| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 13 September 1960 – 11 October 1961 | 
| Teams | 16 (15 competed) | 
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Roma (1st title) | 
| Runners-up |  Birmingham City | 
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 | 
| Goals scored | 144 (4.65 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) |  Pedro Manfredini (12 goals) | 
The third Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was the first to be played over a single season, namely the 1960–61 season. Birmingham City once again reached the final, but lost again over two legs, this time to Roma. Once again, a number of countries sent a representative team for one of their main cities.
Teams location

Bracket
| First round | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Inter Milan | 8 | 6 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Hannover 96 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Inter Milan | 5 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Belgrade XI | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Leipzig XI | 5 | 1 | 6 (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Belgrade XI | 2 | 4 | 6 (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Inter Milan | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Birmingham City | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  KB | 8 | 3 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Basel XI | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  KB | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Birmingham City | 4 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Birmingham City | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Újpesti Dózsa | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Birmingham City | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Roma | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Zagreb XI | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Barcelona | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Barcelona | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Hibernian | 4 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Hibernian | — | — | w | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) Lausanne-Sport | — | — | o | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Hibernian | 2 | 3 | 5 (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Roma | 2 | 3 | 5 (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Lyon | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Cologne XI | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Cologne XI | 0 | 2 | 2 (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Roma | 2 | 0 | 2 (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| .svg.png.webp) U. Saint-Gilloise | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|  Roma | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
First round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Milan  | 14–3 |  Hannover 96 | 8–2 | 6–1 | 
| Leipzig XI  | 6–61 | .svg.png.webp) Belgrade XI | 5–2 | 1–4 | 
| KB  | 11–4 | .svg.png.webp) Basel XI | 8–1 | 3–3 | 
| Birmingham City  | 5–3 |  Újpesti Dózsa | 3–2 | 2–1 | 
| Zagreb XI .svg.png.webp) | 4–5 | .svg.png.webp) Barcelona | 1–1 | 3–4 | 
| Hibernian  | (w/o) | .svg.png.webp) Lausanne-Sport | – | – | 
| Lyon  | 3–4 |  Cologne XI | 1–3 | 2–1 | 
| Union Saint-Gilloise .svg.png.webp) | 1–4 |  Roma | 0–0 | 1–4 | 
1 Belgrade XI progressed to the quarter-finals after beating Leipzig XI 2–0 in a play-off match.
First leg
| Inter Milan  | 8–2 |  Hannover 96 | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
| Leipzig XI  | 5–2 | .svg.png.webp) Belgrade XI | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
| KB  | 8–1 | .svg.png.webp) Basel XI | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Hügi II  34' | 
| Birmingham City  | 3–2 |  Újpesti Dózsa | 
|---|---|---|
| Göröcs  15', 49' | 
| Zagreb XI .svg.png.webp) | 1–1 | .svg.png.webp) Barcelona | 
|---|---|---|
| Gensana  61' (o.g.) | Villaverde  25' | 
| Lyon  | 1–3 |  Cologne XI | 
|---|---|---|
| Roubaud  4' (pen.) | 
Second leg
| Hannover 96  | 1–6 |  Inter Milan | 
|---|---|---|
| Heiser  4' | 
Inter Milan won 14–3 on aggregate.
Barcelona FC won 5–4 on aggregate.
| Cologne XI  | 1–2 |  Lyon | 
|---|---|---|
| Sturm  20' | 
 | 
Cologne XI won 4–3 on aggregate.
| Belgrade XI .svg.png.webp) | 4–1 |  Leipzig XI | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Stiller  24' | 
Belgrade XI 6-6 Leipzig XI on aggregate.
| Belgrade XI .svg.png.webp) | 2–0 |  Leipzig XI | 
|---|---|---|
Belgrade XI won 2–0 in play-off.
| Basel XI .svg.png.webp) | 3–3 |  KB | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
 | 
KB won 11–4 on aggregate.
| Újpesti Dósza  | 1–2 |  Birmingham City | 
|---|---|---|
| Szusza  63' | 
Birmingham City won 5–3 on aggregate.
| Roma  | 4–1 | .svg.png.webp) Union Saint-Gilloise | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Dirickx  81' (pen.) | 
Roma won 4–1 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Milan  | 5–1 | .svg.png.webp) Belgrade XI | 5–0 | 0–1 | 
| KB  | 4–9 |  Birmingham City | 4–4 | 0–5 | 
| Barcelona .svg.png.webp) | 6–7 |  Hibernian | 4–4 | 2–3 | 
| Cologne XI  | 2–21 |  Roma | 0–2 | 2–0 | 
1 Roma progressed to the semi-finals after beating Cologne XI 4–1 in a play-off match.
First leg
| KB  | 4–4 |  Birmingham City | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
| Cologne XI  | 0–2 |  Roma | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Second leg
Inter Milan won 5–1 on aggregate.
| Birmingham City  | 5–0 |  KB | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Birmingham City won 9–4 on aggregate.
Hibernian won 7–6 on aggregate.
| Roma  | 0–2 |  Cologne XI | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Roma 2–2 Cologne XI on aggregate.
| Roma  | 4–1 |  Cologne XI | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Müller  84' | 
Roma won 4–1 in play-off.
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Milan  | 2–4 |  Birmingham City | 1–2 | 1–2 | 
| Hibernian  | 5–51 |  Roma | 2–2 | 3–3 | 
1 Roma progressed to the final after beating Hibernian 6–0 in a play-off match.
First leg
| Inter Milan  | 1–2 |  Birmingham City | 
|---|---|---|
| Firmani  67' | 
Second leg
| Birmingham City  | 2–1 |  Inter Milan | 
|---|---|---|
| Harris  4', 62' | Masiero  66' | 
Birmingham City won 4–2 on aggregate.
| Roma  | 3–3 |  Hibernian | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Roma 5–5 Hibernian on aggregate.
| Roma  | 6–0 |  Hibernian | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | 
Roma won 6–0 in play-off.
Final
First leg
| Birmingham City  | 2–2 |  Roma | 
|---|---|---|
| Manfredini  30', 56' | 
Second leg
| Roma  | 2–0 |  Birmingham City | 
|---|---|---|
Roma won 4–2 on aggregate.
References
- Zea, Antonio; Haisma, Marcel (2 October 2009). "European Champions' Cup and Fairs' Cup 1960-61 - Details: Fairs' Cup 1960–61". RSSSF. Retrieved 13 September 2023.

