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*Round of 16: €3,500,000
*Round of 16: €3,500,000
*Quarter-finals: €3,900,000
*Quarter-finals: €3,900,000
*Semi-finals: €4,900,000
*Semi-finals: £4,900,000
*Losing finalist: €6,500,000
*Losing finalist: €6,500,000
*Winning the Final: €10,500,000
*Winning the Final: €10,500,000

Revision as of 14:21, 12 February 2014

"European Cup" and "Europe Cup" redirect here. For the competition trophy, see European Champion Clubs' Cup. For other uses, see European Cup (disambiguation).
This article is about the men's UEFA Champions League. For the women's UEFA Champions League, see UEFA Women's Champions League.

UEFA Champions League
File:UEFA Champions League logo 2.svg
Founded1955 (1992 in its
current format)
RegionEurope (UEFA)
Number of teams32 (group stage)
76 or 77 (total)
Current championsGermany Bayern Munich (5th title)
Most successful club(s)Spain Real Madrid (9 titles)[1]
Television broadcastersList of broadcasters
WebsiteOfficial website
2013–14 UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League /juːˈeɪfə ˈtʃæmpiənz ˈliːɡ/, known simply as the Champions League, is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1992. It replaced the European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply European Cup, which had run since 1955, adding a group stage to the competition and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries.[2] It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the 2012–13 tournament was the most watched UEFA Champions League final to date, as well as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide in 2013, drawing 360 million television viewers.[3]

Before 1992, the competition was officially called the "European Champion Clubs' Cup", but was usually referred to simply as the "European Cup". It was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1990s, the format was expanded, incorporating a round-robin group stage and more teams.[2] Europe's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition,[4] and will provide up to five teams from the 2015–16 season onwards.[5]

In its present format, the UEFA Champions League begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round. The 10 surviving teams enter the group stage, joining 22 other teams qualified in advance. The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams and play each other in a double round-robin system. The eight group winners and eight runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in May.[6] The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.[7][8]

Real Madrid is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament nine times, including its first five seasons. Spanish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories (13 wins), followed by England and Italy (12 wins apiece). The competition has been won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once.[9] Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1992, no club has managed consecutive wins; Milan were the last holders to successfully defend their title, in the 1989–90 season.[10] The reigning champions are Bayern Munich, who secured their fifth win in the competition after defeating Borussia Dortmund 2–1 in the 2013 Final.[11]

History

Main article: European Cup and UEFA Champions League history

The first pan-European tournament was the Challenge Cup, a competition between clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.[12] The Mitropa Cup, a competition modelled after the Challenge Cup, was created in 1927 by Zeid Edilbi and played between Central European clubs.[13] In 1930, the Coupe des Nations (French: Nations Cup), the first attempt to create a cup for national champion clubs of Europe, was played and organised by Swiss club Servette.[14] Held in Geneva, it brought together ten champions from across the continent. The tournament was won by Újpest of Hungary.[14] Latin European nations came together to form the Latin Cup in 1949.[15] After receiving reports from his journalists over the highly successful Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones of 1948, Gabriel Hanot, editor of L'Équipe, began proposing the creation of a continent-wide tournament.[16] After the English press declared Wolverhampton Wanderers "Champions of the World" following a successful run of friendlies in the 1950s, Hanot finally managed to convince UEFA to put into practice such a tournament.[2] It was conceived in Paris in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup.[2]

1955–1965: Beginnings

FC Barcelona – Hamburger SV, 12 April 1961

The first edition of the European Cup took place during the 1955–56 season.[17][18] Sixteen teams participated: Milan (Italy), AGF Aarhus (Denmark), Anderlecht (Belgium), Djurgården (Sweden), Gwardia Warszawa (Poland), Hibernian (Scotland), Partizan (Yugoslavia), PSV (Netherlands), Rapid Wien (Austria), Real Madrid (Spain), Rot-Weiss Essen (West Germany), Saarbrücken (Saar), Servette (Switzerland), Sporting CP (Portugal), Stade de Reims (France), and Vörös Lobogó (Hungary).[17][18] The first European Cup match took place on 4 September 1955, and ended in a 3–3 draw between Sporting CP and Partizan.[17][18] The first goal in European Cup history was scored by João Baptista Martins of Sporting CP.[17][18] The inaugural final took place at the Parc des Princes between Stade de Reims and Real Madrid.[17][18][19] The Spanish squad came back from behind to win 4–3 thanks to goals from Alfredo Di Stéfano and Marquitos, as well as two goals from Héctor Rial.[17][18][19]

