Numerous soccer leagues organized by Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) are prestigious. They represent the European national football associations, run official UEFA competitions (European football) in Europe and a number of countries in Northern, Southwestern and Central Asia. UEFA’s nation and club competitions are generally contested by professional and elite soccer clubs. The outstanding performances of these football clubs have helped UEFA gain a lot of media attention and wide popularity.
So, which is the most famous soccer leagues organized by UEFA? Here is your guide to the popular European soccer leagues!
UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Championship (also often known as “UEFA Euro”) is the second prestige international football championship after FIFA Club World Cup. European championship has been introduced since 1958 and was initially called “European Nations' Cup”, renaming to its current name in 1968. The euro tournament has been held every four years since 1960. UEFA European Championship 2020 will take place from 12 June 2020 to 12 July 2020.
European championship started with only 4 teams, but it expanded to 8 teams in 1980. In 1996, it increased to 16 teams. At that time, the European Nations' Cup was divided into 4 groups by 16 teams with 4 teams in each group. The knockout stage consisted of quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. UEFA has announced that starting in 2016, the number of participating teams in the final stage of the European Championship will be expanded to 24 teams. The current UEFA Euro Cup is divided into 6 groups by 24 teams, each with 4 teams. The top two in each group with four best third places will advance to the round of 16, with the rest remaining roughly unchanged.
There have been 15 nations that have won the UEFA European Championships. The two most successful nations in European championship history are Germany and Spain, which have won three titles each. France is another successful nation at the UEFA European Championship having won two titles in 1984 and 2000. Besides, Portugal, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Denmark, Netherlands and Soviet Union each won the European championship title once.
UEFA Nations League
UEFA Nations League is a new international football competition established in 2018. It held once every two years and begins after a major summer tournament.
The tournament involves all 55 UEFA's member associations' national teams. The National League consists of four leagues (League A, B, C, D), which will be split into four smaller groups made up of three or four teams according to their UEFA coefficient score. Started from the second season of the UEFA Nations League, the new league structure consists 16 teams in Leagues A, B and C and 7 teams in League D.
UEFA Nations League is linked to qualification for the UEFA European Championship. There will be 10 groups and the top 2 teams from each 10 groups will automatically qualify for the final of European championship. Teams that fail in the qualifying group stage of UEFA European Championship may still qualify for the final tournament through Euro 2020 play-offs.
In June 2019, Portugal has won the inaugural UEFA Nations League become the first champions of the UEFA Nations League. Netherlands came in second and England came in third. All of them have secured their places for UEFA European Championship 2020.
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League (previously called European Cup) is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world. The tournament has existed since 1955 and was initially called “European Champion Clubs' Cup”, changing to its current name in 1992. Champions League has been held annually since 1955. The winner of the Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and is entitles to play in the FIFA Club World Cup.
UEFA Champions League qualifying begins with 5 rounds which are preliminary qualifying round, 1st qualifying round, 2nd qualifying round, 3th qualifying round and a playoff taking place before group stages. There are 32 teams compete in the main group stage of Champions League. The group stage involves 8 groups of 4 teams, with each club playing everyone else in that group home and away. The top two in each group are qualified in round of 16 (knockout phase), while the third-placed team (total 8 clubs) are entitled to play in the UEFA Europa League. The round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are played on a home-and-away basis (two legs), while the final stage of UEFA Champions League is hosted by a stadium which is selected almost two years in advance.
Real Madrid is the most successful football club at the UEFA Champions League history, having won it 13 times, including its first five seasons. A.C. Milan came in second with 7 titles while Liverpool came in third with 6 titles.
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Europa League (previously called UEFA Cup) is second-tier European club competition that introduced since 1971. UEFA Europa League has merged with UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999 and UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2009.
UEFA Europa League begins with qualifying stage and a play-off stage before a main group stage. The group stage involves 12 groups of 4 teams, with each club playing everyone else in that group home and away. The top two in each group and the 8 third-placed teams who qualified from the UEFA Champions League group stage, progress to the round of 32. As in the Champions League, all the knockout stages except the final are contested over two legs.
Seaville is the most successful club in the UEFA Europa League, winning three consecutive championships from 2014 to 2016. They have won total 5 titles in UEFA Europa League. Moreover, Liverpool, Juventus, Internazionale, and Atlético Madrid have won one title each.
UEFA Super Cup
UEFA Super Cup (also called Super Cup) is an annual football tournament organized by UEFA in the middle of August. UEFA Super Cup has existed since 1972, with the winner of the UEFA Champions League plays against the winner of the UEFA Europa League.
UEFA Super Cup has been held in Stade Louis II, Monaco for 14 years, but started from 2013, the tournament takes place in different European city every year, like the finals of the two major soccer tournaments. The UEFA Super Cup is played in the same format as any final of a UEFA competition. The soccer match consists of two periods, each of which is 45 minutes, known as two halves. If the scores hit the same point at the end of 90 minutes, there will be two additional 15 minutes of extra time to be played. If there is no winner at the end of the second extra time period, the match’s winner will be decided by a penalty shoot-out.
The two most successful nations in UEFA Super Cup history are Barcelona and Milan, which have won five titles each. The current holder for UEFA Super Cup is Liverpool, having won four titles, same as Real Madrid.
Now you’ve know which is the Popular European Soccer Leagues Organized by UEFA. Follow all the latest UEFA European Championship 2020 football news on 55goal!
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