht frankfurt. actually, real madrid had been dominating the european cup and had won each and every event. with stars like the hungarian puskas and the argentinian, now naturalized spaniard alfredo di stefano, people wanted to see the action - even as far away as in scotland, a football-loving country.
they did see a great match - which ended with ten goals, seven by real madrid, divided up neatly between the two mega-stars of the time. and thus ended the first five-year period which saw utter spanish dominance in europe, with fc barcelona sweeping the two inter-city fairs cup events, a tournament which would take more than a decade to change its name to the more familiar uefa cup. the cup winner's cup wasn't even born yet, at this time.
this evening in glasgow, scotland, proved them right. a huge crowd had turned up to see the european champions real madrid defend their title once again - this time against german champions eintracht frankfurt. actually, real madrid had been dominating the european cup and had won each and every event. with stars like the hungarian puskas and the argentinian, now naturalized spaniard alfredo di stefano, people wanted to see the action - even as far away as in scotland, a football-loving country.
they did see a great match - which ended with ten goals, seven by real madrid, divided up neatly between the two mega-stars of the time. and thus ended the first five-year period which saw utter spanish dominance in europe, with fc barcelona sweeping the two inter-city fairs cup events, a tournament which would take more than a decade to change its name to the more familiar uefa cup. the cup winner's cup wasn't even born yet, at this time.
the rankings we are about to see represent this era in the best way i found possible.
current continental club rankings (1955-60): who can guess the best english team?

this weighted ranking gives an accurate picture of the football world in june of 1960. it only considers achievements in seven competitions: the five european cups and the two inter-city fairs cups. this ranking will always be a top 30 countdown with some commentary after each ten clubs.
29. b 1909 (den), inter bratislava (czs) & fenerbahce istanbul (tur) 16,0
28. vasas budapest (hun) 16,2
27. dukla prague (czs) 16,2
26. lausanne sports (swi) 17,3
25. chelsea fc (eng) 17,4
23. fc schalke 04 (ger) & standard liege (bel) 17,7
22. internazionale (ita) 18,0
21. union st-gilloise (bel) 20,9
29. b 1909 (den), inter bratislava (czs) & fenerbahce istanbul (tur) 16,0
28. vasas budapest (hun) 16,2
27. dukla prague (czs) 16,2
26. lausanne sports (swi) 17,3
25. chelsea fc (eng) 17,4
23. fc schalke 04 (ger) & standard liege (bel) 17,7
22. internazionale (ita) 18,0
21. union st-gilloise (bel) 20,9

some interesting teams appear in this first third of the ranking. schalke, inter and chelsea might be the best known today, followed by fener and standard liege. maybe the biggest surprise on the list would be the belgian side union, who had reached the semis in the inter-city fairs cup. they eliminated as roma in the quarters, and rose the belgian profile in europe in the process.
20. jeunesse esch (lux) 21,2
19. dinamo zagreb (yug) 23,2
18. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 23,8
17. ifk göteborg (swe) 26,1
16. manchester united (eng) 26,3
15. atletico madrid (spa) 26,8
14. sparta rotterdam (ned) 27,9
13. cska sofia (bul) 28,1
12. ogc nice (fra) 34,6
11. birmingham city (eng) 36,5
20. jeunesse esch (lux) 21,2
19. dinamo zagreb (yug) 23,2
18. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 23,8
17. ifk göteborg (swe) 26,1
16. manchester united (eng) 26,3
15. atletico madrid (spa) 26,8
14. sparta rotterdam (ned) 27,9
13. cska sofia (bul) 28,1
12. ogc nice (fra) 34,6
11. birmingham city (eng) 36,5

