S.L. Benfica in European football Benfica fell in the second round against Scottish team and eventual finalists Celtic in a coin toss decision. After a mildly successful period in the 1960s, where they stood among the top contenders, Southern European teams started to lose influence in the European stage during the 1970s, as Dutch and German teams appeared stronger. In the 1971–72 European Cup, Benfica lost in the semi-finals to a Johan Cruyff-led Ajax on their way to a second consecutive win. Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup, before being eliminated by another Dutch team, PSV Eindhoven. Over the course
Soviet Union national under-18 football team In 1980, UEFA competitions for under-18 teams were officially restyled as the European Under 18 Football Championship. The team had a good record, winning the competition sixth times, reaching the final once, but failing to qualify for the last five on 26 occasions. After the dissolution of the USSR (on December 26, 1991), the senior team played out its remaining fixtures, which were the finals of Euro 92. Because the USSR U-18s had, by December 26, already failed to qualify for their version of the 1992 European Championship, the former Soviet states didn't play as a combined team at U-19