Champions League Slots For Each Country

  

To get you in the mood for the tantalising match-up, here's a look back at all seven finals that have pit teams from the same country against each other. Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia (2000). E) If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic championship, both are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s).

The Champions League — formerly the European Cup — is the premier club soccer competition in the world, annually anointing a new champion to the team in Europe able to navigate a gauntlet of matches to reign supreme. The Champions League list of winners is a history of club football at its best — the teams that defined eras as much as any World Cup winner.

In the past, The18 has given you lists of the players with the most Champions League titles and the clubs with the most Champions League final losses. But this Champions League list of winners is greatness defined, the clubs that proved they were the best in the world — or at least on the most successful footballing continent.

For our Champions League list of winners we will actually feature three lists. First will be a list of the clubs to have claimed the most Champions Leagues (and European Cups, as the competition was known before 1992). The second will be a complete list of each Champions League winner, by year. The final list will be a compilation of most Champions League titles by country.

Champions League List Of Winners By Club

#1: Real Madrid — 13

1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018

From the very start of the competition, no club comes close to Real Madrid’s dominance in European football. Los Blancos claimed the first five European Cups and more recently won four in a five-year span with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos leading the way.

No player has won more European club championships than Paco Gento, who won the first five and captained the club to a sixth in 1966. Ronaldo is in a tie for second-most titles with five, four of which came for Los Merengues.

Real Madrid has also finished runner-up three times — twice in the 1960s and once more in 1981.

#2: AC Milan — 7

1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007

From 1989 to 2007, the Rossoneri played in eight finals, winning five of them, with the legendary Paolo Maldini (and Alessandro Costacurta) on the squad for each one.

Milan’s four Champions League final losses rank fourth all time.

#3: Bayern Munich — 6

1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020

The German giants won three straight in the 1970s behind the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, three legends of the game.

Bayern has also lost five UCL finals, second-most all time.

#3: Liverpool — 6

1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019

#5: Barcelona — 5

1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015

Barcelona didn’t win a European Cup until the last edition, but its four Champions League trophies trail only rival Real Madrid for most in the UCL era.

The core of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi were pivotal in a run of four titles in nine years, when Barcelona was one of the best teams of all time.

#6: Ajax — 4

1971, 1972, 1973, 1995

Before Bayern went on its run of three straight, Ajax claimed three straight European Cups of its own from 1971-73. Led by the inimitable Johan Cruyff, the Ajax side changed the way football was played — eventually taking that style to Barcelona with Rinus Michels and Cruyff both leaving the Netherlands for Spain.

#7: Inter Milan — 3

1964, 1965, 2010

Inter claimed back-to-back titles in the 1960s thanks to coach Helenio Herrera and midfielder Luis Suárez. Not until Jose Mourinho was with the squad would the Nerazzurri claim another European crown.

#7: Manchester United — 3

1968, 1999, 2008

Sir Alex Ferguson guided the Red Devils to four Champions League finals, winning two of them. Coach Matt Busby and captain Bobby Charlton helped Manchester United to its first European success in 1968.

#9: Juventus — 2

1985, 1996

No club has lost more Champions League or European Cup finals than Juventus’ seven. But take nothing away from the two European trophies it did win in 1985 and 1996.

#9: Benfica — 2

1961, 1962

Benfica was once poised to be a European giant. Then the curse of Béla Gutmann struck.

#9: Nottingham Forest — 2

1979, 1980

Each

Back in the day, there were clubs other than the Big Six that actually succeeded in England and Europe. Forest, led by manager Brian Clough, claimed back-to-back titles in 1979 and 1980, something no other English Club has done since.

#9: Porto — 2

1987, 2004

Porto is the last club outside of England, Germany, Spain and Italy to win the Champions League, with Jose Mourinho leading the Portuguese side past Didier Deschamps’ Monaco in 2004.

#13: 10 tied with 1

Celtic (1967), Feyenoord (1970), Aston Villa (1982), Hamburg (1983), Steaua Bucuresti (1986), PSV Eindhoven (1988), Red Star Belgrade (1991), Marseille (1993), Borussia Dortmund (1997), Chelsea (2012)

These one-hit wonders may not have claimed multiple Champions League titles, but they’ve still won more than many clubs some might consider to have greater status, such as Arsenal, Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.

