The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental governing bodies for association football. It oversees football, futsal, and beach football in Europe, including transcontinental countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, as well as West Asian nations such as Cyprus, Armenia, and Israel. UEFA comprises 55 national association members. However, since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA have jointly suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from participating in any FIFA and UEFA competitions.
June 1954: UEFA's Inauguration
UEFA was officially inaugurated in June 1954 in Basel, Switzerland. This followed consultations between Italian, French, and Belgian football associations. At the inaugural meeting, there were 25 members present, but an additional 6 associations who couldn't attend were recognized as founding members. This brought the total number of founding associations to 31.
1955: Start of European Champion Clubs' Cup
The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as the European Cup, commenced in 1955. This competition only included the top team from each country. It later evolved into the UEFA Champions League.
1955: Start of Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a predecessor to the UEFA Cup, began in 1955.
1958: Start of UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Championship, also known as the Euro, began in 1958.
1960: Start of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, another precursor to the UEFA Cup, began in 1960.
1960: First UEFA European Championship Finals
The first finals of the UEFA European Championship, then known as the European Nations Cup, took place in 1960.
1960: Relocation to Bern
UEFA's main headquarters moved to Bern in 1960 after initially being located in Paris.
1964: Renaming of European Nations Cup
The UEFA European Championship was known as the European Nations Cup until 1964.
1971: Launch of UEFA Cup
UEFA launched the UEFA Cup, a second-tier club competition, in 1971. It was conceived as the successor to both the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
1973: Establishment of UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup, which pits the winners of the UEFA Champions League against the winners of the UEFA Europa League, was established in 1973. Previously, the winners of the Cup Winners' Cup competed against the Champions League winners.
1984: Start of Futsal European Clubs Championship
The Futsal European Clubs Championship, which predates the UEFA Futsal Cup, started in 1984. This event had a long tradition in the European futsal community but was never officially recognized by UEFA.
July 1988: Juventus Receives UEFA Plaque
Juventus of Italy was awarded the UEFA Plaque on July 12, 1988. This award was given in commemoration of the club achieving the feat of winning all of UEFA's official championships and cups.
1992: Start of UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, considered the top-ranked UEFA competition, commenced in the 1992/93 season. The competition gathers the top 1-4 teams from each country's league, with the number of teams determined by the country's ranking and subject to change based on performance. This replaced a previous competition, held from 1955 to 1992 and known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, which only included the top team from each country.
1995: Relaunch of UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, previously run by several Central European football associations, was relaunched as an official UEFA club competition in 1995.
1995: Relocation to Nyon
UEFA's headquarters moved to Nyon, Switzerland, in 1995. They initially worked out of temporary offices until their permanent headquarters were finished in 1999.
1999: Launch of UEFA Regions' Cup
In 1999, UEFA launched the UEFA Regions' Cup for semi-professional teams representing their respective local regions.
1999: Absorption of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
In 1999, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was absorbed into the UEFA Cup, which is now known as the UEFA Europa League.
1999: Completion of Nyon Headquarters
UEFA's permanent headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, were completed in 1999. This marked the end of their period operating from temporary offices since 1995.
2001: Start of UEFA Futsal Cup
The UEFA Futsal Cup, replacing the former Futsal European Clubs Championship, began in 2001.
2001: First UEFA Women's Cup
The UEFA Women's Cup, the precursor to the UEFA Women's Champions League, was first held in 2001.
2008: Last UEFA Intertoto Cup
The last UEFA Intertoto Cup was held in 2008.
2009: Renaming to UEFA Women's Champions League
The UEFA Women's Cup was renamed to the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2009.
2012: Mysterious Payments to Manchester City Under Scrutiny
In 2012, two payments of £15 million were allegedly made to Manchester City football club by an unidentified individual from the United Arab Emirates. These payments, totaling £30 million, were suspected to be disguised equity funding and potentially violated Premier League financial regulations.
2013: Mysterious Payments to Manchester City Under Scrutiny
In 2013, two payments of £15 million were allegedly made to Manchester City football club by an unidentified individual from the United Arab Emirates. These payments, totaling £30 million, were suspected to be disguised equity funding and potentially violated Premier League financial regulations.
2015: Manchester City's Repayment Argument Rejected by UEFA
In 2015, Manchester City claimed to have repaid the £30 million received from a UAE source. However, UEFA's adjudicatory committee rejected this argument, raising further concerns about the club's financial practices.