football was quite unpredictable back then, and to have a club from luxembourg in the top 20 is something special indeed. september 9, 1959 will always be a historical day for the city of esch, when one of their two clubs thrashed polish champions lodz 5-0 and advanced to the last 16 in the european cup. wismut karl-marx-stadt, the name of the former east german club at the time (now its aue!), even reached the quarterfinals in 1959 after eliminating the romanian and the swedish champions, göteborg (right in front of them in the countdown). only man united and atletico madrid are considered top european sides today; but in the fifties, sparta rotterdam was carrying the dutch flag, and ogc nice was france's second most successful club, internationally. and there was birmingham city, in front of manu and chelsea. good ol' days...
10. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 38,0
9. ac milan (ita) 44,6
8. wiener sc (aut) 45,6
7. red star belgrade (yug) 45,8
6. stade de reims (fra) 46,1
5. young boys bern (swi) 48,9
4. glasgow rangers (sco) 52,1
3. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 63,5
2. fc barcelona (spa) 95,3
1. real madrid (spa) 190,9
real and barca up front, that looks somewhat familiar. and that frankfurt and most notably the rangers have some glory in the past is a known fact to football lovers. what is really interesting in this first top ten list is the presence of the young boys from the swiss capital (land of uefa) and the wiener ac representing austria in the top ten (where are rapid and austria vienna?). and it is also nice to see wolverhampton leading the english brigade, right in front of birmingham.
we will soon see if this continental picture reflects the national one in any way. first, though, the country ranking resulting from this data.
10. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 38,0
9. ac milan (ita) 44,6
8. wiener sc (aut) 45,6
7. red star belgrade (yug) 45,8
6. stade de reims (fra) 46,1
5. young boys bern (swi) 48,9
4. glasgow rangers (sco) 52,1
3. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 63,5
2. fc barcelona (spa) 95,3
1. real madrid (spa) 190,9
real and barca up front, that looks somewhat familiar. and that frankfurt and most notably the rangers have some glory in the past is a known fact to football lovers. what is really interesting in this first top ten list is the presence of the young boys from the swiss capital (land of uefa) and the wiener ac representing austria in the top ten (where are rapid and austria vienna?). and it is also nice to see wolverhampton leading the english brigade, right in front of birmingham.
we will soon see if this continental picture reflects the national one in any way. first, though, the country ranking resulting from this data.
current league rankings (1955-60): spain dominates europe, england on the rise
spanish domination is the most obvious outcome of the seven competitions held up to the summer of 1960, all won by two spanish clubs. miles behind, one could describe six other leagues as top. see them and others here in our top 20 european leagues.
20. portugal 25,8
19. luxembourg 26,3
18. turkey 28,4
17. bulgaria 28,5
16. czechoslovakia 36,4
15. sweden 40,2
14. denmark 44,6
13. east germany 45,8
12. netherlands 50,0
11. hungary 51,9
watch portugal rise in the following seasons - seemingly out of no-where, even behind luxembourg! the turks had only just organized their league, while netherlands had not reached their future prominent status.
20. portugal 25,8
19. luxembourg 26,3
18. turkey 28,4
17. bulgaria 28,5
16. czechoslovakia 36,4
15. sweden 40,2
14. denmark 44,6
13. east germany 45,8
12. netherlands 50,0
11. hungary 51,9
watch portugal rise in the following seasons - seemingly out of no-where, even behind luxembourg! the turks had only just organized their league, while netherlands had not reached their future prominent status.

10. austria 56,9
9. belgium 57,6
8. scotland 63,2
7. yugoslavia 84,9
6. switzerland 89,1
5. france 94,6
4. italy 96,7
3. germany 119,6
2. england 126,6
1. spain 333,4
right behind premier league and bundesliga, serie a was lurking to move ahead, and the french were already starting to lose some momentum. switzerland and yugoslavia were close enough on points to be considered top leagues at the time, with the scots chasing that status.
9. belgium 57,6
8. scotland 63,2
7. yugoslavia 84,9
6. switzerland 89,1
5. france 94,6
4. italy 96,7
3. germany 119,6
2. england 126,6
1. spain 333,4
right behind premier league and bundesliga, serie a was lurking to move ahead, and the french were already starting to lose some momentum. switzerland and yugoslavia were close enough on points to be considered top leagues at the time, with the scots chasing that status.
current national club rankings (1955-60): barcelona beats real

