History of UEFA Champions League in Timeline

The UEFA Champions League is an annual club football competition organized by UEFA, featuring top European clubs. It starts with a league phase, progressing to double-legged knockout rounds, culminating in a single-leg final. It's the most-watched club competition globally and among the most prestigious football tournaments, primarily involving national league champions.

1966: Real Madrid receives original Champions League trophy

In 1966, Real Madrid was given the original European Cup in recognition of their six titles to date.

1967: Current European Champion Clubs' Cup awarded

In 1967, the current version of the European Champion Clubs' Cup began being awarded to the winning team each year.

1968: Champions League trophy awarded permanently to winning teams

From the 1968–69 season until the 2008–09 season, any team that won the Champions League three years in a row or five times overall was awarded the official trophy permanently.

1991: UEFA partners with TEAM to brand the Champions League

In 1991, UEFA collaborated with TEAM to establish the Champions League brand identity, which included the creation of an anthem, a black and white or silver color scheme, a logo, and the "starball".

1992: Sponsorship model for Champions League established

In 1992, when the Champions League was created, a sponsorship model was adopted allowing a maximum of eight multinational corporations to sponsor the event, ensuring maximum exposure through advertising boards, logo placement, and tickets.

1996: Rangers wear Center Parcs logo due to alcohol advertising restriction

In the 1996–97 Champions League, when Rangers played against French side Auxerre, they wore the logo of the holiday chain Center Parcs instead of their primary sponsor, McEwan's Lager, due to alcohol advertising restrictions in France.

1999: Champions League qualification system in place

From 1999 to 2008, the 16 top-ranked teams from the biggest domestic leagues qualified directly for the Champions League group stage, with preliminary knockout rounds for the remaining teams.

1999: Starball logo recognition reaches 94 percent among fans

In 1999, research conducted by TEAM revealed that the 'starball' logo achieved a recognition rate of 94 percent among football fans.

2005: UEFA allows Liverpool to enter Champions League

In 2005, UEFA granted Liverpool special dispensation to enter the Champions League after they won the competition the previous year but did not qualify through their Premier League position, resulting in England having five qualifying teams.

2005: Liverpool and Artmedia Bratislava reach Champions League group stage

In 2005–06, Liverpool and Artmedia Bratislava became the first teams to reach the Champions League group stage after playing in all three qualifying rounds.

2007: Platini proposes taking a Champions League spot from top leagues

In 2007, UEFA president Michel Platini proposed taking one Champions League spot from the top three leagues with four entrants and allocating it to each nation's cup winners, but this proposal was rejected.

2008: End of Champions League qualification system

Between 1999 and 2008, the 16 top-ranked teams from the biggest domestic leagues qualified directly for the Champions League group stage. The 16 top-ranked teams spread across the biggest domestic leagues qualified directly for the tournament group stage. Prior to this, three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds whittled down the remaining teams, with teams starting in different rounds.

2008: UEFA retains ownership of Champions League trophy

Since 2008, the official Champions League trophy has remained with UEFA, and the winning clubs are awarded a replica instead of permanent ownership.

2011: Tottenham Hotspur finishes fourth in the 2011-12 Premier League

In the 2011-12 Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth.

May 2012: Tottenham Hotspur fails to qualify for Champions League

In May 2012, despite finishing fourth in the 2011–12 Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur did not qualify for the 2012–13 Champions League because Chelsea, who finished below them, won the 2012 Champions League final.

2012: UEFA introduces LED advertising hoardings

From the 2012–13 knockout phase, UEFA used LED advertising hoardings installed in knockout participant stadiums, including the final.

2012: Arsène Wenger refers to Champions League qualification as "4th Place Trophy"

In 2012, Arsène Wenger referred to qualifying for the Champions League by finishing in the top four places in the Premier League as the "4th Place Trophy". At Arsenal's 2012 AGM, Wenger was also quoted as saying: "For me there are five trophies every season: Premier League, Champions League, the third is to qualify for the Champions League..."

2012: Champions League final viewership data

In 2012, the final of the Champions League was the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. The final of the 2012–13 tournament had the competition's highest TV ratings to date, drawing approximately 360 million television viewers.

May 2013: UEFA Europa League winners to qualify for Champions League

In May 2013, it was decided that from the 2015–16 season onwards, the winners of the UEFA Europa League would qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

2015: UEFA uses LED hoardings from play-off round

From the 2015–16 season onwards, UEFA has used LED advertising hoardings from the play-off round until the final.

2015: UEFA Champions League Qualification Changes

Starting from the 2015–16 season, the winners of the previous season's UEFA Europa League would qualify for the UEFA Champions League, entering at least the play-off round, and entering the group stage if the berth reserved for the Champions League title holders was not used.

2015: UEFA limits Champions League entrants per association

Until 2015–16, UEFA regulations stipulated that no association could have more than four teams participating in the Champions League.

August 2016: Reforming plan for 2018-21 cycle announced

In August 2016, UEFA announced the reforming plan for the 2018–21 cycle, which was confirmed in December, ensuring that the top four teams in the top four leagues would receive automatic qualification for the group stage.

2017: UEFA Champions League qualification continues until 2017-18

From the 2015–16 season (and continuing at least for the three-year cycle until the 2017–18 season), the winners of the previous season's UEFA Europa League would qualify for the UEFA Champions League, entering at least the play-off round, and entering the group stage if the berth reserved for the Champions League title holders was not used.

2018: Top four teams in top leagues receive automatic qualification

In the reforming plan for the 2018–21 cycle, which was announced in August 2016 and confirmed in December, the top four teams in the top four leagues would receive automatic qualification for the group stage.

2018: Europa League winners receive automatic Champions League qualification

Starting from the 2018–19 season, the Europa League winner would receive automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage, with no additional entries required.

2019: Champions League revenue distribution

For the 2019–20 season, Paris Saint-Germain, who were the runners-up, earned nearly €126.8 million in total, of which €101.3 million was prize money, compared with the €125.46 million earned by Bayern Munich, who won the tournament and were awarded €112.96 million in prize money.

2019: Group Stage of Champions League

From September to December 2019, the group stage was played.

August 2020: Champions League format amended due to COVID-19

In August 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019–20 Champions League tournament was temporarily amended, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals being played as single match knockout ties at neutral venues in Lisbon, Portugal, and the final taking place on 23 August 2020.

2021: UEFA introduces Virtual Board Replacement technology

Since 2021, UEFA also used Virtual Board Replacement (VBR) technology to offer region-based advertising, inserting regional sponsors into the hoardings on broadcast feeds in specific regions along with global sponsors.

2021: UEFA Champions League Player of the Season award introduced

Starting from the 2021–22 edition, UEFA introduced the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season award.

2024: UEFA changes Champions League format

Beginning with the 2024–25 season, UEFA changed the format of their three club competitions, abandoning the group stage in favour of an expanded league phase.

2024: UEFA Champions League group stage format until 2024-25 season

Prior to the 2024–25 season, the UEFA Champions League featured a group stage of 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four.

2024: European Performance Spot introduced in Champions League

Starting from the 2024–25 season, the two associations with the highest coefficients from the previous season would receive an extra Champions League spot (known as European Performance Spot) into the league phase.