The UEFA Champions League is an annual international inter-club football competition between Europe's most successful clubs, regarded as the most prestigious club trophy in the sport.
History
Originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply abbreviated as the European Cup, the competition began in 1955/56 using a two-leg knockout format where the teams would play two matches, one at home and one away, and the team with the highest overall score qualifying for the next round of the competition. Entry was restricted to the teams that won their national league championships, plus the current cup holder.
The format and name were changed in 1992/93, and now the competition consists of three qualifying rounds, one stage of group competition (where teams play each other in the style of "home-and-away" or "regular season" competition), and then four rounds of knock-out finals. All qualifying round and knock-out ties are two-legged except the final, which is a single match played at a predetermined site.
Real Madrid CF has won this competition nine times. The next most successful teams are AC Milan (6 titles), FC Bayern München, AFC Ajax and Liverpool FC (4 titles).
The Champions League
The music which introduces television coverage of the competition is by Tony Britten, based on George Frideric Handel's coronation anthem "Zadok the Priest", and is performed by the Chorus of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
It has occasionally been noted that in order for the present name to be grammatical the spelling would have to be "Champions’ League".
Qualification
Qualification for the competition is decided by teams placing in their domestic league championships on a quota system, with countries with stronger domestic leagues allocated more teams. Clubs that play in stronger domestic leagues also enter at later stages of the competition. For example, the three strongest domestic leagues, as rated by UEFA, place their champions and runners-up directly into the group phase, and their third-and fourth-place teams enter at the third qualifying round. There is one exception to this rule; the current Champions League titleholder automatically qualifies for the group stage, regardless of where it finished in its domestic league.
Memorable events
Along the history of the competition there have been many events which will not be forgotten. The spectacular Real Madrid CF side with Di Stefano, Gento and Puskas, whose victory over Eintract Frankfurt in the 1959/60 final is considered one of the best games of football ever played. Eusebio and his SL Benfica; the grande Inter Milan that doubled the Champions Cup in the mid 1960's; the successful FC Bayern München of Beckenbauer; the imperial AFC Ajax; the powerful AC Milan; or the hardworking FC Porto. Another great moment, destined to be remembered forever by those who saw it was in 1999 when Manchester United FC came from behind and scored two goals in the last five minutes to beat FC Bayern München and pull off a historic treble (Domestic League-Domestic Cup-Champions League trophies).
In 1967, Celtic FC defeated FC Internazionale in the final to break the domination of teams from the Iberian Peninsula and the city of Milan. The Celtic team which achieved this, dubbed the Lisbon Lions, is also notable for having all the players born within 30 miles of the city of Glasgow [1] (http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UEFACup/news/Kind=8192/newsId=70959.html).
There were also some sad moments. There was the 1958 Munich air disaster in which some Manchester United players died, breaking a marvellous team. Another event was the 1985 European Cup Final in Heysel, where 39 Juventus supporters lost their lives.
