The following are the association football events of the year 1981 throughout the world. Events 1981 Copa Libertadores: Won by Flamengo after defeating Cobreloa on the playoff match 2–0. 1980–81 European Cup: Won by Liverpool FC after defeating Real Madrid in final match 1–0. World Club Championship: Won by Flamengo after defeating Liverpool FC on a single match 3–0. March 25 – Kees Rijvers makes his debut as the manager of Dutch national team with a 1–0 win in the World Cup Qualifier against France. One player makes his debut for the Dutch: defender Edo Ophof from Ajax Amsterdam. September 1 – Dutch striker Wim Kieft makes his debut for the Netherlands national football team in the friendly against Switzerland. It's the 400th game in the history of the Dutch national team. Winners club national championship Asia Qatar – Al-Sadd SC Europe – KF Partizani Tirana – Austria Wien – R.S.C. Anderlecht – CSKA Sofia – AC Omonoia – Baník Ostrava – Hvidovre IF – Dynamo Berlin – Aston Villa – HB Torshavn – HJK Helsinki – AS Saint-Étienne – Olympiacos F.C. – Ferencváros – Vikingur – Athlone Town A.F.C. – Juventus – Progrès Niedercorn – Hibernians F.C. Eredivisie – AZ Alkmaar Eerste Divisie – HFC Haarlem – Glentoran F.C. – Vålerenga IF – Widzew Łódź – Benfica – Universitatea Craiova – Celtic F.C. – Real Sociedad – Östers IF – FC Zürich – Trabzonspor – FC Dynamo Kiev – Bayern Munich – Red Star Belgrade North America – UNAM / – Chicago Sting (NASL) Oceania – Sydney Slickers South America Metropolitano – Boca Juniors Nacional – River Plate – Jorge Wilstermann – Grêmio – Colo-Colo – Atlético Nacional – Barcelona Paraguay – Olimpia Asunción – FBC Melgar – Peñarol – Deportivo Táchira International tournaments Mundialito in Montevideo, Uruguay (December 30, 1980 – January 10, 1981) 1981 British Home Championship (May 16–23, 1981) Abandoned following severe civil unrest in Northern Ireland. National teams Movies Escape to Victory Births January 1 – Mladen Petrić, Croatian international January 2 Hanno Balitsch, German footballer Maxi Rodríguez, Argentine footballer January 9 – Euzebiusz Smolarek, Polish international January 10 – James Coppinger, English club footballer January 15 – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese international January 19 – Lucho González, Argentine international January 20 – Owen Hargreaves, English footballer January 21 Ivan Ergić, Serbian footballer Roberto Guana Italian footballer Mohd Amri Yahyah, Malaysian international January 25 –