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Champions League Guide: All About The UCL

The History of the UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, as we know it today, goes back to the European Cup of National Champions, which was first played in the 1955/56 season. On 4 September 1955, the first matchday of the European Cup of National Champions took place. The national champions of all European countries were eligible to participate in this first official European tournament for club teams. At that time, the competition was played exclusively in the knockout system, without any seed lists. To date, teams from ten different football associations and nine different nations have won the Trophy. 

In 1992 there was a fundamental modification of the tournament, because from that point on not only the national champions qualified for the competition but also the second, third and fourth place finishers of the stronger football associations. That was at the expense of the national champions of the weaker associations, and here especially to the disadvantage of the Eastern European nations. Due to the modification, the competition was renamed the "Champions League". Real Madrid is the most successful team in the competition with 13 titles (since 1955/56, i.e. including the European Cup of National Champions), followed by AC Milan with seven titles and FC Liverpool with six titles. The most successful German club, as might be expected, is FC Bayern Munich with five titles. Together with FC Barcelona, this puts them in 4th place among the most successful Champions League teams, if you measure them by the titles alone. 

However, measured by the number of finals appearances, only Real Madrid with 16 final appearances and AC Milan with their 11 are ahead of FC Bayern, who have reached the Champions League final ten times - the last time in 2013 when FC Bayern beat arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the "German final". Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, won the Champions League in 1997 - and in Munich's Olympic Stadium, of all places, when they defeated Juventus Turin 3-1. The sensational goal by Lars Ricken, which decided the game, is unforgettable. Also against Juventus, the Hamburg native was able to climb the European football throne in 1983. The game ended 1-0 for HSV, with Felix Magath winning the trophy for his team with a successful long-range shot.  

At the start of the following season, the Champions League winner will then meet the UEFA Europa League winner in the European Supercup match, and in December he will play as UEFA representative for the FIFA Club World Cup against the continental champions of the other continental associations.

The UEFA Champions League is the most-watched sporting event in the world. Most recently, more than 350 million viewers from all over the world watched the strength of the best European teams - and the trend is still rising.

The Format of the UEFA Champions League

The Champions League has changed its game mode from time to time. In the first season, 1955/56 the tournament was played on the basis of knockout matches only. However, this format was changed in 1992 to make way for the current UEFA Champions League. In the 1990s, the model and the number of participants were changed fundamentally several times. The last fundamental change in the mode of play and the number of participants occurred after the 2001/02 season when the intermediate round was replaced by knockout matches in the round of 16. Since then, only the preliminary round has been played in the form of group matches, with the 32 starters in the group stage divided into eight groups of four teams each, in which each team plays against the other three teams in the group in the return match. Accordingly, the group stage comprises six matches per group. After the round of sixteen, the competition then continues with knockout rounds of first and second leg matches until the final, where the winner is determined in a single match at a neutral venue determined by UEFA several years earlier.

In the group stage, the best two out of four teams in each group then advance to the round of sixteen, while the third-placed teams switch competitions and then continue playing in the Europa League after the winter break.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will then be played in the same way as the round of sixteen in knockout rounds of first and second leg matches. The only difference to the round of sixteen is that, from the quarter-finals onwards, teams from the same national association can play against each other. Similarly, teams that have already played against each other in the group stage can now meet again, which was ruled out for the round of sixteen. If the first and second legs both end in a draw or an aggregate draw (for example, a 2-1 win in the first leg and a 0-1 defeat in the second leg), the team that scored more goals away from home qualifies for the next round. Only if the number of goals scored away is also the same does the return leg go into extra time, which consists of two short halves of 15 minutes each. If there is still no winner after extra time, the qualifier for the next round is determined by a penalty shoot-out. Formally, however, wins on penalties are not counted as wins in the statistics (this is of course only relevant in cases where both matches ended in a draw). The subsequent final will then determine not only the King of European club football but also the qualifier for participation in the European Supercup and the UEFA representative for the FIFA Club World Cup. Historically, UEFA clubs have always been the favourites, as the top European teams are also very dominant at the global level.

Champions League Records - Which Teams Have the Most Titles?

