113 teams qualified directly for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup from 52 UEFA associations. An additional three teams qualified via the UEFA Fair Play league, while 27 further teams qualified at various stages from the
UEFA Intertoto Cup and the
UEFA Champions League. Below is the final qualification scheme for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup: • Associations 1–6 each have 3 teams qualify, with the exception of England (2) who have 2 teams • Associations 7–8 each have 4 teams qualify • Associations 9–15 each have 2 teams qualify • Associations 16–20 each have 3 teams qualify • Associations 21–49 each have 2 teams qualify, with the exception of Liechtenstein (43) who have 1 team • Associations 50–52 each have 1 team qualify plus • Winner of previous years' tournament • 3 UEFA Fair Play entries • 3 winners of the
2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup • 16 losers from the
UEFA Champions League third qualifying round • 8 third-placed teams from the
UEFA Champions League group stage Association ranking ;Notes • (CLTH): Berth vacated due to being taken by the UEFA Champions League title holders. • (UCL): Teams transferred from the Champions League. • (UIC): Additional berths for the
2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup winners. • (FP): Additional Fair Play berth (Germany, Norway, Denmark).
Distribution Each association enters a certain number of teams to the UEFA Cup based on its
league coefficient. Through domestic competitions (national championships and cups and league cups in certain countries) an association may qualify up to four teams. The following amendments were made to the 2005–06 qualification scheme: • The defending UEFA Cup holder CSKA Moscow already qualified for the 2nd qualifying round, which means that the first UEFA Cup entrant of the 25th and 26th associations on the ranking list (Hungary and Romania) will gain direct access to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. • Because
Liverpool entered the first qualifying round of the Champions League as title holders, the first UEFA Cup entrant of 11th and 12th associations on the ranking list (Scotland and Belgium) will gain direct access to the first round of the UEFA Cup. • In Kazakhstan, only
Kairat obtained a UEFA licence for the 2005–06 season. The other teams from Kazakhstan were not allowed to compete. Therefore, the first UEFA Cup entrant of the 27th and 28th countries on the ranking list (Slovakia and Slovenia) will gain direct access to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. • In
Serbia and Montenegro, the cup winner
Železnik was replaced by
OFK Beograd because they did not obtain a UEFA licence. • In
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the cup winner
Sarajevo was replaced by
Široki Brijeg, and 2nd in the league
Zeljeznicar was replaced by
Žepče, because they did not obtain a UEFA licence.
Teams The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: • TH: Title holders • CW: Cup winners • CR: Cup runners-up • LC: League Cup winners • Nth: League position • PO: End-of-season European competition play-offs (winners or position) • IC: Intertoto Cup • FP: Fair play • CL: Relegated from the Champions League • GS: Third-placed teams from the group stage • Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round ;Notes ==Round and draw dates==