History, history, history... Football's premier club competition dates back to 1955, when Gabriel Hanot, editor of French sports daily L'Equipe petitioned UEFA to set up a competition for some of the most popular teams in Europe's various domestic leagues.
Meetings were held in April of 1955 with representatives of Europe's most popular clubs and a set of competition rules was established. The first game in UEFA Champions League history kicked off between Sporting Club de Lisbon and FK Partizan. Off course, it wasn't known as the UEFA Champions League back then. It was originally called the European Champion Clubs' Cup or 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 each for the competition. The UEFA Champions League should not be confused with the UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA 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. 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 Chelsea, after beating Bayern Munich 4–3 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw after extra time. The major turning point in the evolution of the competition came in the 1992/93 season when the UEFA Champions League, involving a group stage in addition to the traditional knockout elements, was officially inaugurated after a pilot round robin during the previous season. The popularity of the group phase means the competition has grown from eight to 32 teams with matches taking place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays across Europe. |
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What is UEFA?
The Union of European Football Associations also referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative body for association football in Europe and, partially, Asia. It is one one of six continental confederations of world football's governing body FIFA. UEFA consists of fifty-three national associations members.
UEFA represents the national football associations of Europe, runs nation and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those competitions.
UEFA was founded on June 15, 1954 in Basel after consultation between Italian, French, and Belgian associations. Initially the European football union was accounted for 25 members which later doubled by the early 1990s. Not all sovereign countries of Europe are members of UEFA, yet all of those are micro states. Several countries that geographically located in Asia were also admitted to the European football association, particularly Israel and Kazakhstan that in the past were members of the Asian football association.
Until 1959 the main headquarters was located in Paris, and later in Bern. Since 1995 UEFA headquarters transferred to Nyon, Switzerland. Henri Delaunay was the first General Secretary and Ebbe Schwartz the first president. The current president is Michel Platini.
The guiding principle of the initiators in the early 1950s was the fostering and development of unity and solidarity among the European football community. Now, over 50 years later, UEFA's mission remains very much the same. But it has also become the 'guardian' of football in Europe, protecting and nurturing the well-being of the sport at all levels, from the elite and its stars to the thousands who play the game as a hobby.
In 1960, UEFA had a full-time staff of just three people. That figure has risen steadily through the years as the organisation has reacted to changing circumstances. Today, over 340 people of more than 29 different nationalities – administrators, secretaries, IT specialists, coaches, journalists, translators – are employed at UEFA's administrative HQ located in the town of Nyon, on the shores of Lake Geneva in western Switzerland.
Over the decades, UEFA has developed from a mainly administrative body into a dynamic organisation that is in tune with the vast requirements of modern-day football. UEFA is a sporting authority which does not have the powers of a government; it represents Europe's national football associations, and can only act in accordance with the wishes of these associations.
When UEFA was founded, the body comprised 25 national associations. The number of member associations rose gradually until the beginning of the 1990s, when political developments in eastern Europe and the fragmentation of the USSR led to a rapid growth in the number of new associations. Consequently, there are now 53 associations under UEFA's wing.
UEFA represents the national football associations of Europe, runs nation and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those competitions.
UEFA was founded on June 15, 1954 in Basel after consultation between Italian, French, and Belgian associations. Initially the European football union was accounted for 25 members which later doubled by the early 1990s. Not all sovereign countries of Europe are members of UEFA, yet all of those are micro states. Several countries that geographically located in Asia were also admitted to the European football association, particularly Israel and Kazakhstan that in the past were members of the Asian football association.
Until 1959 the main headquarters was located in Paris, and later in Bern. Since 1995 UEFA headquarters transferred to Nyon, Switzerland. Henri Delaunay was the first General Secretary and Ebbe Schwartz the first president. The current president is Michel Platini.
The guiding principle of the initiators in the early 1950s was the fostering and development of unity and solidarity among the European football community. Now, over 50 years later, UEFA's mission remains very much the same. But it has also become the 'guardian' of football in Europe, protecting and nurturing the well-being of the sport at all levels, from the elite and its stars to the thousands who play the game as a hobby.
In 1960, UEFA had a full-time staff of just three people. That figure has risen steadily through the years as the organisation has reacted to changing circumstances. Today, over 340 people of more than 29 different nationalities – administrators, secretaries, IT specialists, coaches, journalists, translators – are employed at UEFA's administrative HQ located in the town of Nyon, on the shores of Lake Geneva in western Switzerland.
Over the decades, UEFA has developed from a mainly administrative body into a dynamic organisation that is in tune with the vast requirements of modern-day football. UEFA is a sporting authority which does not have the powers of a government; it represents Europe's national football associations, and can only act in accordance with the wishes of these associations.
When UEFA was founded, the body comprised 25 national associations. The number of member associations rose gradually until the beginning of the 1990s, when political developments in eastern Europe and the fragmentation of the USSR led to a rapid growth in the number of new associations. Consequently, there are now 53 associations under UEFA's wing.