2015: UEFA President Michel Platini Implicated in FIFA Corruption Case
In 2015, UEFA president Michel Platini became embroiled in the FIFA corruption scandal. Swiss prosecutors accused FIFA president Sepp Blatter of making a "disloyal payment" to Platini. Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber confirmed an investigation into Platini's involvement. Both Platini and Blatter received bans from football activities, with Platini's initial six-year ban reduced to four on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Despite further appeals to Swiss and European courts, his ban remained.
September 2016: Election of Aleksander Čeferin
In September 2016, Aleksander Čeferin, former president of the Football Association of Slovenia, was elected as UEFA's seventh president at the 12th Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Athens. This election also granted him an automatic position as vice-president of FIFA.
2016: Dissatisfied Fans Label UEFA as "Mafia"
In 2016, fans across Europe, including those in Russia's and Bulgaria's top leagues, as well as during a Champions League match in Sweden, voiced their discontent by labeling UEFA as "mafia." This term extended beyond stadiums, appearing in protests like the one in Kosovo outside an EU building following the Serbia v Albania Euro 2016 qualifier.
December 2018: Announcement of UEFA Europa Conference League
UEFA announced the creation of a third club competition in December 2018, which was later named the UEFA Europa Conference League.
2019: UEFA's Baku Final Sparks Controversy and Safety Concerns
UEFA's choice of Baku, Azerbaijan as the host city for the 2019 Europa League Cup final stirred controversy. Arsenal, one of the finalists, had to withdraw their Armenian player Henrikh Mkhitaryan due to safety concerns. This incident reignited discussions on the balance of power between elite clubs and UEFA in decision-making.
2019: Manchester City's European Ban and Subsequent Overturning
In 2019, UEFA imposed a two-year European ban on Manchester City due to alleged financial violations, including the controversial £30 million payments. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned this ban a year later, ruling that the payments were time-barred and couldn't be classified as rule breaches.
2019: FC Copenhagen Fans Protest UEFA's Closed-Door Mandate
In 2019, FC Copenhagen fans staged protests against UEFA's decision to hold their Europa League round of 16 return leg behind closed doors, despite Danish authorities allowing reduced capacity. They displayed banners throughout the city with slogans like "UEFA MAFIA - THE PANDEMIC OF FOOTBALL."
2020: Leaked Report Exposes Manchester City's Financial Charges
In 2020, a report from UEFA's Club Financial Control Board, originally intended to remain confidential, was leaked. The report, detailing financial charges against Manchester City F.C., was obtained by the filmmakers behind the YouTube documentary "Britain's Biggest Football Scandal?" produced by Surise Media.
2021: Discussions for a Second-Tier Women's Club Competition
Discussions began in 2021 regarding the creation of a Europa League-style second-tier competition for women's club football.
2021: First Edition of UEFA Europa Conference League
The first edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League was played in the 2021-2022 season.
February 2022: UEFA Faces Backlash for Chiliz Partnership
In February 2022, UEFA's decision to collaborate with blockchain company Chiliz drew criticism, labeled as "incomprehensible" by fan groups across Europe. This partnership raised concerns and sparked a debate among fans about UEFA's strategic direction.
February 2022: Suspension of Russian Teams
On February 28, 2022, UEFA suspended Russia's participation in their competitions. This followed recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Although the Russian Football Union challenged the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the ban was ultimately upheld.
2022: First Edition of UEFA Europa Conference League Concludes
The conclusion of the first edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022 meant that other clubs could potentially match Juventus' feat of winning all official UEFA trophies.
2022: First Edition of UEFA Europa Conference League Concludes
The first edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League concluded in 2022.
2023: Partial Lifting of Ban on Russian Underage Teams
In 2023, UEFA lifted the ban on the Russia national under-17 football team. This decision was made to allow them to compete in the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. UEFA explained the decision by stating their belief that banning children from competitions would violate their fundamental right to development and would constitute discrimination. The lifting of the ban also applied to all underage teams, for both men and women. However, this decision faced backlash from the Football Associations of Ukraine, England, and Sweden, with all three nations threatening boycotts of any matches against Russia.
2024: Russia's Potential Participation in UEFA Under-17 Championship
Following the partial lifting of the ban, the Russia national under-17 football team could potentially compete in the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.