[12] Held in Geneva, it brought together ten champions from across the continent. 1,203,993 talking about this. If the Champions League title holders qualify for the group stage via their domestic league, the champions of association 11 (Turkey in 2019/2020) will enter the group stage, and champions of the highest-ranked associations in earlier rounds will also be promoted accordingly. [45] This final came 10 years after the Munich air disaster, which claimed the lives of eight United players and left their manager, Matt Busby, fighting for his life. [39][40][41] Under the leadership of Jock Stein, Scottish club Celtic defeated Inter Milan 2–1 in the 1967 final to become the first British club to win the European Cup. Manchester United have progressed from the group stages in 82% of their previous Champions League campaigns (18/22), last failing to … These coefficients are generated by the results of clubs representing each association during the previous five Champions League and UEFA Cup/Europa League seasons. The knock-out ties are played in a two-legged format, with the exception of the final. [48] Before defeating Celtic in the final. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Just click on the country name in the left menu and select your competition (league results, national cup livescore, other competition). ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UEFA_Champions_League&oldid=1016614338, Multi-national association football leagues in Europe, Multi-national professional sports leagues, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with Italian-language sources (it), Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Articles with Portuguese-language sources (pt), Articles with Russian-language sources (ru), Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 33 champions from associations 18–51 (except Liechtenstein), 17 winners from the first qualifying round, 10 winners from the second qualifying round (Champions Path), 2 third-placed teams from association 5–6, 3 winners from the second qualifying round (League Path), 6 winners from the third qualifying round (Champions Path), 4 winners from the third qualifying round (League Path), 4 third-placed teams from associations 1–4, 4 fourth-placed teams from associations 1–4, 4 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path), 2 winners from the play-off round (League Path). [65] UEFA subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. [74] Seeding is used whilst making the draw for this stage, whilst teams from the same nation may not be drawn into groups together. [62] TEAM gives particular attention to detail in how the colours and starball are depicted at matches. Referees are appointed based on previous matches, marks, performances, and fitness levels. Players that are still active in Europe are highlighted in boldface. [8] Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won it 13 times, including its first five seasons. [5] The winner of the Champions League qualifies for the following year's Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. The official home of Europe's premier club competition on Facebook. In addition to the anthem, there is also entrance music, which contains parts of the anthem itself, which is played as teams enter the field. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions (and, for some nations, one or more runners-up) of their national asso… The higher an association's coefficient, the more teams represent the association in the Champions League, and the fewer qualification rounds the association's teams must compete in. The official site of the world's greatest club competition; get news, statistics and video, and play great games. Kaizer Chiefs v Wydad Casablanca 2021/04/01 . The 16 top-ranked teams spread across the biggest domestic leagues qualified directly for the tournament group stage. Includes the latest news stories, results, fixtures, video and audio. [72] At Arsenal's 2012 AGM, Wenger was also quoted as saying: "For me there are five trophies every season: Premier League, Champions League, the third is to qualify for the Champions League..."[73]. Henry additionally scored one goal in three qualification matches. The UEFA Champions League is one of club football’s most popular tournaments, which in turn brings in huge sponsorships and large audiences. In 2018, composer Hans Zimmer remixed the anthem with rapper Vince Staples for EA Sports' video game FIFA 19, with it also featuring in the game's reveal trailer. Includes the latest news stories, results, fixtures, video and audio. Join Facebook to connect with Champions League and others you may know. The official site of the world's greatest club competition; get news, statistics and video, and play great games. The UEFA Champions League begins with a double round-robin group stage of 32 teams, which since the 2009–10 season is preceded by two qualification 'streams' for teams that do not receive direct entry to the tournament proper. [20][21] After a scoreless first half, Real Madrid scored twice in six minutes to defeat the Italians. Comprehensive player, club and competition statistics. [54] Stating "the anthem is now almost as iconic as the trophy", UEFA's official website adds it is "known to set the hearts of many of the world's top footballers aflutter". The other two are granted to the winners of a three-round qualifying tournament between the 11 clubs from the associations ranked 5 through 15, which have qualified based upon finishing second, or third in their respective national league. Official page of the #BasketballCL Champions League is on Facebook. Africa Cup of Nations 2021/03/22 . [19][24][25] West German side Eintracht Frankfurt became the first non-Latin team to reach the European Cup final. Based on research it conducted, TEAM concluded that by 1999, "the starball logo had achieved a recognition rate of 94 percent among fans".