Uefa Champion League
The UEFA Champions League known simply as the Champions League, and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the 2013 tournament was the most-watched UEFA Champions League final to date, as well as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide in 2013 to date, drawing 360 million television viewers.
Prior to 1992, the tournament was officially called the "European Champion Clubs' Cup", but was usually referred to simply as the "European Cup". The competition was initially a straight knockout competition open only to the champion club of each country.During the 1990s, the tournament began to be expanded, incorporating a round-robin group phase and more teams. Europe's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition and will provide up to five teams from the 2015–16 competition onwards.The UEFA Champions League should not be confused with the UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup.
The tournament consists of several stages.In the present format, it begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round.The 10 surviving teams join 22 seeded teams in the group stage, in which there are eight groups of four teams each. The eight group winners and eight runners-up enter the final knockout phase, which culminates with the final match in May.The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament nine times, including the first five seasons it was contested. Spanish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories, with 13 wins, followed by England and Italy with 12 each. The title has been won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which have won the title more than once.Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1992, no club has managed consecutive wins, with Milan being the last club to successfully defend their title, in 1990. The reigning champions of the competition are Bayern Munich, after beating Borussia Dortmund 2–1 in the2013 Final.
The UEFA Champions League known simply as the Champions League, and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the 2013 tournament was the most-watched UEFA Champions League final to date, as well as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide in 2013 to date, drawing 360 million television viewers.
Prior to 1992, the tournament was officially called the "European Champion Clubs' Cup", but was usually referred to simply as the "European Cup". The competition was initially a straight knockout competition open only to the champion club of each country.During the 1990s, the tournament began to be expanded, incorporating a round-robin group phase and more teams. Europe's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition and will provide up to five teams from the 2015–16 competition onwards.The UEFA Champions League should not be confused with the UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup.
The tournament consists of several stages.In the present format, it begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round.The 10 surviving teams join 22 seeded teams in the group stage, in which there are eight groups of four teams each. The eight group winners and eight runners-up enter the final knockout phase, which culminates with the final match in May.The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament nine times, including the first five seasons it was contested. Spanish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories, with 13 wins, followed by England and Italy with 12 each. The title has been won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which have won the title more than once.Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1992, no club has managed consecutive wins, with Milan being the last club to successfully defend their title, in 1990. The reigning champions of the competition are Bayern Munich, after beating Borussia Dortmund 2–1 in the2013 Final.
History
The first pan-European tournament was the Challenge Cup, a competition between clubs in the Austro-Hungarian EmpireTheMitropa Cup, a competition modelled after the Challenge Cup, was created in 1927 by Zeid Edilbi and played between Central Europeanclubs. In 1930, the Coupe des Nations , the first attempt to create a cup for national champion clubs of Europe, was played and organised by Swiss club Servette.Held in Geneva, it brought together ten champions from across the continent. The tournament was won by Újpest of Hungary. Latin European nations came together to form the Latin Cup in 1949.After receiving reports from his journalists over the highly successful Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones of 1948, Gabriel Hanot, editor of L'Équipe, began proposing the creation of a continent-wide tournament.After the English press declaredWolverhampton Wanderers "Champions of the World" following a successful run of friendlies in the 1950s, Hanot finally managed to convince UEFA to put into practice such a tournament. It was conceived in Paris in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup.
The first pan-European tournament was the Challenge Cup, a competition between clubs in the Austro-Hungarian EmpireTheMitropa Cup, a competition modelled after the Challenge Cup, was created in 1927 by Zeid Edilbi and played between Central Europeanclubs. In 1930, the Coupe des Nations , the first attempt to create a cup for national champion clubs of Europe, was played and organised by Swiss club Servette.Held in Geneva, it brought together ten champions from across the continent. The tournament was won by Újpest of Hungary. Latin European nations came together to form the Latin Cup in 1949.After receiving reports from his journalists over the highly successful Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones of 1948, Gabriel Hanot, editor of L'Équipe, began proposing the creation of a continent-wide tournament.After the English press declaredWolverhampton Wanderers "Champions of the World" following a successful run of friendlies in the 1950s, Hanot finally managed to convince UEFA to put into practice such a tournament. It was conceived in Paris in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup.