The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being the second most important international club competition for clubs from the region (after the European Champions' Cup in which the champions could play; the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup originally attracted few teams from the region as many did not organise domestic cups regularly and only Yugoslavia had significant representation in the Fairs Cup). The competition has been dominated by Bulgaria-based teams. The Bulgarian teams have won together a total number of 9 titles. It later declined after Balkan clubs obtained more representation in the two minor UEFA competitions, in contrast to the (much older but also defunct) Balkan Cup for national teams. Editions Finals on Home and Away basis, except noted otherwise. a → first leg of the final Competition's formats: type-A: One group of 5 clubs. type-B: Two groups of 4, top clubs qualifying for the final. type-C: Two groups of 3, top clubs qualifying for the final. type-D: One group of 3 clubs. type-E: Knock-out (Quarterfinals → Semifinals → Final). type-F: Two groups of 3 and one group of 4, top clubs plus the best runner-up qualifying for the Knock-out Semifinals. type-G: Knock-out (Preliminary round qualifying 2 clubs out of 4 → Semifinals → Final). type-H: Knock-out (Preliminary round qualifying 1 club out of 2 → Semifinals → Final). type-I: Knock-out (Semifinals → Final). Performances By club When sorted by year of winning or losing final(s), the table is sorted by the year of each club's first final. All 24 Clubs (out of 89 in total) that appeared in the Balkans Cup for 3 times or more, eventually Reached the Final with the exception of: Galatasaray (5 entries) and Beşiktaş (3) of Turkey, Vllaznia Shkodër (3) of Albania and Universitatea Craiova (3) of Romania. Beroe Stara Zagora of Bulgaria is competition's Record Holder concerning participation (7 entries), finals reached (4, plus one top spot in group) and wins (4), while in their single lost final against Partizani for 1970 edition, they opted not showing up in Tirana for the return leg of a 1–1 draw at home. Next to Beroe's 4, their compatriots Slavia Sofia reached 3 Finals (2 wins), while Romanian Argeş Piteşti had 2 (no win), plus one runner-up