this next ranking takes into account national glories, mostly championships, but also cup results (only wins and finalists). based on the ranking above, it is clear that success in spain will be worth more than success in any other league - and by some margin! still it is interesting to look at what clubs were doing domestically, and if european cup competitions were as distracting then as they sometimes are today.
30. ujpesti dosza (hun) 12,9
29. rsc anderlecht (bel) 12,9
28. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 13,8
27. tottenham hotspur (eng) 14,0
26. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 14,5
25. as monaco (fra) 15,5
24. nimes olympique (fra) 15,6
23. weiner sc (aut) 15,9
22. 1.fc köln (ger) 16,4
21. manchester united (eng) 16,7
30. ujpesti dosza (hun) 12,9
29. rsc anderlecht (bel) 12,9
28. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 13,8
27. tottenham hotspur (eng) 14,0
26. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 14,5
25. as monaco (fra) 15,5
24. nimes olympique (fra) 15,6
23. weiner sc (aut) 15,9
22. 1.fc köln (ger) 16,4
21. manchester united (eng) 16,7

some interesting clubs appear seemingly out of no-where. i'd like to mention tottenham, who had finished near the top in three of the past four seasons; nîmes olympique, doing really well in the last three french seasons; and 1.fc köln, never appearing in europe but leaving its mark in the german competitions.
20. karlsruher sc (ger) 18,7
19. dinamo zagreb (yug) 18,7
18. partizan belgrade (yug) 18,8
17. burnley (eng) 21,3
16. heart of midlothian (sco) 22,0
15. glasgow rangers (sco) 22,3
14. ac milan (ita) 22,6
13. ac fiorentina (ita) 22,7
12. rapid wien (aut) 22,9
11. stade de reims (fra) 31,8
ksc from south germany is worth mentioning as the second best club in german national competitions at the time. burnley had just won the premiership and thus represented england in the top 20, and rangers where battling hearts and not celtics for the reign over scotland. stade de reims, two-time finalist in the european cup, had also some domestic success to show for it.
20. karlsruher sc (ger) 18,7
19. dinamo zagreb (yug) 18,7
18. partizan belgrade (yug) 18,8
17. burnley (eng) 21,3
16. heart of midlothian (sco) 22,0
15. glasgow rangers (sco) 22,3
14. ac milan (ita) 22,6
13. ac fiorentina (ita) 22,7
12. rapid wien (aut) 22,9
11. stade de reims (fra) 31,8
ksc from south germany is worth mentioning as the second best club in german national competitions at the time. burnley had just won the premiership and thus represented england in the top 20, and rangers where battling hearts and not celtics for the reign over scotland. stade de reims, two-time finalist in the european cup, had also some domestic success to show for it.

10. sevilla fc (spa) 31,9
9. atletico madrid (spa) 35,2
8. hamburger sv (ger) 36,0
7. red star belgrade (yug) 36,5
6. young boys bern (swi) 39,5
5. juventus turin (ita) 40,2
4. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 41,4
3. athletic bilbao (spa) 66,4
2. real madrid (spa) 102,6
1. fc barcelona (spa) 140,9
this is incredibly interesting: sevilla, fifth best in spain, is successful enough to make the top 10 in this ranking. hsv is the best german club of the time, and finally won the german championship in 1960 to make the top 10 in this list; the young boys confirmed their european success by winning the last four league titles, including one double. juve were not present in europe, but dominating matters at home, winning three trophies in the last three seasons. wolverhampton were doing exactly the same in england and were clearly the team of the moment on the island. and athletic bilbao had a stunning record, winning cup and championship in 1956 and then backing that up in the other four strong seasons. but most of all, there is the old rivalry between barcelona and real madrid. in these first five years of european competition, real had won 7 titles - 5 european ones, two league titles and no copa del rey. barcelona had six titles, but four of them domestically. actually, they had won three in the last two seasons, dominating the league in 1959 and 1960. interesting stuff, seeing that real madrid seemed quite unbeatable at the time, they were really struggling to control barcelona domestically.
9. atletico madrid (spa) 35,2
8. hamburger sv (ger) 36,0
7. red star belgrade (yug) 36,5
6. young boys bern (swi) 39,5
5. juventus turin (ita) 40,2
4. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 41,4
3. athletic bilbao (spa) 66,4
2. real madrid (spa) 102,6
1. fc barcelona (spa) 140,9
this is incredibly interesting: sevilla, fifth best in spain, is successful enough to make the top 10 in this ranking. hsv is the best german club of the time, and finally won the german championship in 1960 to make the top 10 in this list; the young boys confirmed their european success by winning the last four league titles, including one double. juve were not present in europe, but dominating matters at home, winning three trophies in the last three seasons. wolverhampton were doing exactly the same in england and were clearly the team of the moment on the island. and athletic bilbao had a stunning record, winning cup and championship in 1956 and then backing that up in the other four strong seasons. but most of all, there is the old rivalry between barcelona and real madrid. in these first five years of european competition, real had won 7 titles - 5 european ones, two league titles and no copa del rey. barcelona had six titles, but four of them domestically. actually, they had won three in the last two seasons, dominating the league in 1959 and 1960. interesting stuff, seeing that real madrid seemed quite unbeatable at the time, they were really struggling to control barcelona domestically.
official current club ranking (1955-60): young boys lookin' good...