Real Madrid successfully defended the trophy next season in their home stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, against Fiorentina.[20][21] After a scoreless first half, Real Madrid scored twice in six minutes to defeat the Italians.[19][20][21] In 1958, Milan failed to capitalize after going ahead on the scoreline twice, only for Real Madrid to equalize.[22][23] The final held in Heysel Stadium went to extra time when Francisco Gento scored the game-winning goal to allow Real Madrid to retain the title for the third consecutive season.[19][22][23] In a rematch of the first final, Real Madrid faced Stade Reims at the Neckarstadion for the 1958–59 season final, easily winning 2–0.[19][24][25] West German side Eintracht Frankfurt became the first non-Latin team to reach the European Cup final.[26][27] The 1959–60 season finale still holds the record for the most goals scored, but the record is overshadowed by the 7–3 thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt received in Hampden Park, courtesy of four goals by Ferenc Puskás and a hat-trick by Alfredo Di Stéfano.[19][26][27] This was Real Madrid's fifth consecutive title, a record that still stands today.[9]

Los Merengues reign ended in the 1960–61 season when bitter rivals Barcelona dethroned them in the quarter-finals.[28][29] Barcelona themselves, however, would be defeated in the final by Portuguese outfit Benfica 3–2 at Wankdorf Stadium.[28][29][30] Reinforced by Eusébio, Benfica defeated Real Madrid 5–3 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam and kept the title for a second, consecutive season.[30][31][32] Benfica wanted to repeat Real Madrid's successful run of the 1950s after reaching the showpiece event of the 1962–63 European Cup, but a brace from Brazilian-Italian José Altafini at the Wembley Stadium gave the spoils to Milan, making the trophy leave the Iberian Peninsula for the first time ever.[33][34][35] Inter Milan beat an ageing-Real Madrid 3–1 in the Ernst-Happel-Stadion to win the 1963–64 season and replicate their local-rival's success.[36][37][38] The title stayed in the City of Milan for the third year in a row after Inter Milan beat Benfica 1–0 at their home ground, the San Siro.[39][40][41]

Anthem

Main article: UEFA Champions League Anthem

The UEFA Champions League anthem, officially titled simply as "Champions League", was written by Tony Britten, and is an adaptation of George Frideric Handel's Zadok the Priest (one of his Coronation Anthems).[42][43] UEFA commissioned Britten in 1992 to arrange an anthem, and the piece was performed by London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.[42] The chorus contains the three official languages used by UEFA: English, German, and French. The anthem's chorus is played before each UEFA Champions League game, as well as at the beginning and end of television broadcasts of the matches. The complete anthem is about three minutes long, and has two short verses and the chorus. For the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome, tenor Andrea Bocelli sang backing lyrics to the Champions League anthem, whilst similarly Juan Diego Flórez provided the tenor for the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final. Girl band All Angels performed at the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final. Jonas Kaufmann provided the tenor for 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, whilist David Garrett perform with his violin. The anthem has never been released commercially in its original version.

Format

Qualification

See also: UEFA coefficients
Map of UEFA countries whose teams reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League
  UEFA member country that has been represented in the group stage
  UEFA member country that has not been represented in the group stage
  Not a UEFA member

As of 2011, the UEFA Champions League commences with a double round-robin group stage of 32 teams, which is preceded by two qualification 'streams' for teams that do not receive direct entry to the tournament proper. The two streams are divided between teams qualified by virtue of being league champions, and those qualified by virtue of finishing 2nd–4th in their national championship.

The number of teams that each association enters into the UEFA Champions League is based upon the UEFA coefficients of the member associations. These coefficients are generated by the results of clubs representing each association during the previous five Champions League and UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup seasons. The higher an association's coefficient, the more teams represent the association in the Champions League, and the fewer qualification rounds the association's teams must compete in.