A total of 22 teams have been able to win the most coveted European trophy in club football since the European Cup of National Champions was founded. Real Madrid has won 13 titles, followed by AC Milan with seven and Liverpool FC with six. Take a look below at the ranking of the clubs that have won the handle pot most often:

• 1st Real Madrid - 13 titles (3 times second place)
• 2nd AC Milan - 7 titles (4 times second place)
• 3rd FC Liverpool - 6 titles (3 times second place)
• 4th FC Bayern Munich - 5 titles (5 times second place)
• 5th FC Barcelona - 5 titles (3 times second place)
• 6th Ajax Amsterdam - 4 titles (2 times second place)
• 7th Inter Milan - 3 titles (2 times second place)
• 7th Manchester United - 3 titles (2 times second place)
• 9th Juventus Turin - 2 titles (7 times second place)
• 10th Benfica Lisbon - 2 titles (5 times second place)
• 11th FC Chelsea - 2 titles (1-time second place)
• 12th Nottingham Forest - 2 titles
• 12th FC Porto - 2 titles
• 14th Celtic Glasgow - 1 title (1-time second place)
• 14th Hamburger SV - 1 title (1-time second place)
• 14th Steaua Bucharest - 1 title (1-time second place)
• 14th Olympique Marseille - 1 title (1-time second place)
• 14th Borussia Dortmund - 1 title (1-time second place)
• 14th FC Chelsea - 1 title (1-time second place)
• 20th Feyenoord Rotterdam - 1 title
• 20th Aston Villa - 1 title
• 20th PSV Eindhoven - 1 title
• 20th Red Star Belgrade - 1 title

Record Scorers in The Champions League Throughout Its History

To be on the list of record scorers in the Champions League means having reached the Olympus of European and world football. Accordingly, the list of record scorers in the Champions League includes some of the greatest legends in the history of football such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the older generations of players, in particular, will be gradually pushed out of the rankings, as there have simply been fewer European Cup matches in the past and, of course, more top strikers will be added over time, who will simply play more games than players like Alfredo di Stéfano or Gerd Müller, if they also play for a top club over the years, which survives a few rounds of competition almost every year. This should be taken into account in order to keep an eye on certain comparability of performances. However, currently - as of 2020 - the list of the 10 record scorers in the Champions League looks as follows:

• 1st Cristiano Ronaldo - 134 goals in 176 games (as of 2021 - still active)
• 2nd. Lionel Messi - 120 goals in 149 games (as of 2021 - still active)
• 3rd. Robert Lewandowski - 73 goals in 96 games (as of 2021 - still active)
• 4th Karim Benzema - 71 goals in 130 games (as of 2021 - still active)
• 4th Raúl González Blanco - 71 goals in 142 games
• 6th Ruud van Nistelrooy - 56 goals in 73 games
• 7th Thierry Henry - 50 goals in 112 games
• 8th Alfredo Di Stefano - 49 goals in 58 games
• 9th Andriy Shevchenko - 48 goals in 100 games
• 10th Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 48 goals in 120 games

Best Coaches in the History of the Champions League 

Of course, the coaches also have a major role to play in the history of the Champions League. And some of the most successful coaches have even won the Champions League as players before. These include Miguel Muñoz (Real Madrid), Johan Cruyff (with Ajax Amsterdam as a player, and FC Barcelona as a coach), Carlo Ancelotti (with AC Milan as a player, and with AC Milan and Real Madrid as a coach), Frank Rijkaard (with AC Milan as a player, and FC Barcelona as coach), Pep Guardiola (FC Barcelona) and Zinedine Zidane (with Juventus Turin and Real Madrid as a player, and Real Madrid as coach).

Behind them comes a series of coaches who have won two titles, such as Pep Guardiola, Alex Ferguson, Vicente Del Bosque, Helenio Herrera and Arrigo Sacchi. José Mourinho, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Ernst Happel and Jupp Heynckes have even managed to do so with different teams.

If we look at the combined number of titles as players and coaches, Miguel Muñoz and Carlo Ancelotti are in first place with five titles each, followed by Frank Rijkaard (4), Johan Cruyff (4) and Zinedine Zidane (4).

The Most Consistent Champions League participants

The UEFA Champions League starts with a total of 80 teams from all associations affiliated to UEFA, classified according to coefficients. The coefficients determine how many teams from each country participate. The first qualifying rounds bring together the teams from the associations with the lowest coefficients (Gibraltar, Andorra, Kosovo and San Marino) to advance to the group stage, where seven qualifiers from the qualifying phase join 24 teams that have qualified directly for the Champions League by finishing in their national league, plus the Champions League winner or the next team from their national association. Together these 32 teams form the group phase of the Champions League. Many of the current participants are old friends who qualify for the Champions League almost every year. 