this official ranking now includes domestic and continental achievements and is therefore the ultimate european football ranking for clubs. in a few months, we shall reach today's state of events, but it is nice to look back into history and see how the powers used to be divided. so these are the best 30 clubs in europe as of june 1960:
30. b 1909 (den) 25,9
29. fc schalke 04 (ger) 27,0
28. heart of midlothian (sco) 27,2
27. jeunesse esch (lux) 31,4
26. partizan belgrade (yug) 31,6
25. rapid wien (aut) 33,5
24. ifk göteborg (swe) 33,8
23. sparta rotterdam (ned) 35,2
22. hamburger sv (ger) 36,0
21. ac fiorentina (ita) 37,0
the three main surprises on this list are: the danish side b 1909, danish champs 1960 and reaching the last 16 in the european cup; jeunesse esch, three-time champs in luxembourg, also advancing in europe in the 1959/60 season; and sparta rotterdam, who reached the quarterfinal in the european cup, a first for a dutch club.
30. b 1909 (den) 25,9
29. fc schalke 04 (ger) 27,0
28. heart of midlothian (sco) 27,2
27. jeunesse esch (lux) 31,4
26. partizan belgrade (yug) 31,6
25. rapid wien (aut) 33,5
24. ifk göteborg (swe) 33,8
23. sparta rotterdam (ned) 35,2
22. hamburger sv (ger) 36,0
21. ac fiorentina (ita) 37,0
the three main surprises on this list are: the danish side b 1909, danish champs 1960 and reaching the last 16 in the european cup; jeunesse esch, three-time champs in luxembourg, also advancing in europe in the 1959/60 season; and sparta rotterdam, who reached the quarterfinal in the european cup, a first for a dutch club.

20. birmingham city (eng) 37,1
19. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 38,3
18. cska sofia (bul) 41,0
17. dinamo zagreb (yug) 42,0
16. sevilla fc (spa) 42,6
15. manchester united (eng) 42,9
14. juventus turin (ita) 45,4
13. ogc nice (fra) 47,1
12. wiener sc (aut) 61,5
11. atletico madrid (spa) 62,0
spanish teams with strong home records appear in the top 20; and so does the second best french club in the ranking! wismut karl-marx-stadt is the first east german team to make the top 20, while big names are relatively rare: manchester united in 15th and juve in 14th. one has to mention the tragedy that the bubsy boys lived through in 1958, where most of the team died in the munich aircraft disaster. until then, man united had been a top ten club in europe.
19. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 38,3
18. cska sofia (bul) 41,0
17. dinamo zagreb (yug) 42,0
16. sevilla fc (spa) 42,6
15. manchester united (eng) 42,9
14. juventus turin (ita) 45,4
13. ogc nice (fra) 47,1
12. wiener sc (aut) 61,5
11. atletico madrid (spa) 62,0
spanish teams with strong home records appear in the top 20; and so does the second best french club in the ranking! wismut karl-marx-stadt is the first east german team to make the top 20, while big names are relatively rare: manchester united in 15th and juve in 14th. one has to mention the tragedy that the bubsy boys lived through in 1958, where most of the team died in the munich aircraft disaster. until then, man united had been a top ten club in europe.

