| Event | 1980–81 UEFA Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| on aggregate | |||||||
| First leg | |||||||
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| Date | 6 May 1981 | ||||||
| Venue | Portman Road, Ipswich | ||||||
| Referee | Adolf Prokop (East Germany) | ||||||
| Attendance | 27,532 | ||||||
| Second leg | |||||||
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| Date | 20 May 1981 | ||||||
| Venue | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam | ||||||
| Referee | Walter Eschweiler (West Germany) | ||||||
| Attendance | 28,500 | ||||||
The 1981 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played over two legs between AZ '67 of the Netherlands and Ipswich Town of England. The first leg was played at Portman Road, Ipswich, on 6 May 1981 and the second leg was played on 20 May 1981 at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. It was the final of the 1980–81 season of European cup competition, the UEFA Cup. Both Ipswich and AZ '67 were appearing in their first European final.
Each club needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final. Matches were contested over two legs, with a match at each team's home ground. The majority of Ipswich's ties were won by at least two goals, the exception being the second round against Bohemians of Prague, which Ipswich won 3–2 on aggregate. AZ '67's early ties were one-sided: they won the first three rounds by at least five goals on aggregate, but their quarter-final and semi-final ties were won on aggregate by a single goal.
Watched by a crowd of 27,532 at Portman Road, Ipswich took the lead in the first leg when John Wark scored from the penalty spot. Second half goals from Frans Thijssen and Paul Mariner meant Ipswich won the first leg 3–0. Therefore, in the second leg at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam, Ipswich had to avoid losing by three clear goals to win the competition. A crowd of 28,500 watched Ipswich take an early lead courtesy of a Thijssen goal. AZ '67 quickly equalised through Kurt Welzl before taking the lead after a goal from Johnny Metgod. Wark scored again for Ipswich to equalise the leg, but AZ '67 struck back through Pier Tol and Jos Jonker. No further goals were scored, and Ipswich won the final 5–4 on aggregate to win their first and, as of 2024, only European trophy.