History
The competition was devised in 1955 after the editor of French sports daily L’Equipe suggested a formal tournament to determine the top team in Europe by providing a venue for the league champions to square off. The European Cup, as it was first known, kicked off in the 1955-1956 season under a knockout format of two-leg ties determined by aggregate score.
During its early days, the competition was dominated by Real Madrid’s white-shirted machine, led by the Argentine impresario Alfred DiStefano. Real won the tournament in each of its first five years. Four other clubs have also won the trophy at least four times, each lifted by periods of utter dominance in the 1960s and 1970s: A.C. Milan, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Ajax Amsterdam.
The field was expanded, with the introduction of a group stage, for the 1992-1993 season and has stayed the same since, save for some minor tweaks that included a brief experiment with a second group phase.
Past Winners
- 1956 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1957 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1958 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1959 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1960 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1961 Benfica (Por)
- 1962 Benfica (Por)
- 1963 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 1964 Internazionale (Ita)
- 1965 Internazionale (Ita)
- 1966 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1967 Glasgow Celtic (Sco)
- 1968 Manchester United (Eng)
- 1969 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 1970 Feyenoord Rotterdam (Ned)
- 1971 Ajax Amsterdam (Ned)
- 1972 Ajax Amsterdam (Ned)
- 1973 Ajax Amsterdam (Ned)
- 1974 Bayern Munich (W. Ger)
- 1975 Bayern Munich (W. Ger)
- 1976 Bayern Munich (W. Ger)
- 1977 Liverpool (Eng)
- 1978 Liverpool (Eng)
- 1979 Nottingham Forest (Eng)
- 1980 Nottingham Forest (Eng)
- 1981 Liverpool (Eng)
- 1982 Aston Villa (Eng)
- 1983 Hamburg (W. Ger)
- 1984 Liverpool (Eng)
- 1985 Juventus (Ita)
- 1986 Steaua Bucharest (Rom)
- 1987 Porto (Por)
- 1988 PSV Eindhoven (Ned)
- 1989 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 1990 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 1991 Red Star Belgrade (Yug)
- 1992 Barcelona (Spa)
- 1993 Olympique Marseille (Fra)
- 1994 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 1995 Ajax Amsterdam (Ned)
- 1996 Juventus (Ita)
- 1997 Borussia Dortmund (Ger)
- 1998 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 1999 Manchester United (Eng)
- 2000 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 2001 Bayern Munich (Ger)
- 2002 Real Madrid (Spa)
- 2003 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 2004 Porto (Por)
- 2005 Liverpool (Eng)
- 2006 Barcelona (Spa)
- 2007 A.C. Milan (Ita)
- 2008 Manchester United (Eng)
Prize Money
The Champions League is also the world’s richest club competition and has a significant financial impact on every club that qualifies. Every team in the tournament is awarded €3 million by UEFA and a further €2.4 million for participating in the group stage. Group stage victories are each worth €600,000 and draws earn €300,000.
There is even more money in the knockout rounds with each quarter-finalist pocketing €2.5 million, semi-finalists taking €3 million, the runner-up earning €4 million, and the winner claiming €7 million.