Champions League List Of Winners By Year

(European Cup)

1956 — Real Madrid
1957 — Real Madrid
1958 — Real Madrid
1959 — Real Madrid
1960 — Real Madrid
1961 — Benfica
1962 — Benfica
1963 — AC Milan
1964 — Inter Milan
1965 — Inter Milan
1966 — Real Madrid
1967 — Celtic
1968 — Manchester United
1969 — AC Milan
1970 — Feyenoord
1971 — Ajax
1972 — Ajax
1973 — Ajax
1974 — Bayern Munich
1975 — Bayern Munich
1976 — Bayern Munich
1977 — Liverpool
1978 — Liverpool
1979 — Nottingham Forest
1980 — Nottingham Forest
1981 — Liverpool
1982 — Aston Villa
1983 — Hamburg
1984 — Liverpool
1985 — Juventus
1986 — Steaua Bucuresti
1987 — Porto
1988 — PSV Eindhoven
1989 — AC Milan
1990 — AC Milan
1991 — Red Star Belgrade
1992 — Barcelona

(Champions League)

1993 — Marseille
1994 — AC Milan
1995 — Ajax
1996 — Juventus
1997 — Borussia Dortmund
1998 — Real Madrid
1999 — Manchester United
2000 — Real Madrid
2001 — Bayern Munich
2002 — Real Madrid
2003 — AC Milan
2004 — Porto
2005 — Liverpool
2006 — Barcelona
2007 — AC Milan
2008 — Manchester United
2009 — Barcelona
2010 — Inter Milan
2011 — Barcelona
2012 — Chelsea
2013 — Bayern Munich
2014 — Real Madrid
2015 — Barcelona
2016 — Real Madrid
2017 — Real Madrid
2018 — Real Madrid
2019 — Liverpool
2020 — Bayern Munich

Champions League List Of Winners By Country

#1: Spain — 18
#2: England — 13
#3: Italy — 12
#4: Germany — 8
#5: Netherlands — 6
#6: Portugal — 4
#7: France, Romania, Scotland, Yugoslavia — 1

Qualifying phase

Qualifying-phase matches are played according to the cup (knockout) system, with each club playing each opponent twice, in home and away matches. The team which scores the greater aggregate of goals in the two matches qualifies for the next stage (second qualifying round, third qualifying round, fourth qualifying round or UEFA Champions League group stage, as applicable).The clubs defeated in the first and second qualifying rounds are eliminated from the competition. The clubs defeated in the third qualifying round are entitled to play in the fourth qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League in progress. The clubs defeated in the fourth qualifying round are entitled to play in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in progress. Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.

Group stage

Once the play-offs have been completed, the 32 remaining clubs are drawn into eight groups of four. Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn into the same group. Each club plays one home and one away match against each other club in its group. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a defeat. If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (in descending order):

a) higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
b) superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
c) higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;
d) higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question;
e) if, after having applied criteria a) to d), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to d) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the two teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria f) to l) apply;
f) superior goal difference from all group matches played;
g) higher number of goals scored from all group matches played;
h) higher number of away goals scored in all group matches;
i) higher number of wins in all group matches;
j) higher number of away wins in all group matches;
k) lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received in all group matches (red card = 3 points, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point);
l) higher club coefficient.

The eight group-winners and eight runners-up of the group stage qualify for the round of 16. The clubs that finish this stage in third position in their group move into the round of 32 of the current UEFA Europa League. The clubs that finish this stage in fourth position in their group are eliminated. The four best third-ranked teams are seeded for the UEFA Europa League round of 32. This ranking is determined in accordance with the following criteria (in descending order):

a) higher number of points obtained in the group matches
b) superior goal difference
c) higher number of goals scored
d) higher number of away goals scored
e) higher number of wins
f) higher number of away wins
g) lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received in all group matches
h) higher club coefficient.

Round of 16

The round of 16 pairings are determined by means of a draw. The round of 16 is played under the knockout system, on a home-and-away basis (two legs). The UEFA administration ensures that the following principles are respected.

a) Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.
b) Group winners must be drawn against runners-up from a different group.
e) The runners-up play the first leg at home.

Champions League Slots For Each Country

The team which scores the greater aggregate of goals in the two matches qualifies for the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals

The eight winners of the round of 16 contest the quarter-finals. The quarter-final pairings are determined by means of a draw. The quarter-finals are played under the knockout system, on a home-and-away basis (two legs). The team which scores the greater aggregate of goals in the two matches qualifies for the semi-finals.

