Champions League
Champions League Logo
| Table of contents |
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2 The Champions League 3 Qualification 4 Memorable events 5 European Cup and Champions League finals 6 External links |
History
Originally known as the European Champion Clubs' 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.
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 A.C. Milan (6 titles), Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool (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 side with Di Stefano, Gento and Puskas; Eusebio and his Benfica; the successful Bayern Munich of Beckenbauer; the imperial Ajax; the powerful Milan; or the powerful breathtaking F.C. Porto. Also another hard to forget moment was in 1999 when Manchester United came from behind and scored two goals in the last five minutes to beat Bayern Munich and pull off the historical triple of Domestic League-Domestic Cup-Champions League trophies.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004/2005>05 | Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadyumu, Istanbul>İstanbul | |||
| 04 | FC Porto>Porto (Por) | 3 - 0 | Monaco (Fra) | Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen |
| 2002/03 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | 0 - 0 Extra time>aet | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 3-2 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 2001/2002>02 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 2 - 1 | Bayer Leverkusen (Germany>Ger) | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| 2000/01 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | 1 - 1 asdet | Valencia (Spa) | San Siro, Milan |
| 5-4 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 1999/2000>00 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 3 - 0 | Valencia (Spa) | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis>Saint-Denis |
| 1998/1999>99 | Manchester United F.C.>Manchester United (Eng) | 2 - 1 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | Camp Nou, Barcelona |
| 1997/1998>98 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 1 - 0 | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam |
| 1996/1997>97 | Borussia Dortmund (Germany>Ger) | 3 - 1 | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | Olympiastadion, Munich |
| 1995/96 | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | 1 - 1 Extra time>aet | Ajax (Net) | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 4-2 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 1994/1995>95 | Ajax Amsterdam>Ajax (Net) | 1 - 0 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna |
| 1993/1994>94 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | 4 - 0 | Barcelona (Spa) | Spiros Louis Stadium, Athens |
| 1992/1993>93 | Olympique de Marseille>Marseille (Fra) | 1 - 0 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | Olympiastadion, Munich |
| 1991/1992>92 | FC Barcelona>Barcelona (Spa) | 1 - 0 Extra time>aet | Sampdoria (Ita) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1990/91 | FK Red Star>Red Star Belgrade (Yug) | 0 - 0 Extra time>aet | Marseille (Fra) | Stadio San Nicola, Bari |
| 5-3 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 1989/1990>90 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | 1 - 0 | Benfica (Por) | Prater Stadium, Vienna |
| 1988/1989>89 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | 4 - 0 | (Romania>Rom) | Camp Nou, Barcelona |
| 1987/88 | PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands>Net) | 0 - 0 Extra time>aet | Benfica (Por) | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart |
| 6-5 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 1986/1987>87 | FC Porto>Porto (Por) | 2 - 1 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | Prater Stadium, Vienna |
| 1985/86 | Steaua Bucharest (Romania>Rom) | 0 - 0 Extra time>aet | Barcelona (Spa) | Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville |
| 2-0 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 1984/85 | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | 1 - 0 | Liverpool (Eng) | 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 F.C.>Liverpool (Eng) | 1 - 1 Extra time>aet | Roma (Ita) | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 4-2 in penalty shootout | ||||
| 1982/1983>83 | Hamburger SV>Hamburg (Ger) | 1 - 0 | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | Spiros Louis Stadium, Athens |
| 1981/1982>82 | Aston Villa F.C.>Aston Villa (Eng) | 1 - 0 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | De Kuip, Rotterdam |
| 1980/1981>81 | Liverpool F.C.>Liverpool (Eng) | 1 - 0 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| 1979/1980>80 | Nottingham Forest F.C.>Nottingham Forest (Eng) | 1 - 0 | Hamburg (Ger) | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| 1978/1979>79 | Nottingham Forest F.C.>Nottingham Forest (Eng) | 1 - 0 | Malmö (Swe) | Olympiastadion, Munich |
| 1977/1978>78 | Liverpool F.C.>Liverpool (Eng) | 1 - 0 | Club Brugge (Belgium>Bel) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1976/1977>77 | Liverpool F.C.>Liverpool (Eng) | 3 - 1 | Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany>Ger) | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 1975/1976>76 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | 1 - 0 | Saint-ÃÂtienne (Fra) | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| 1974/1975>75 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | 2 - 0 | Leeds United (Eng) | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| 1973/74 | Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | 1 - 1 Extra time>aet | Atlético de Madrid (Spain>Spa) | Heysel Stadium, Brussels |
| Bayern Munich (Germany>Ger) | 4 - 0 | Atlético de Madrid (Spain>Spa) | Heysel Stadium, Brussels | |
| Final score: 1-1 Bayern Munich won the final replay (4-0) | ||||
| 1972/1973>73 | Ajax Amsterdam>Ajax (Net) | 1 - 0 | Juventus (Italy>Ita) | Crvena Zvezda Stadium, Belgrade |
| 1971/1972>72 | Ajax Amsterdam>Ajax (Net) | 2 - 0 | Inter Milan (Ita) | De Kuip, Rotterdam |
| 1970/1971>71 | Ajax Amsterdam>Ajax (Net) | 2 - 0 | Panathinaikos (Greece>Gre) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1969/1970>70 | Feyenoord Rotterdam>Feyenoord (Net) | 2 - 1 Extra time>aet | Celtic (Sco) | San Siro, Milan |
| 1968/1969>69 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | 4 - 1 | Ajax (Net) | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| 1967/1968>68 | Manchester United F.C.>Manchester United (Eng) | 4 - 1 Extra time>aet | Benfica (Por) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1966/1967>67 | Celtic F.C.>Celtic (Sco) | 2 - 1 | Inter Milan (Ita) | Estádio Nacional, Lisbon |
| 1965/1966>66 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 2 - 1 | Partizan Belgrade (Yug) | Heysel Stadium, Brussels |
| 1964/1965>65 | Internazionale>Inter Milan (Ita) | 1 - 0 | Benfica (Por) | San Siro, Milan |
| 1963/1964>64 | Internazionale>Inter Milan (Ita) | 3 - 1 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | Prater Stadium, Vienna |
| 1962/1963>63 | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | 2 - 1 | Benfica (Por) | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1961/1962>62 | SL Benfica>Benfica (Por) | 5 - 3 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam |
| 1960/1961>61 | SL Benfica>Benfica (Por) | 3 - 2 | Barcelona (Spa) | Wankdorf Stadium, Berne |
| 1959/1960>60 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 7 - 3 | (Germany>Ger) | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| 1958/1959>59 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 2 - 0 | (France>Fra) | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart |
| 1957/1958>58 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 3 - 2 Extra time>aet | AC Milan (Italy>Ita) | Heysel Stadium, Brussels |
| 1956/1957>57 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 2 - 0 | Fiorentina (Italy>Ita) | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| 1955/1956>56 | Real Madrid (Spain>Spa) | 4 - 3 | (France>Fra) | Parc des Princes, Paris |
''aet = after extra time; asdet = after sudden death extra time
- See also : List of sporting events