European Representation
The first time the Soviet League was represented in Europe in 1967 and until 1972 no more than only two teams participated in the continental competitions. The first club that participated in the European competitions was Dynamo Kiev. In its first year the club managed to make to the quarterfinals, eliminating on its way Coleraine and Rosenborg and winning all four matches with those clubs. The Ukrainians also knocked out reigning champions Celtic in the first round. In 1968-69 edition all Warsaw Pact countries, with the exception of Romania, boycotted the continental competitions. Since 1974 the league was among the best 10 national competitions in the UEFA rankings (based on continental competitions performance) reaching the 4th place in 1976 and 1977. Only in 1982-83 season the league ranking fell under the 10th place. Since 1985 the Soviet Top League was among the best four in Europe, until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In 1987 and 1988 the Soviet Top League was the second best league in Europe, however by the end of the Soviet Union the results of its representatives worsened as top players could now leave and play for foreign leagues in the West. The very last coefficient position that the Soviet League placed was No. 9 in 1992. The 1992/93 season all the results of the Soviet League were transferred to the Russian Premier League. Throughout its history the representatives of the league on four occasions made to the finals of the three primary European competitions being victorious in three. Once a Soviet club was able to win the UEFA Super Cup.
Read more about this topic: Soviet Top League
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