The 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup was the final edition of the competition, ending a 14-year UEFA-organised tournament that served as a gateway to the UEFA Cup.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 14th and final UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Teams invited
- 50
- Third-round winners advancing
- 11 teams to 2008–09 UEFA Cup qualifying
- Draw location
- UEFA headquarters, Nyon, Switzerland
- Draw date
- 21 April 2008
- Outright winner
- Braga (Portugal)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The UEFA Intertoto Cup had operated since 1995 as a summer competition allowing clubs that missed European qualification to enter UEFA competitions. By 2008 the format had undergone a major overhaul, and UEFA decided this would be the tournament's final running, with eleven third-round winners earning entry to the 2008–09 UEFA Cup second qualifying round.
Fifty clubs competed in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup across three rounds. The draw was held on 21 April 2008 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Eleven co-winners advanced to the UEFA Cup, and based on their subsequent progress in that competition, Portuguese club Braga was declared the outright winner of the Intertoto Cup.
The 2008 edition marked the permanent end of the UEFA Intertoto Cup after 14 years under UEFA organisation. Braga's strong UEFA Cup campaign earned the club the title of outright winner. The competition was not replaced in subsequent seasons, consolidating European club qualification routes into the UEFA Cup and later the UEFA Europa League.