Five of the remaining ten qualifying places are granted to the winners of a four round qualifying tournament between the remaining 39 or 38 national champions, within which those champions from associations with higher coefficients receive byes to later rounds. The other five are granted to the winners of a two round qualifying tournament between the 15 clubs from the associations ranked 1 through 15, which have qualified based upon finishing second, third, or fourth in their respective national league.

In addition to sporting criteria, any club must be licensed by its national association to participate in the Champions league. To obtain a license, the club must meet certain stadium, infrastructure, and finance requirements.

In 2005–06, Liverpool and Artmedia Bratislava became the first teams to reach the Champions League group stage after playing in all three qualifying rounds. In 2008–09, both BATE Borisov and Anorthosis Famagusta achieved the same feat. Manchester United holds the record for the most consecutive appearances in the group stage, having qualified 18 times, followed by Real Madrid with 17 and Arsenal with 16.[44]

Between 2003 and 2008, no differentiation was made between champions and non-champions in qualification. The 16 top ranked teams spread across the biggest domestic leagues qualified directly for the tournament group stage. Prior to this, three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds whittled down the remaining teams, with different teams starting in different rounds.

An exception to the usual European qualification system happened in 2005, after Liverpool won the Champions League the year before, but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the Premier League that season. UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers.[45] UEFA subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this means that if the Champions League winner falls outside of its domestic league's top four, it will qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed team in the league. No association can have more than four entrants in the Champions League.[46] In May 2012, Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth in the Premier League, two places ahead of Chelsea, but failed to qualify for the 2012–13 Champions League, after Chelsea won the 2012 Champions League Final.[47] Tottenham were demoted to the Europa League for the 2012–13 season.[47]

The top three leagues in Europe are currently allowed to enter four teams into the Champions League. Michel Platini, the UEFA president, had proposed taking one place from the top three leagues and allocating it to that nation's cup winners. This proposal was rejected in a vote at a UEFA Strategy Council meeting.[48] In the same meeting, however, it was agreed that the third-placed team in the top four leagues would receive automatic qualification for the group stage, rather than entry into the third qualifying round, while the fourth-placed team would enter the play-off round for non-champions, guaranteeing an opponent from one of the top 15 leagues in Europe. This was part of Platini's plan to increase the number of teams qualifying directly into the group stage, while simultaneously increasing the number of teams from lower-ranked nations in the group stage.[49]

Tournament

The tournament proper begins with a group stage of 32 teams, divided into eight groups. Seeding is used whilst making the draw for this stage, whilst teams from the same country may not be drawn into groups together. Each team meets the others in its group home and away in a round-robin format. The winning team and the runners-up from each group then progress to the next round. The third-placed team enters the UEFA Europa League.

For this stage, the winning team from one group plays against the runners-up from another group, and teams from the same association may not be drawn against each other. From the quarter-finals onwards, the draw is entirely random, without association protection. The tournament uses the away goals rule: if the aggregate score of the two games is tied, then the team who scored more goals at their opponent's stadium advances.[50]

The group stage is played through the autumn, whilst the knock-out stage starts after a winter break. The knock-out ties are played in a two-legged format, with the exception of the final. This is typically held in the final two weeks of May.

Distribution (2013–14)

Since the title holders (Bayern Munich) qualified for the Champions League group stage through their domestic league, the group stage spot reserved for the title holders is vacated, and the following changes to the default allocation system are made:[51][52]

  • The champions of association 13 (Denmark) are promoted from the third qualifying round to the group stage.
  • The champions of association 16 (Cyprus) are promoted from the second qualifying round to the third qualifying round.
  • The champions of associations 48 (Northern Ireland) and 49 (Luxembourg) are promoted from the first qualifying round to the second qualifying round.
Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round
First qualifying round
(4 teams)
  • 4 champions from associations 50–53
Second qualifying round
(34 teams)
  • 32 champions from associations 17–49 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 2 winners from the first qualifying round
Third qualifying round Champions
(20 teams)
  • 3 champions from associations 14–16
  • 17 winners from the second qualifying round
Non-champions
(10 teams)
  • 9 runners-up from associations 7–15
  • 1 third-placed team from association 6
Play-off round Champions
(10 teams)
  • 10 winners from the third qualifying round for champions
Non-champions
(10 teams)
  • 2 third-placed teams from associations 4–5
  • 3 fourth-placed teams from associations 1–3
  • 5 winners from the third qualifying round for non-champions
Group stage
(32 teams)
  • 13 champions from associations 1–13
  • 6 runners-up from associations 1–6
  • 3 third-placed teams from associations 1–3
  • 5 winners from the play-off round for champions
  • 5 winners from the play-off round for non-champions
Knockout phase
(16 teams)
  • 8 group winners from the group stage
  • 8 group runners-up from the group stage

