Definition: The Champions League is regarded as European soccer’s premier club competition. Teams who won their domestic leagues were originally the only participants, but this changed in the 1997–98 season when eligibility was expanded to include the runners-up from the highest ranking countries according to UEFA's coefficient ranking list. It then expanded to the third and fourth place finishers in some countries. The English, Italian and Spanish leagues are currently granted four participants.
In it’s current format, once the qualification process has taken place, 32 teams are split into eight groups. The teams occupying the first and second positions after each of the four teams have played each other home and away, qualify for the second round. The third placed team joins the Europa League and the team at the bottom is eliminated.
Eight two-legged ties are played by 16 teams in the second round, with the winners going into the quarter finals, semi-finals and final. The final is the only round where the two teams only play each other once to be crowned champions of Europe.
Also Known As: European Cup.
