Champions League History

One of the most popular events in the betting world is the Champions League. Bets for the Champions League are approximately £1billion during the season which is a sign of how much the sport is enjoyed by many.

The Champions League began initially in 1955 with 16 teams participating. In European football, the league is holder of one of the largest and most prominent of tournaments and club competitions in European football. The competition ends with a UEFA Champions League final event that is one of the highest viewed television programs in the world. Champions League final tickets can cost up to £1000 each to attend in person.

The matches are not only attracting European attention, but they can be viewed in over 70 countries. The estimated number of people that watch is close to 110 million. In 2009, they actually beat the competition of the Superbowl viewings that same year and were the number one most viewed sporting event.

In September of 1955, the European Cup had its first match. The final outcome was a 3-3 draw involving Partizan and Sporting CP and Joao Baptista Martins who was on the Sporting CP team was the first person to score a goal.

The Champions League official anthem is the “Champions League” and the chorus is sung in English, German, and French languages. The song is played before the game and lasts about three minutes.
Over the years, the format of the championship has changed often. Between the years of 1955 and 1991 the format was knockout format that included one club per each country, which was also the current champion, and the defending champion. Between 1991 and 1993 there were three qualifying rounds of knockouts. The winner would face the defending champion. During 1993 and 1994, there was an addition of knockout semi-finals added. During 1994 – 1997 group phases of winners were used and one knockout qualifying round that ended with the league champion again facing the defending champion. Since the year 2009, another play- off game was introduced during the qualifier round of the Europa and Champions League.