Referees

Ranking

The UEFA Refereeing Unit is broken down into five experience-based categories. A referee is initially placed into Category 4 with the exception of referees from France, Germany, England, Italy, or Spain. Referees from these five countries are typically comfortable with top professional matches and are therefore directly placed into Category 3. Each referee's performance is observed and evaluated after every match; his category may be revised twice per season, but a referee cannot be promoted directly from Category 3 to the Elite Category.[53]

Appointment

In co-operation with the UEFA Refereeing Unit, the UEFA Referee Committee is responsible for appointing referees to matches. Referees are appointed based on previous matches, marks, performances, and fitness levels. To discourage bias, the Champions League takes nationality into account. No referee may be of the same origins as any club in his or her respecting groups. Referee appointments, suggested by the UEFA Refereeing Unit, are sent to the UEFA Referee Committee to be discussed and/or revised. After a consensus is made, the name of the appointed referee remains confidential up to two days before the match for the purpose of minimising public influence.[53]

Limitations

Since 1990, a UEFA international referee cannot exceed the age of 45 years. After turning 45, a referee must step down at the end of his season. The age limit was established to ensure an elite level of fitness. Today, UEFA Champions League referees are required to pass a fitness test to even be considered at the international level.[53]

Prizes

Trophy and medals

Main article: European Champion Clubs' Cup
File:Copa de campeones museo.jpg
The trophy of the UEFA Champions League, the European Champion Clubs' Cup, is awarded to the winning team each season

Each year, the winning team is presented with the European Champion Clubs' Cup, the current version of which has been awarded since 1967. Any team that wins the Champions League three years in a row or five times overall wins the right to retain a full-sized replica of the trophy (UEFA retains the original at all times). Five clubs have earned this honour: Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Milan and Liverpool.

The current trophy is 74 cm (29 in) tall and made of silver, weighing 11 kg (24 lb). It was designed by Jörg Stadelmann, a jeweller from Bern, Switzerland, after the original was given to Real Madrid in 1966 in recognition of their six titles to date, and cost 10,000 Swiss francs.

As of the 2012–13 season, 40 gold medals are presented to the Champions League winners, and 40 silver medals to the runners-up.[54]

Prize money

As of 2012–13, UEFA awards €2.1 million to each team in the play-off round. For reaching the group stage, UEFA awards a base fee of €8.6 million. A win in the group is awarded €1 million and a draw is worth €500,000. In addition, UEFA pays teams reaching the first knockout round €3.5 million, each quarter-finalist €3.9 million, €4.9 million for each semi-finalist, €6.5 million for the runners-up and €10.5 million for the winners.[55]

  • Playoffs: €2,100,000
  • Base fee for group stage: €8,600,000
  • Group match victory: €1,000,000
  • Group match draw: €500,000
  • Round of 16: €3,500,000
  • Quarter-finals: €3,900,000
  • Semi-finals: £4,900,000
  • Losing finalist: €6,500,000
  • Winning the Final: €10,500,000

A large part of the distributed revenue from the UEFA Champions League is linked to the "market pool", the distribution of which is determined by the value of the television market in each country. For the 2012–13 season, Juventus, who were eliminated in the quarter-finals, earned nearly €65.3 million in total, of which €20.5 million was prize money, compared with the €55.0 million earned by Bayern Munich, who won the tournament and were awarded €35.9 million in prize money.[56]

Sponsorship

Like the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League is sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top-flight leagues. When the Champions League was created in 1992, it was decided that a maximum of eight companies should be allowed to sponsor the event, with each corporation being allocated four advertising boards around the perimeter of the pitch, as well as logo placement at pre- and post-match interviews and a certain number of tickets to each match. This, combined with a deal to ensure tournament sponsors were given priority on television advertisements during matches, ensured that each of the tournament's main sponsors was given maximum exposure.[57]

