The
European cup competitions provide an opportunity for the
continent's top clubs to play each other on an annual basis.
Qualification for these tournaments is decided on the basis
of domestic league position, domestic cup competitions and
sometimes miscellaneous other awards for things like fair
play.
Until
recently, three cup competitions were contested. The European
Champions Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the UEFA
Cup. However, around ten years ago, someone decided
to merge the Cup Winners Cup and the UEFA Cup
into one tournament and add a league phase to the Champions'
Cup, whilst allowing non-champion teams from richer
footballing nations to take part and forcing the champions
from smaller nations to play pre-qualifying matches against
these teams.
Some
saw this change as cynical attempt by UEFA to create a competition
to pour money into the coffers of Europe's top clubs, but
whatever the motive, the new UEFA Champions' League
has been a big success.
The
biggest teams in Europe - Man United, Real Madrid,
Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich
(to name but a few) - join numerous other sides to battle
it out in Europe's richest footballing contest.