However, the top 10 list of the most frequent participants does not include many large teams that one would probably expect to find here, such as FC Barcelona, FC Liverpool or AC Milan. This is mainly due to the fact that in the European Cup of National Champions - that is, until 1991 - only one team per country could qualify for the competition. In the medium to long term, however, some of the current top teams are likely to advance to this list, with FC Barcelona now likely to qualify every year, while Celtic Glasgow, Dynamo Kyiv, RSC Anderlecht and Olympiakos Piraeus will not, as these teams will no longer be able to qualify for the premier league every year due to changes in the Champions League mode. The teams that have so far participated most often in the Champions League or its predecessor - the European Cup of National Champions - are the following as of 2020:

• 1st Real Madrid - 50 times
• 2. Benfica Lisbon - 39 times
• 3rd Bayern Munich - 36 times
• 3rd Dynamo Kyiv - 36 times
• 3rd Ajax Amsterdam - 36 times
• 6th RSC Anderlecht - 34 times
• 6th Juventus Turin - 34 times
• 6th FC Porto - 34 times
• 6th Celtic Glasgow - 34 times
• 10th Olympiakos Piraeus - 31 times

Today’s Champions League Live Scores

In the live area, you will find everything about the Champions League games of each match day. The live results are updated in real-time and you will find very comprehensive information about all events on the courts throughout Europe. By clicking on the "Live" button you can filter by matches that are currently being played. With just one click, you can follow the results of the premier league in the UCL Live Ticker and also view live odds for your favourite team or other interesting live betting odds.

Upcoming Champions League Games

Every match in the UEFA Champions League can be found on Oddspedia. Check the calendar from qualification to the group stage. The data is always updated after the end of the match. You can also check the next matches of your favourite teams. A total of 79 teams participate in the Champions League and play the qualifying rounds from June to May of the following year to decide who is the new football king of Europe. All this information about the UEFA Champions League can of course be found on Oddspedia.

The Champions League actually starts in June, just a few weeks after the end of the previous season. It begins with the first qualifying round with the teams with the worst UEFA coefficient (San Marino, Kosovo, Gibraltar and Andorra) and then continues with two further qualifying rounds before the play-offs to determine the four out of eight teams that have survived these rounds and reach the draw for the Champions League group stage. The group stage is made up of eight groups of four teams each, with the top two in each group qualifying for the round of sixteen. And the third-placed team will also spend the winter in Europe and continue playing in the UEFA Europa League games after the winter break.

In the group phase of the Champions League, there are six matchdays between mid-September and December, so each team plays twice against each of its group rivals, once on home ground and once on foreign ground. This is followed by the draw for the round of sixteen, where 16 of the 32 group stage starters are still in the draw. They will then progress through the quarter-finals and semi-finals in knockout rounds of first- and second-leg matches until the final at the end of May, which will be played in a single match at a venue chosen by UEFA, which are always stadiums with at least 60,000 spectators, usually very modern stadiums. Champions League matches are normally played at two different times (18.55 and 21.00 CET), depending on the time zone in which they are played. However, Oddspedia always shows you the starting times according to the time zone you are in. So you don't have to worry about this when you get this information from our website.

Champions League Live Results

The Champions League results for this or earlier seasons are available on Oddspedia. You can browse our calendar to see the results between the different teams in the Champions League in previous seasons. Filter them by season or date to see the season you are interested in. Champions League results are also available by match day, round or week. Select the match day and group where you want to see Champions League results from previous seasons. You can then not only see the final results of the Champions League games, but also the goal scorers, preparers, comments from the Oddspedia community, match comments, statistics and the odds history.

Group Stage Tables with Live Updates

Check the Champions League group tables in the group stage to see what your favourite team's chances are of reaching the next round of competition. You can also keep an eye on the football teams that finish third to see which teams will be allowed to continue playing in at least the Europa League after the winter break. The first two teams in the groups advance to the round of sixteen, where they cannot meet teams from their own group or country. The third team in the group qualify for the last-32 finals of the Europa League. As soon as the playoffs begin, the excitement mounts, because now absolute heavyweights of European football can meet in the round of sixteen, and one of the teams will of course always be eliminated, so the competition is really enormous, especially from the Champions League round of sixteen onwards.

