1956–57 European Cup
The Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid hosted the final.
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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 August 1956 – 30 May 1957 |
| Teams | 22 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |
 Real Madrid (2nd title)
|
| Runners-up |
 Fiorentina
|
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 44 |
| Goals scored | 170 (3.86 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
 Dennis Viollet (9 goals) |
The 1956–57 European Cup was the second season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won for the second time by Real Madrid, who beat Fiorentina 2–0 in the final at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, on 30 May 1957.
After the great success of the first tournament, six new nations entered representatives: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, England, Luxembourg, Romania and Turkey. The English FA had not allowed Chelsea to enter in 1955, and continued its stance on the European Cup as it being a distraction; however, against the wises of the FA, Manchester United entered the competition anyway as English champions, becoming the first English team to play in Europe. An additional place was awarded to Real Madrid as the competition's reigning champions, occupying the free berth left by Saar after its reunification with West Germany.
The draw for the preliminary round took place in UEFA headquarters in Paris on Friday, 29 June 1956. The 21 challengers of Real Madrid were grouped geographically into three pots. The first four teams drawn in each pot would play the preliminary round in September, while the remaining three clubs received byes.
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