How Does the Champion’s League Work?

The UEFA Champions League is one of Europe’s favorite football tournaments. As one of the sporting world’s most prestigious events, the competition has been played annually since 1955. Consisting of 32 teams, it has become a staple for fans of European soccer to look forward to each year. Let’s take a closer look at The Champion’s League and learn a little bit more about how it works so that when the next one comes around, you’re well versed in everything there is to know about this event,

How are the Teams Chosen?

Being able to play in the UEFA Champions League is an honor for the teams selected. The number of teams is determined by the UEFA coefficients of the associated members. Each score is generated by the results of the clubs representing each association throughout the previous Champion’s League and European League seasons.

The higher an association’s coefficient is, the more teams will represent it. However, since the 2009/10 season, the League has offered two streams of qualification for teams that aren’t directly entered into the tournament. The first of these streams is reserved for domestic league champions, and the second is for teams that have placed second, third or fourth in their domestic leagues.

How Many Teams can Enter?

Interesting to know for punters on betting apps, in total, there are 32 teams at the start of the soccer tournament. These teams are all split into four different pots. However, the only restriction is that teams from the same associations cannot be drawn against one another. When the pots are allocated, the following principles are considered:

• Pot 1: League titleholders – this includes the Champions League titleholders, as well as the Europa League titleholders, together with the champions of the top six associations based on their UEFA coefficients.
• Pots 2, 3, and 4: Remaining teams, all of which are seeded based on their club coefficients.

Once the pots are finalized, a team is drawn from each one until there are eight groups of four.

How Many Rounds are There?

Although there are 32 teams in the competition, there is a total of just four rounds played in the knockout phase of the tournament. It starts with a round of 16 games, then heads into the quarterfinals, then into the semi-finals, which eventually leads into the final. Each round of the tournament is played under a two-legged knockout system, one of which is home, and the other is away.

Which Teams Have Won the Most?

While the Champions League is open to 32 teams per tournament, some teams have taken home the top spot on more than a few occasions. Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich have each won the UEFA Champions League a total of five times.

AC Milan has won it seven times, but the most impressive record of Champions League wins undoubtedly lies with Real Madrid. The soccer team has won the trophy more than any other team, securing win after win, up to a whopping total of 13 so far.