UEFA Champions League

{"History":{"paragraphs":["The competition was inaugurated in the 1955–56 season as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, commonly known as the European Cup. It was originally a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each national championship. The format changed in 1992–93 with the introduction of a round-robin group stage and was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. This change allowed more teams from the strongest leagues to participate, increasing the number of matches and commercial appeal.","Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won it 15 times, including the first five editions. Other historically successful clubs include AC Milan (7 titles), Bayern Munich and Liverpool (6 each), and Barcelona (5)."]},"Format":{"paragraphs":["As of the 2024–25 season, the tournament features a league phase (replacing the traditional group stage) followed by knockout rounds. In the new format, 36 teams compete in a single league phase, where each team plays eight matches (four home and four away) against different opponents. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a playoff round for the remaining eight spots. Teams ranked 25th and below are eliminated.","The knockout phase consists of the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. The final is held at a predetermined neutral venue, usually in a major European city, and is contested as a single match."]},"Qualification":{"paragraphs":["Qualification is primarily based on the UEFA association coefficients, which rank national leagues by the performance of their clubs in European competitions over the previous five seasons. The number of slots allocated to each association varies: the top-ranked leagues (e.g., England, Spain, Germany, Italy) typically have four direct entries. Other clubs can qualify via a separate Champions Path and League Path in the preliminary qualifying rounds."]},"Trophy and Anthem":{"paragraphs":["The European Champion Clubs' Cup, commonly called the Champions League trophy, is awarded to the winning team. Clubs that win the tournament three times in a row or five times overall receive a special badge of honor and are allowed to keep a full-size replica of the trophy.","The official anthem, \"Champions League,\" was composed by Tony Britten and is an adaptation of George Frideric Handel's \"Zadok the Priest.\" It is played before every match and is synonymous with the competition."]},"Records and Statistics":{"paragraphs":["Most titles: Real Madrid (15).","Most appearances by a player: Cristiano Ronaldo (183 matches).","Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (140 goals).","Most wins by a manager: Carlo Ancelotti (4).","The fastest goal in a final was scored by Paolo Maldini for AC Milan against Liverpool in 2005 (00:50)."]},"Financial Aspects and Broadcasting":{"paragraphs":["The Champions League generates substantial revenue from television broadcasting rights, sponsorship, and matchday income. Revenue is distributed to participating clubs, with amounts based on performance, market pool (TV rights value of their home country), and historical success. The competition is broadcast in over 200 territories worldwide, with major broadcasters like CBS (United States), BT Sport/TNT Sports (United Kingdom), and DAZN (multiple regions) holding rights."]},"Criticism and Controversies":{"paragraphs":["The competition has faced criticism over the years, including concerns about the growing financial gap between elite clubs and others, fixture congestion for players, and the influence of wealthy club owners. In April 2021, a proposed breakaway European Super League, intended to rival the Champions League, was announced by 12 founding clubs but collapsed within days due to widespread backlash from fans, players, governments, and UEFA."]},"Related Competitions":{"paragraphs":["UEFA Europa League: The second-tier competition for clubs that do not qualify for the Champions League.","UEFA Europa Conference League: The third-tier competition introduced in 2021.","UEFA Super Cup: A match between the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League.","FIFA Club World Cup: A global tournament where the Champions League winner represents UEFA."]}}