European Cup and Champions League finals
| Season
| Winner
| Score
| Runner-up
| Venue
|
| 2004/05
|
|
|
| Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadyumu,
İstanbul 
|
| 2003/04
| Porto
| 3 - 0
| Monaco
| Arena AufSchalke,
Gelsenkirchen 
|
| 2002/03
| AC Milan
| 0 - 0
aet
| Juventus
| Old Trafford,
Manchester 
|
| 3-2 in penalty shootout
|
| 2001/02
| Real Madrid
| 2 - 1
| Bayer Leverkusen
| Hampden Park,
Glasgow 
|
| 2000/01
| Bayern Munich
| 1 - 1
asdet
| Valencia
| San Siro,
Milan
|
| 5-4 in penalty shootout
|
| 1999/00
| Real Madrid
| 3 - 0
| Valencia
| Stade de France,
Saint-Denis
|
| 1998/99
| Manchester United
| 2 - 1
| Bayern Munich
| Camp Nou,
Barcelona
|
| 1997/98
| Real Madrid
| 1 - 0
| Juventus
| Amsterdam ArenA,
Amsterdam 
|
| 1996/97
| Borussia Dortmund
| 3 - 1
| Juventus
| Olympiastadion,
Munich
|
| 1995/96
| Juventus
| 1 - 1
aet
| Ajax
| Stadio Olimpico,
Rome
|
| 4-2 in penalty shootout
|
| 1994/95
| Ajax
| 1 - 0
| AC Milan
| Ernst Happel Stadium,
Vienna 
|
| 1993/94
| AC Milan
| 4 - 0
| Barcelona
| Spiros Louis Stadium,
Athens 
|
| 1992/93
| Marseille
| 1 - 0
| AC Milan
| Olympiastadion,
Munich
|
| 1991/92
| Barcelona
| 1 - 0
aet
| Sampdoria
| Wembley Stadium,
London
|
| 1990/91
| Red Star Belgrade
| 0 - 0
aet
| Marseille
| Stadio San Nicola,
Bari
|
| 5-3 in penalty shootout
|
| 1989/90
| AC Milan
| 1 - 0
| Benfica
| Prater Stadium,
Vienna
|
| 1988/89
| AC Milan
| 4 - 0
| Steaua Bucharest
| Camp Nou,
Barcelona
|
| 1987/88
| PSV Eindhoven
| 0 - 0
aet
| Benfica
| Neckarstadion,
Stuttgart
|
| 6-5 in penalty shootout
|
| 1986/87
| Porto
| 2 - 1
| Bayern Munich
| Prater Stadium,
Vienna
|
| 1985/86
| Steaua Bucharest
| 0 - 0
aet
| Barcelona
| Sánchez Pizjuán,
Seville
|
| 2-0 in penalty shootout
|
| 1984/85
| Juventus
| 1 - 0
| Liverpool
| Heysel Stadium,
Brussels 
|
The Heysel tragedy occurred in this final.
As a consequence, all English clubs were banned from every UEFA competition, for the next five years.
|
| 1983/84
| Liverpool
| 1 - 1
aet
| Roma
| Stadio Olimpico,
Rome
|
| 4-2 in penalty shootout
|
| 1982/83
| Hamburg
| 1 - 0
| Juventus
| Spiros Louis Stadium,
Athens
|
| 1981/82
| Aston Villa
| 1 - 0
| Bayern Munich
| De Kuip,
Rotterdam
|
| 1980/81
| Liverpool
| 1 - 0
| Real Madrid
| Parc des Princes,
Paris
|
| 1979/80
| Nottingham Forest
| 1 - 0
| Hamburg
| Santiago Bernabéu,
Madrid
|
| 1978/79
| Nottingham Forest
| 1 - 0
| Malmö
| Olympiastadion,
Munich
|
| 1977/78
| Liverpool
| 1 - 0
| Club Brugge
| Wembley Stadium,
London
|
| 1976/77
| Liverpool
| 3 - 1
| Borussia Mönchengladbach
| Stadio Olimpico,
Rome
|
| 1975/76
| Bayern Munich
| 1 - 0
| Saint-Etienne
| Hampden Park,
Glasgow
|
| 1974/75
| Bayern Munich
| 2 - 0
| Leeds United
| Parc des Princes,
Paris
|
| 1973/74
| Bayern Munich
| 1 - 1
aet
| Atlético de Madrid
| Heysel Stadium,
Brussels
|
| Bayern Munich won the final replay, 4 - 0
|
| 1972/73
| Ajax
| 1 - 0
| Juventus
| Crvena Zvezda Stadium,
Belgrade
|
| 1971/72
| Ajax
| 2 - 0
| Inter Milan
| De Kuip,
Rotterdam
|
| 1970/71
| Ajax
| 2 - 0
| Panathinaikos
| Wembley Stadium,
London
|
| 1969/70
| Feyenoord
| 2 - 1
aet
| Celtic
| San Siro,
Milan
|
| 1968/69
| AC Milan
| 4 - 1
| Ajax
| Santiago Bernabéu,
Madrid
|
| 1967/68
| Manchester United
| 4 - 1
aet
| Benfica
| Wembley Stadium,
London
|
| 1966/67
| Celtic
| 2 - 1
| Inter Milan
| Estádio Nacional,
Lisbon
|
| 1965/66
| Real Madrid