[63]. Champions League 2020/2021 scores service is real-time, updating live. [13], After receiving reports from his journalists over the highly successful South American Championship of Champions of 1948, Gabriel Hanot, editor of L'Équipe, began proposing the creation of a continent-wide tournament. Referees from these five countries are typically comfortable with top professional matches and are therefore directly placed into Category 3. [81] Five clubs own a version of the official trophy: Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Milan and Liverpool. Van Nistelrooy additionally scored four goals in eight qualification matches. The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competition winners through a group and knockout format. The UEFA Refereeing Unit is broken down into five experience-based categories. [70] In the same meeting, however, it was agreed that the third-placed team in the top three leagues would receive automatic qualification for the group stage, rather than entry into the third qualifying round, while the fourth-placed team would enter the play-off round for non-champions, guaranteeing an opponent from one of the top 15 leagues in Europe. Agüerooooo! [100] The final of the 2012–13 tournament had the competition's highest TV ratings to date, drawing approximately 360 million television viewers.[101]. [17][18] The first goal in European Cup history was scored by João Baptista Martins of Sporting CP. [51] It was also the first time a Greek team reach the final, as well as the first season that Real Madrid failed to qualify, having finished sixth in La Liga the previous season. Champions League quarter final draw: Real Madrid to play Liverpool in last eight 19 March 2021, 11:16 Spanish football morning headlines: La Liga sides await European draws, Barcelona to promote another young star and Jordi Alba aims for double In the 2013 final at Wembley Stadium, the chorus was played twice. Bayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of … No referee may be of the same origins as any club in his or her respecting groups. [67] Tottenham were demoted to the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. The official home of Europe's premier club competition on Facebook. For players active prior to the introduction of the Champions League in 1992, see, (in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian), History of the European Cup and UEFA Champions League, List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals, Five clubs own a version of the official trophy, List of UEFA Champions League broadcasters, European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics, UEFA Champions League clubs performance comparison, List of UEFA Champions League top scorers, List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances, List of association football competitions, "UEFA Europa League further strengthened for 2015–18 cycle", "UEFA Executive Committee approves new club competition", "When Sunderland met Hearts in the first ever 'Champions League' match", "Austria/Habsburg Monarchy – Challenge Cup 1897–1911", "Primeira Libertadores – História (Globo Esporte 09/02/20.l.08)", "European Cup pioneer Jacques Ferran passes away", "European Champions' Cup 1955–56 – Details", "Palmares: Prima coppa dei campioni – 1963/64", "Palmares: Prima coppa dei campioni – 1964/65", "A Sporting Nation – Celtic win European Cup 1967", "Celtic immersed in history before UEFA Cup final", "Man. The Chinese football champions indicates all past winners of the Chinese top-tier football league since it first started in 1951. [67], In May 2013,[68] it was decided that, starting from the 2015–16 season (and continuing at least for the three-year cycle until the 2017–18 season), the winners of the previous season's UEFA Europa League would qualify for the UEFA Champions League, entering at least the play-off round, and entering the group stage if the berth reserved for the Champions League title holders was not used. The competition took on its current name in 1992, adding a round-robin group stage in 1991 and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries since 1997. The new symbols of European football. The Champions League and Europa League action continues this week at the quarter-final stage. Bayern Munich are the reigning champions, having beaten Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 in the 2020 final. Get the latest UEFA Champions League news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report In 2019–20 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the tournament was suspended for five months, with the final taking place in August. For the women's competition, see, "Magic...it’s magic above all else. Players taking part in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League are highlighted in boldface. [61], In 1991, UEFA asked its commercial partner, Television Event and Media Marketing (TEAM), to help "brand" the Champions League. The official home of Europe's premier club competition on Facebook. For the next stage – the last 16 – the winning team from one group plays against the runners-up from another group, and teams from the same association may not be drawn against each other. [56] The climactic moment is set to the exclamations ‘Die Meister! The format of the remainder of the tournament was temporarily amended as a result, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals being played as single match knockout ties at neutral venues in Lisbon, Portugal from 12 to 23 August. For the trophy, see, This article is about the men's competition. But the Asian Football Confederation is now preparing to launch a female version of the Champions League in two years' time, said the governing body's head of women's football, Bai Lili. [96] Hublot is also a secondary sponsor as the official fourth official board of the competition. Manchester City 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Champions League quarter-final – as it happened Phil Foden popped up with a late winner after Marco Reus had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s opener in … • Champions League •. 