The Prague Spring prevents the European debut: somehow Union always used to have bad luck. The 1968 cup triumph should finally have brought the club its first European tie. Instead, the military crushing of the Prague Spring got in the way.
The original draw against the Yugoslav side FK Bor was annulled. When West European clubs demanded a redraw, Dynamo Moscow was placed into Union’s path. Then the eastern clubs no longer wanted to participate at all.
The GDR withdrew its clubs as well. Union’s first European Cup tickets, already printed, ended up being used for years as scrap paper. It was another giant disappointment.