 AZ '67 finished the 1979–80 Eredivisie season in second place, three points behind champions Ajax.Ipswich and AZ had faced each other in two matches before, in the two-legged first round of the 1978–79 European Cup Winners' Cup which the English club won 2–0 on aggregate.Ipswich's 1980–81 UEFA Cup campaign commenced in the first round against the Greek team Aris Salonika.