UCL News and Headlines

Oddspedia will also keep you up to date with the latest news about the UEFA Champions League so that you will not miss any events related to the most important continental competition in Europe.  
You can see all the Champions League news and events in our UCL News section. The headlines come from numerous international media houses, including the most prestigious sports and football media, so you can find out everything that is going on in the Champions League. If something important happens at a Champions League participant or around the Champions League, you will be the first to know through Oddspedia.

In this section, you will also find match previews, match reports, statements by players on and off the pitch and UEFA announcements relating to UCL. And of course, you will also find out everything about new commitments of Champions League participants. Also, do not miss out on any of the novelties of the tournaments or the Champions League Awards, which are awarded every year for both men and women. Oddspedia keeps you up to date on everything. 

Betting - Grab the Best Odds for The Next Matches

Are you a Champions League betting fan? Oddspedia is your website to get everything you need to get the most out of your bets. On our site, you can see which betting companies offer you the best odds on every Champions League game. 

Even for quite specific Champions League bets, you will find on Oddspedia the odds of all bookmakers offering this betting market - always adapted to the country or geographical area you are in. As already mentioned, there are numerous betting markets available.

Odds Comparison - Make More Money from Your Bets

We recommend all Champions League fans visit Oddspedia to get the best odds in the Champions League. We have odds for dozens of bookmakers betting markets from all over the world, and Oddspedia only shows you those where you can place a bet based on the geographical area you are currently in.

Discover the best odds for the UEFA Champions League - the most important club competition in the world, which electrifies football fans not only in Europe but worldwide as the Champions League brings together the world's strongest players. Oddspedia provides you with everything you need to research the best odds for the Champions League.

Who Will Win the Trophy - Outright Betting on The UCL Winner

In Oddspedia you can see the odds of all serious bookmakers on the winner of the Champions League. Of course, you will also find extensive statistics on our website, so that you can form an informed opinion and place a maximum promising bet on the basis of this. As far as the favourites are concerned, the current titleholder is of course always one of the top favourites, at least as long as he is still in the competition. And even if they are not the current titleholder, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and FC Bayern are among the closer favourites every year. Juventus Turin, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City also have good chances of winning the title.

Of course, you can also bet on which teams will make it through the group stage or who will be the group winner or third in a group to continue playing in the Europa League. Oddspedia therefore also provides you with odds on numerous options for Champions League long-term and season betting.

1x2 Betting  

The most classic of all bets is to bet on the winner of a game, also known as 1X2. And of course, it is also the most popular of all bets with a view to the Champions League. There are three possible outcomes: Win, draw and lose. You will always see this betting market immediately, as it appears at the top of the list due to its popularity. So here you can see the odds of all betting providers for the upcoming Champions League games and you can easily filter for the best odds by Oddspedias odds comparison.

Accumulator Betting

One of the best ways to bet on the Champions League is to do it with combination bets, as you can win a lot of money with a minimal investment. Combined betting on the Champions League consists of several individual bets on Champions League matches and the proceeds are calculated based on the value of each individual bet. You should also take advantage of the Champions League combo betting promotions offered by many bookmakers, as they are very popular. For example, a very popular promotion is to bet on multiple games, and if you miss just one of them, you will get your bet back. The winnings that you can make with combination bets are really great, and if you can minimise the risk with such a promotion, for example, you should not hesitate to take up such an offer and then at best make a good profit, and if things do not go so well, simply get your bet refunded.

Best Bookmakers and Bonuses for The Champions League  

UEFA Champions League games are very attractive to bookmakers around the world, as they are looking for the advantage of strong competition and want to publish various offers during the week. But which of them is better for you as a user? In Oddspedia we will try to provide you with all the information about Champions League games so that you can easily find the best odds for your bets. We compare all the bookmakers and rank them by different factors. For example, you will find the bookmaker that offers the best odds on the Champions League as well as special promotions on European football competitions. You will find the complete rating of each bookie with relevant information that you should read carefully with regard to the possibilities and options for live betting, payment methods, bonuses, offers etc.

In Oddspedia you not only have a general comparison of odds and betting providers, but the comparison is based on a geolocation system so that you only see those bookmakers that accept customers from your country. Our geolocation system shows you the bookmakers depending on where you are. If you are currently on a trip abroad, you can of course manually adjust it.

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