1,013,473 talking about this. Shevchenko additionally scored 11 goals in 16 qualification matches. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this meant that, if the Champions League winner fell outside of its domestic league's top four, it would qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed team in the league. If the Europa League title holders qualify for the group stage via their domestic league, the third-placed team of association 5 (France) will enter the group stage, and runners-up of the highest-ranked associations in the second qualifying round will also be promoted accordingly. The table below does not include goals scored in the qualification stage of the competition. They are followed by Porto and Bayern on 24 (1997–present).[64]. The final of the tournament has been, in recent years, the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Following the codification of professional football by the Football Association in 1885, the Football League was established in 1888, after a series of meetings initiated by Aston Villa director William McGregor. [19][22][23] In a rematch of the first final, Real Madrid faced Stade Reims at the Neckarstadion for the 1959 final, and won 2–0. The new format will start in 2024 and will have 36 teams involved, respecting the national lea At the end of the 1888–89 season, Preston North End were the … Due to sponsorship reasons, the official name is Total CAF Champions League, with Total Champions League also in use.. The tournament was won by Újpest of Hungary. The age limit was established to ensure an elite level of fitness. [9] The first pan-European tournament was the Challenge Cup, a competition between clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Third qualifying round: €480,000 (only for clubs eliminated from the champions path, since clubs eliminated from the league path qualify directly for the UEFA Europa League group stage and therefore benefit from its distribution system. Exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor or in place of it; or on the back, either below the squad number or on the collar area. The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English men's football, which since 1992–93 is the Premier League. The professional football league of China was found in 1994 as the Chinese Jia-A League (甲A联赛). section: | slug: soccer | sport: soccer | route: topic_landing_subTopic | UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers. 8,437 talking about this. The 2020–21 UEFA Champions League is the 66th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 29th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.. Champions League: Why Bayern Munich could dominate European football for years to come By Constantin Eckner German football expert Last updated on 17 March 2021 17 March 2021 . The number of teams that each association enters into the UEFA Champions League is based upon the UEFA coefficients of the member associations. [54], The chorus contains the three official languages used by UEFA: English, German, and French. Catch all the games live with BT Sport. Chelsea 30/03/21 1:17pm When the Champions League was created in 1992, it was decided that a maximum of eight companies should be allowed to sponsor the event, with each corporation being allocated four advertising boards around the perimeter of the pitch, as well as logo placement at pre- and post-match interviews and a certain number of tickets to each match. Introduced in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, commonly known as European Cup, it was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champions of Europe's domestic leagues, with its winner reckoned as the European club champion. These versions were performed by Andrea Bocelli (Italian) (Rome 2009, Milan 2016 and Cardiff 2017), Juan Diego Flores (Spanish) (Madrid 2010), All Angels (Wembley 2011), Jonas Kaufmann and David Garrett (Munich 2012), and Mariza (Lisbon 2014). Champions League Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool: Champions League quarter-final – as it happened ... 87 min Felix Brych seems to be on a mission to remind the world that football is … After a consensus is made, the name of the appointed referee remains confidential up to two days before the match for the purpose of minimising public influence. In the 2018 and 2019 finals, held in Kyiv and Madrid respectively, the instrumental version of the chorus was played, by 2Cellos (2018) and Asturia Girls (2019). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The competition has been won by 22 clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once and eight successfully defended their title. Spanish clubs have the highest number of victories (18 wins), followed by England (13 wins) and Italy (12 wins). According to TEAM, "Irrespective of whether you are a spectator in Moscow or Milan, you will always see the same stadium dressing materials, the same opening ceremony featuring the 'starball' centre circle ceremony, and hear the same UEFA Champions League Anthem". A referee is initially placed into Category 4 with the exception of referees from France, Germany, England, Italy, or Spain. The final was played at the Wanda … Following the codification of professional football by the Football Association in 1885, the Football League was established in 1888, after a series of meetings initiated by Aston Villa director William McGregor. [54][55] UEFA commissioned Britten in 1992 to arrange an anthem, and the piece was performed by London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. The