| 2 - 1
| Partizan Belgrade
| Heysel Stadium,
Brussels
|
| 1964/65
| Inter Milan
| 1 - 0
| Benfica
| San Siro,
Milan
|
| 1963/64
| Inter Milan
| 3 - 1
| Real Madrid
| Prater Stadium,
Vienna
|
| 1962/63
| AC Milan
| 2 - 1
| Benfica
| Wembley Stadium,
London
|
| 1961/62
| Benfica
| 5 - 3
| Real Madrid
| Olympisch Stadion,
Amsterdam
|
| 1960/61
| Benfica
| 3 - 2
| Barcelona
| Wankdorf Stadium,
Berne 
|
| 1959/60
| Real Madrid
| 7 - 3
| Eintracht Frankfurt
| Hampden Park,
Glasgow
|
| 1958/59
| Real Madrid
| 2 - 0
| Stade de Reims
| Neckarstadion,
Stuttgart
|
| 1957/58
| Real Madrid
| 3 - 2
aet
| AC Milan
| Heysel Stadium,
Brussels
|
| 1956/57
| Real Madrid
| 2 - 0
| Fiorentina
| Santiago Bernabéu,
Madrid
|
| 1955/56
| Real Madrid
| 4 - 3
| Stade de Reims
| Parc des Princes,
Paris
|
aet = after extra time; asdet = after sudden death extra time
Trivia
- Francisco Gento is the only man that won 6 Champions Cups.
- Clarence Seedorf is the only man that won Champions Cup with 3 different teams:
- Ajax Amsterdam 1995
- Real Madrid 1998 & 2000
- A.C. Milan 2003
- The city of Milan, Italy, is the only one that won the Champions Cup with 2 different teams: Inter & Milan (the two clubs won 8 cups in total)
- Many clubs won the Cup unbeaten: Inter Milan (1964) and Ajax Amsterdam (1972) are those with the best record 7 wins and 2 draws.
- Real Madrid have the record number of consecutive participations in the Champions' Cup with 15, from 1955/56 to 1969/70.
- Only on two occasions has the Final of the Champions Cup/League was played between two teams from the same country: Real Madrid v Valencia (1999/00) & A.C. Milan v Juventus (2002/03)
- In the long history of the cup, only three "derbies" between teams of the same city have been played:
- 1958/59 Real Madrid vs Atlético de Madrid (semifinal)
- 2002/03 Internazionale Milano vs A.C. Milan (semifinal)
- 2003/04 Chelsea vs Arsenal (quarterfinal)
- Manchester United and Celtic are the only teams to complete a "treble" - win their domestic league championship, their domestic cup, and the Champions League/European Cup. Man U did so during the 1998/99 season. Celtic managed this in 1966/67, also winning the Scottish League Cup and Glasgow Cup that year.
- Ajax Amsterdam was unbeaten in Champions Cup/League for 20 matches from 1985/86 to March 1996.
- The 2002/03 semifinal between bitter city rivals A.C. Milan and Internazionale was the first time both games of a two-legged tie were in the same stadium (San Siro).
- Only two individuals have won the Champions League with the same club as a player then later as a coach. Miguel Muñoz of Real Madrid did it as a player in 1955/56 and 1956/57, before winning it as a coach in 1966/67. Carlo Ancelotti did it as an A.C. Milan player in 1988/89 and 1989/90 before coaching them to victory in 2002/03.
- Cesare Maldini and his son Paolo are the only father and son duo to skipper the same club to victory in the competition. Cesare led A.C. Milan to victory in 1962/63, and Paolo also captained Milan to victory in 2002/03.
See also
External links
bg:Купа на европейските шампиони
de:Champions League
es:Liga de Campeones
id:Liga Champions
it:Champions League
fi:Mestareiden liiga
fr:Ligue des Champions
ko:UEFA 챔피언스리그
nl:Champions League
no:Champions League
ja:UEFAチャンピオンズリーグ
pl:Europejska Liga Mistrzów w piłce nożnej
sl:Liga prvakov
sv:UEFA Champions League