Semi-finals

The four winners of the quarter-finals contest the semi-finals. The semi-final pairings are determined by means of a draw. The semi-finals are played under the knockout system, on a home-and-away basis (two legs). The team which scores the greater aggregate of goals in the two matches qualifies for the final.

Final

The final is played as one single match at a neutral venue. If the result stands as a draw at the end of normal playing time, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes is played. If one of the teams scores more goals than the other during extra time, that team is declared the winner. If the two teams are still equal after extra time, the winner is determined by kicks from the penalty mark.

Away goals and extra time under the knockout system

For matches played under the knockout system, if the two teams involved in a tie score the same number of goals over the two legs, the team which scores more away goals qualifies for the next stage. If this procedure does not produce a result, i.e. if both teams score the same number of goals at home and away, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played at the end of the second leg. If, during extra time, both teams score the same number of goals, away goals count double (i.e. the visiting club qualifies). If no goals are scored during extra time, kicks from the penalty mark determine which club qualifies for the next stage.

Seeding of clubs

The UEFA administration seeds clubs for the qualifying phase and the group stage in the UEFA Champions League, in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season and with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. If, for any unforeseen reason, any of the participants in such rounds are not known at the time of the draw, the coefficient of the club with the higher coefficient of the two clubs involved in an undecided tie will be used for the purposes of the draw.

For the qualifying phase, a draw between the same number of seeded and unseeded clubs determines the pairings, in accordance with the club coefficient ranking established at the beginning of the season. The UEFA administration may form groups, in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

For the purpose of the draw, the 32 clubs involved in the group stage are seeded into four groups of eight. The first group comprises the titleholder (top seed) and the domestic champions of the seven top-ranked associations in accordance with the access list. If the titleholder is one of the top seven associations' domestic champions, the group is completed with the champion of the association ranked eight. The other three groups are composed in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season.

For the round of 16, the group-winners are seeded above the runners-up. There is no seeding in quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Champions League Spots Per Country

Ties

Uefa Champions League Spots Per Country

The ties are determined by means of a draw. The club drawn first plays the first leg of the tie at home. The UEFA administration may decide that a tie be played in one leg, if circumstances so require, and will set the principles for determining the winner accordingly.

Titleholder

The UEFA Champions League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the group stage even if it does not qualify for the competition through its domestic championship. If the UEFA Champions League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Europa League is decreased by one. The created vacancy is rebalanced accordingly and priority for the UEFA Europa League is given to the domestic cup winners (in accordance with the entry stage as per the access list).

The UEFA Europa League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the competition as a minimum in the play-offs. It will have priority filling a vacancy created in the group stage or in the play-offs by the UEFA Champions League titleholder. Exceptionally, an association may be represented by five clubs in the competition if the UEFA Champions League and/or UEFA Europa League titleholder does not also qualify through its domestic championship.

Champions League Qualifying By Country

If the UEFA Champions League titleholder and the UEFA Europa League titleholder come from the same association and do not qualify for the competition through their domestic championship, one of the following scenarios applies:
a) If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and both titleholders qualify for the UEFA Europa League through their domestic championship, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage where a vacancy is created). In this case, the association of the titleholders is entitled to one additional place (total of five) in the UEFA Champions League, but the combined number of places to which it is entitled in the two competitions does not change.
b) If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and only one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic championship, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage and the access list will be rebalanced accordingly). In this case, the association of the titleholders is entitled to one additional place (total of five) in the UEFA Champions League, but the number of places to which it is entitled in the UEFA Europa League does not change.
c) If the association is entitled to four places in the UEFA Champions League and neither titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic championship, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage and the access list will be rebalanced accordingly). In this case, the association of the titleholders is entitled to one additional place (total of five) in the UEFA Champions League and one additional place (total of four) in the UEFA Europa League.

Champions League Slots For Each Country Won

d) If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and both titleholders qualify for the UEFA Europa League through their domestic championship, they are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number of places to which the association of the titleholders is entitled in the two competitions does not change.
e) If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic championship, both are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number of places to which the association of the titleholders is entitled in the two competitions is increased by one.
f) If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and neither titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic championship, both are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number of places to which the association of the titleholders is entitled in the two competitions is increased by two.