2006 UEFA Cup final
Background
Background
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The [UEFA Cup](/wiki/UEFA_Cup "UEFA Cup") was an annual football club competition organised by [UEFA](/wiki/UEFA "UEFA") since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualified for the competition based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions. It was the second\-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the [UEFA Champions League](/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League "UEFA Champions League"). In 2009, the UEFA Cup evolved into the Europa League.

Middlesbrough had made their [first appearance in European football](/wiki/Middlesbrough_F.C._in_European_football "Middlesbrough F.C. in European football") the previous season, when they were eliminated 4–2 by [Sporting CP](/wiki/Sporting_CP "Sporting CP") in the last\-16\. Sevilla's [best European season](/wiki/Sevilla_FC_in_European_football "Sevilla FC in European football") had also been their first, when they reached the quarter\-finals of the [1957–58 European Cup](/wiki/1957%E2%80%9358_European_Cup "1957–58 European Cup"), before suffering a heavy 10–2 aggregate loss to [Real Madrid](/wiki/Real_Madrid_CF "Real Madrid CF"). The two sides had never previously met. Middlesbrough qualified for the tournament due to their seventh\-place finish in the [2004–05 FA Premier League](/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_FA_Premier_League "2004–05 FA Premier League"), while Sevilla had finished sixth in the [2004–05 La Liga](/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_La_Liga "2004–05 La Liga").


Can a team's poor performance in one competition affect their chances in another?