table below does not include appearances made in the qualification stage of the competition. To discourage bias, the Champions League takes nationality into account. [33][34][35] Inter Milan beat an ageing Real Madrid 3–1 in the Ernst-Happel-Stadion to win the 1963–64 season and replicate their local-rival's success. (2004). It was designed by Jürg Stadelmann, a jeweller from Bern, Switzerland, after the original was given to Real Madrid in 1966 in recognition of their six titles to date, and cost 10,000 Swiss francs. An association may have a maximum of five teams in the Champions League. The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English men's football, which since 1992–93 is the Premier League.. An exception to the usual European qualification system happened in 2005, after Liverpool won the Champions League the year before, but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the Premier League that season. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. If the Champions League and/or Europa League title holders qualify for the qualifying rounds via their domestic league, their spot in the qualifying rounds is vacated, and teams of the highest-ranked associations in earlier rounds will be promoted accordingly. The 2019–20 UEFA Champions League was the 65th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 28th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.. Bayern Munich defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the final, played at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, 1–0 and became the first European Cup winners to … The official UEFA Champions League fixtures and results list UEFA.com works better on other browsers For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome , Firefox or Microsoft Edge . [85], From the 2012–13 knockout phase, UEFA used LED advertising hoardings installed in knock-out participant stadiums, including the final stage. A large part of the distributed revenue from the UEFA Champions League is linked to the "market pool", the distribution of which is determined by the value of the television market in each nation. [80] Since 2008, the official trophy has remained with UEFA and the clubs are awarded a replica.[80]. Ten football associations - including England and Scotland - have written to UEFA requesting changes to its plans for a revamped Champions League. From the 2015–16 season onwards, UEFA has used such hoardings from the play-off round until the final. [56], Special vocal versions have been performed live at the Champions League Final with lyrics in other languages, changing over to the host nation's language for the chorus. Keep track of the dates, fixtures and results. Four of the remaining six qualifying places are granted to the winners of a six-round qualifying tournament between the remaining 43 or 44 national champions, within which those champions from associations with higher coefficients receive byes to later rounds. Champions League scores, results and fixtures on BBC Sport, including live football scores, goals and goal scorers. AFHQ: Is Motsepe good for African football? To obtain a license, the club must meet certain stadium, infrastructure, and finance requirements. In 2008–09 season, both BATE Borisov and Anorthosis Famagusta achieved the same feat. A indicates the player was from the European Cup era. [52], The UEFA Champions League anthem, officially titled simply as "Champions League", was written by Tony Britten, and is an adaptation of George Frideric Handel's 1727 anthem Zadok the Priest (one of his Coronation Anthems). PSG held on in a high scoring instant classic with three away goals scored in Munich, including an Mbappe brace. [28][29] Barcelona themselves, however, would be defeated in the final by Portuguese side Benfica 3–2 at Wankdorf Stadium. Get the latest UEFA Champions League news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report The new format for the Champions League will be accepted and approved in March 2021. The 2019–20 UEFA Champions League was the 65th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 28th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League . The previous limit of a maximum of four teams per association was increased to five, meaning that a fourth-placed team from one of the top three ranked associations would only have to be moved to the Europa League if both the Champions League and Europa League winners came from that association and both finished outside the top four of their domestic league. Referee appointments, suggested by the UEFA Refereeing Unit, are sent to the UEFA Referee Committee to be discussed or revised. Prior to this, three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds whittled down the remaining teams, with teams starting in different rounds. Champions League stats. Today, UEFA Champions League referees are required to pass a fitness test to even be considered at the international level. The starball was created by Design Bridge, a London-based firm selected by TEAM after a competition. [14] In interviews, Jacques Ferran (one of the founders of the European Champions Cup, together with Gabriel Hanot),[15] said that the South American Championship of Champions was the inspiration for the European Champions Cup. The official site of the world's greatest club competition; get news, statistics and video, and play great games. From the 1968–69 season and prior to the 2008–09 season any team that won the Champions League three years in a row or five times overall was awarded the official trophy permanently. [1] It was conceived in Paris in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup. [69], In 2007, Michel Platini, the UEFA president, had proposed taking one place from the three leagues with four entrants and allocating it to that nation's cup winners. [17][18] The inaugural final took place at the Parc des