10. ac milan (ita) 67,2
9. athletic blibao (spa) 73,1
8. glasgow rangers (sco) 74,4
7. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 77,3
6. stade de reims (fra) 77,8
5. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 79,4
4. red star belgrade (yug) 82,3
3. young boys bern (swi) 88,4
2. fc barcelona (spa) 236,3
1. real madrid (spa) 297,6
young boys bern right behind the two spanish monstors. ok, not "right" behind, but the third best club in europe in 1960 was a swiss club! red star, the best of the east, earned their spot with a stunning 6 titles in 5 seasons, 4 of them as yugoslavian champions. they had some success in europe, too. wand the wanderers took over from man united after their tragedy in 1958, leading the english clubs.
9. athletic blibao (spa) 73,1
8. glasgow rangers (sco) 74,4
7. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 77,3
6. stade de reims (fra) 77,8
5. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 79,4
4. red star belgrade (yug) 82,3
3. young boys bern (swi) 88,4
2. fc barcelona (spa) 236,3
1. real madrid (spa) 297,6
young boys bern right behind the two spanish monstors. ok, not "right" behind, but the third best club in europe in 1960 was a swiss club! red star, the best of the east, earned their spot with a stunning 6 titles in 5 seasons, 4 of them as yugoslavian champions. they had some success in europe, too. wand the wanderers took over from man united after their tragedy in 1958, leading the english clubs.
official all-time club ranking (up to 1960): bilbao joins the two giants on top

this ranking is just simple arithmetic. all the points each club has conquered over the years, just added up with no weights. it is the history of the clubs, in this case a young, 5-year history. up to 1960, 265 clubs had made at least one point, either by participating in international matches or by doing well domestically at least once. lets have a look at the top 30 in this category, which will become increasingly interesting as the years pass by.
30. birmingham city (eng) 128
29. fc schalke 04 (ger) 139
28. vasas budapest (hun) 140
27. rsc anderlecht (bel) 142
26. dinamo zagreb (yug) 145
25. agf aarhus (den) 148
24. juventus turin (ita) 155
23. hamburger sv (ger) 155
22. grashoppers zürich (swi) 161
21. partizan belgrade (yug) 171
vasas budapest appears here (and not in other rankings) because their successes lie in the first few years and are faded out due to the weighting in the current rankings. this is also why juve and hamburg are relatively low, since their successes came in the last few seasons. grasshoppers started out with a double in 1956 and a strong showing in the european cup the following season, so they deserve their appearance in this relevant category.
30. birmingham city (eng) 128
29. fc schalke 04 (ger) 139
28. vasas budapest (hun) 140
27. rsc anderlecht (bel) 142
26. dinamo zagreb (yug) 145
25. agf aarhus (den) 148
24. juventus turin (ita) 155
23. hamburger sv (ger) 155
22. grashoppers zürich (swi) 161
21. partizan belgrade (yug) 171
vasas budapest appears here (and not in other rankings) because their successes lie in the first few years and are faded out due to the weighting in the current rankings. this is also why juve and hamburg are relatively low, since their successes came in the last few seasons. grasshoppers started out with a double in 1956 and a strong showing in the european cup the following season, so they deserve their appearance in this relevant category.

