Historical seeding for UEFA European club competition draws

[Sagy]

Thanks interesting. I thought there was no seeding, because in 1988-1989 PSV and Porto, the last two winners played against each other. But it wasn't the first round I see now. PSV could skip the first round as winner of the last edition, so the first match they played was against Porto in second round.

A better example could be Nottingham Forest playing Liverpool in the 1978–79 first round.

[sowtong]

It was possibly only for the 1967/68 season. In other seasons it was determined by how far national sides had progressed in the World Cup or Euro's.

[sowtong]

I have discovered from the Guardian newspaper archive from 8th July 1971 the seeding criteria for the first round draws for the European Champions Cup, European Cup Winners Cup and the new UEFA Cup. Clubs who reached the semi-finals of the champion's and cup winners' cups in the past ten years were seeded in the draws. Additionally all clubs from countries whose teams reached the finals of the last European Championship (Italy, Yugoslavia, England and the Soviet Union) and clubs from Italy(Again?) and West Germany who reached the last four of the World Cup finals were also seeded.

[Papen83]

I have discovered from the Guardian newspaper archive from 8th July 1971 the seeding criteria for the first round draws for the European Champions Cup, European Cup Winners Cup and the new UEFA Cup. Clubs who reached the semi-finals of the champion's and cup winners' cups in the past ten years were seeded in the draws. Additionally all clubs from countries whose teams reached the finals of the last European Championship (Italy, Yugoslavia, England and the Soviet Union) and clubs from Italy(Again?) and West Germany who reached the last four of the World Cup finals were also seeded.

Thank you very much for this. Still, it looks a bit strange, as these seeding criteria must have been in place only for the first round. As we have Benfica and CSKA Sofia against each other already in the second round and both teams had at least a semi-final in the European Cup during the past 5 years.
We also have the German against the Italian champion in the second round. So I guess we can assume that, at least for the 1971/72 edition, there was a fully open draw after the 1st round.

[sowtong]

Yes. Only the first round draws were seeded as with some competitions there would be more seeds then matches after the first round.

[fabiomh]

Yes, they were applied only at the first Round.
For example Milan played Real Madrid in the second Round in 1989-90 (in the 1988-89 they met in Semifinals).