Princes between Stade de Reims and Real Madrid. [30][31][32] Benfica wanted to repeat Real Madrid's successful run of the 1950s after reaching the showpiece event of the 1962–63 European Cup, but a brace from Brazilian-Italian José Altafini at the Wembley Stadium gave the spoils to Milan, making the trophy leave the Iberian Peninsula for the first time ever. [26][27] The 1960 final holds the record for the most goals scored, with Real Madrid beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 in Hampden Park, courtesy of four goals by Ferenc Puskás and a hat-trick by Alfredo Di Stéfano. The tournament proper begins with a group stage of 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four. United – Benfica 1967 History | UEFA Champions League", "Feyenoord - Milan 1969 History | UEFA Champions League", "Feyenoord - Celtic 1969 History | UEFA Champions League", "Ajax - Panathinaikos 1970 History | UEFA Champions League", "European Champions' Cup and Fairs' Cup 1970–71 – Details", "The story of the UEFA Champions League anthem", "What is the Champions League music? Champions League Asante Kotoko fighting to make Ghanaian club football relevant again. [19][20][21] In 1958, Milan failed to capitalise after going ahead on the scoreline twice, only for Real Madrid to equalise. [17][18] The first European Cup match took place on 4 September 1955, and ended in a 3–3 draw between Sporting CP and Partizan. [1] It has since been expanded, and while most of Europe's national leagues can still only enter their champion, the strongest leagues now provide up to four teams. This, combined with a deal to ensure tournament sponsors were given priority on television advertisements during matches, ensured that each of the tournament's main sponsors was given maximum exposure. The official home of Europe's premier club competition on Facebook. For the 2014–15 season, Juventus, who were the runners-up, earned nearly €89.1 million in total, of which €30.9 million was prize money, compared with the €61.0 million earned by Barcelona, who won the tournament and were awarded €36.4 million in prize money. Real Madrid and Manchester City each picked up home victories in the first leg of their respective Champions League quarterfinal matchups as the … This means that, at best, a club can earn €82,450,000 of prize money under this structure, not counting shares of the qualifying rounds, play-off round or the market pool. This resulted in the anthem, "house colours" of black and white or silver and a logo, and the "starball". Get outright and match odds, plus tips, free bets, offers and money-back specials The final will be played at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.It was originally scheduled to be played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. Besides Champions League scores you can follow 1000+ football competitions from 90+ countries around the world on FlashScore.com. CAF Champions League Match Day 5. [1], The first edition of the European Cup took place during the 1955–56 season. The eight group winners and eight runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in late May or early June. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football is back and we have two sensational quarter-finals to look forward to. [80] Each time a club achieved this a new official trophy had to be forged for the following season. Includes the latest news stories, results, fixtures, video and audio. The official home of Europe's premier club competition on Facebook. Ibrahimović additionally scored one goal in four qualification matches. Champions League quarter-final draw. The 2018–19 UEFA Champions League was the 64th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 27th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.For the first time, the video assistant referee (VAR) system was used in the competition from the round of 16 onward.. [66] In May 2012, Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth in the 2011–12 Premier League, two places ahead of Chelsea, but failed to qualify for the 2012–13 Champions League, after Chelsea won the 2012 final. 259 talking about this. Per a report from Le Parisien (as captured by Get French Football News), Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino will look towards the club’s campus to procure some extra depth for his team’s Champions League tilt against Bayern Munich.. [75], The group stage is played from September to December, whilst the knock-out stage starts in February. [22][23] The final, held in Heysel Stadium, went to extra time where Francisco Gento scored the game-winning goal to allow Real Madrid to retain the title for the third consecutive season. [8], Real Madrid's reign ended in the 1960–61 season when bitter rivals Barcelona dethroned them in the first round. Until 2015–16, no association could have more than four entrants in the Champions League. Season-by-season guide, extensive all-time stats, plus video highlights of every final to date. The home of Champions League on BBC Sport online. Ghana's Asante Kotoko are well placed to become the first club from their country to reach the CAF Champions League … The 2018–19 UEFA Champions League was the 64th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 27th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.For the first time, the video assistant referee (VAR) system was used in the competition from the round of 16 onward.. "European Champions League" and "European Cup" redirect here. This was part of Platini's plan to increase the number of teams qualifying directly into the group stage, while simultaneously increasing the number of teams from lower-ranked nations in the group stage. [82], As of 2019–20, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows:[83]. [99], The competition attracts an extensive television audience, not just in Europe, but throughout the world.