20. erzgebirge aue (gdr) 175
19. wiener sc (aut) 200
18. borussia dortmund (ger) 205
17. cska sofia (bul) 208
16. ogc nice (fra) 210
15. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 222
14. rapid wien (aut) 229
13. sevilla fc (spa) 233
12. atletico madrid (spa) 245
11. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 261
the second best german club in history, until then, was bvb. actually, they started very strongly, with two german titles in 1956 and 1957, also being the first german team to advance in the european cup. rapid wien is number one in austria, ahead of wiener sc in this list. atletico and sevilla fail to make the top 10 despite being spanish sides, while wolverhampton is only second best english team in history.
19. wiener sc (aut) 200
18. borussia dortmund (ger) 205
17. cska sofia (bul) 208
16. ogc nice (fra) 210
15. eintracht frankfurt (ger) 222
14. rapid wien (aut) 229
13. sevilla fc (spa) 233
12. atletico madrid (spa) 245
11. wolverhampton wanderers (eng) 261
the second best german club in history, until then, was bvb. actually, they started very strongly, with two german titles in 1956 and 1957, also being the first german team to advance in the european cup. rapid wien is number one in austria, ahead of wiener sc in this list. atletico and sevilla fail to make the top 10 despite being spanish sides, while wolverhampton is only second best english team in history.

10. ac fiorentina (ita) 263
9. glasgow rangers (sco) 293
8. manchester united (eng) 346
7. young boys bern (swi) 360
6. ac milan (ita) 389
5. red star belgrade (yug) 402
4. stade de reims (fra) 410
3. athletic bilbao (spa) 490
2. fc barcelona (spa) 889
1. real madrid (spa) 1491
led by the spanish armada, the ranking has stade de reims as the rightful fourth place; after all, the french club made it to two european cup finals, including the very first one. ac milan and fiorentina should be mentioned here too, as the best italian sides. milan reached the semis in the inaugural european cup, and lost the 1958 final to real madrid. they managed two serie a titles in those first five years. fiorentina lost out to real madrid in the 1957 final after winning the serie a in 1956.
a note about the manchester united team, strong in england and europe. on the way to what could be their first european title, the reds led by bobby charlton brought a 3-3 home from a hot match in belgrade, after leading red star 3-0 at half time. red star equalised as soon as 13 minutes into the second half, but the busby boys stood strong to secure the tie, seeing them through to the semifinals of the european cup. on the way home, a stop to refuel in munich went awfully wrong and most players lost their life. coach and leading scorer bobby charlton survived. but they were still recovering when united played milan at home, heroically winning 2-1 with only four players who had started the night before the disaster.
9. glasgow rangers (sco) 293
8. manchester united (eng) 346
7. young boys bern (swi) 360
6. ac milan (ita) 389
5. red star belgrade (yug) 402
4. stade de reims (fra) 410
3. athletic bilbao (spa) 490
2. fc barcelona (spa) 889
1. real madrid (spa) 1491
led by the spanish armada, the ranking has stade de reims as the rightful fourth place; after all, the french club made it to two european cup finals, including the very first one. ac milan and fiorentina should be mentioned here too, as the best italian sides. milan reached the semis in the inaugural european cup, and lost the 1958 final to real madrid. they managed two serie a titles in those first five years. fiorentina lost out to real madrid in the 1957 final after winning the serie a in 1956.
a note about the manchester united team, strong in england and europe. on the way to what could be their first european title, the reds led by bobby charlton brought a 3-3 home from a hot match in belgrade, after leading red star 3-0 at half time. red star equalised as soon as 13 minutes into the second half, but the busby boys stood strong to secure the tie, seeing them through to the semifinals of the european cup. on the way home, a stop to refuel in munich went awfully wrong and most players lost their life. coach and leading scorer bobby charlton survived. but they were still recovering when united played milan at home, heroically winning 2-1 with only four players who had started the night before the disaster.
all-time nation ranking (up to 1960): italy and england battle it out for second
once again just adding up all the (continental) points, this is the picture we get in the nations ranking:
10. austria 256
9. hungary 284
8. scotland 294
7. yugoslavia 399
6. switzerland 401
5. france 458
4. germany 460
3. england 532
2. italy 533
1. spain 1475
italy is in a close fight with england, germany with france, and the swiss with the yugos. it will be interesting to see how this one develops in the 60s.
10. austria 256
9. hungary 284
8. scotland 294
7. yugoslavia 399
6. switzerland 401
5. france 458
4. germany 460
3. england 532
2. italy 533
1. spain 1475
italy is in a close fight with england, germany with france, and the swiss with the yugos. it will be interesting to see how this one develops in the 60s.