The advertising hoardings are a source of criticism, due to their larger size compared to those in other leagues such as the Premier League. Their larger size means that, at some grounds, such as Anfield, the Etihad Stadium, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, the front rows of seating cannot be used, as their views of the pitch are blocked by the extreme size of the boards; accordingly, some season ticket holders are not guaranteed tickets for games and have to sit in seats other than their usual ones for games.[citation needed] Additionally, some stadiums use the flat area in front of the front rows of seating for wheelchairs and disabled seating, so the boards drastically reduce the disabled supporter capacity of these grounds.[citation needed] From the 2012–13 knockout phase, UEFA have utilised the LED advertising hoardings installed in most high-end stadia. Traditional and, where available, static electronic hoardings are in use during the play-off rounds and the group stage.[citation needed]

The competition's logo is displayed in the centre of the pitch before every Champions League match.
Betting advertisements are banned in Turkey. On 9 April 2013, Real Madrid (whose sponsor was bwin at that moment) were forced to wear sponsor-free jerseys while playing againist Galatasaray in Istanbul.

The tournament's current main sponsors are:

Adidas is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball and referee uniform, as they do for all other UEFA competitions. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer is also a secondary sponsor as the official Champions League video game.

Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising, even if such sponsors conflict with those of the Champions League.[citation needed] However, only one sponsorship is permitted per jersey in addition to that of the kit manufacturer (exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor or in place of it; or on the back, either below the squad number or on the collar area.[62]

If clubs play a match in a country where the relevant sponsorship category is restricted (such as France's alcohol advertising restriction), then they must remove that logo from their jerseys. For example, when Rangers played French sides Auxerre and Strasbourg in the 1996–97 Champions League and the UEFA Cup, respectively, Rangers players wore the logo of Center Parcs instead of McEwan's Lager.[63]

Media coverage

Main article: List of UEFA Champions League broadcasters

The competition attracts an extensive television audience, not just in Europe, but throughout the world. The final of the tournament has been, in recent years, one of the most-watched annual sporting events in the world. With an estimated audience of 109 million people, the 2009 Champions League final surpassed that year's Super Bowl (106 million viewers), for the first time.[64] The matches are broadcast in over 70 countries each year, with commentary provided in more than 40 languages.[citation needed]

Records and statistics

Main article: European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics
See also: UEFA Champions League clubs performance comparison

Winning clubs

Main article: List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals


Performances in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League by club
Club 		Title(s) Runners-up Seasons won Seasons runner-up
Spain Real Madrid 15 3 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024 1962, 1964, 1981
Italy Milan 7 4 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 1958, 1993, 1995, 2005
Germany Bayern Munich 6 5 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 1982, 1987, 1999, 2010, 2012
England Liverpool 6 4 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 1985, 2007, 2018, 2022
Spain Barcelona 5 3 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 1961, 1986, 1994
Netherlands Ajax 4 2 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 1969, 1996
Italy Inter Milan 3 3 1964, 1965, 2010 1967, 1972, 2023
England Manchester United 3 2 1968, 1999, 2008 2009, 2011
Italy Juventus 2 7 1985, 1996 1973, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2015, 2017
Portugal Benfica 2 5 1961, 1962 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, 1990
England Chelsea 2 1 2012, 2021 2008
England Nottingham Forest 2 0 1979, 1980 —
Portugal Porto 2 0 1987, 2004 —
Germany Borussia Dortmund 1 2 1997 2013, 2024
Scotland Celtic 1 1 1967 1970
Germany Hamburger SV 1 1 1983 1980
Romania Steaua București 1 1 1986 1989
France Marseille 1 1 1993 1991
England Manchester City 1 1 2023 2021
Netherlands Feyenoord 1 0 1970 —
England Aston Villa 1 0 1982 —
Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 1 0 1988 —
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 1 0 1991 —
Spain Atlético Madrid 0 3 — 1974, 2014, 2016
France Reims 0 2 — 1956, 1959
Spain Valencia 0 2 — 2000, 2001
Italy Fiorentina 0 1 — 1957
Germany Eintracht Frankfurt 0 1 — 1960
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan 0 1 — 1966
Greece Panathinaikos 0 1 — 1971
England Leeds United 0 1 — 1975
France Saint-Étienne 0 1 — 1976
Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach 0 1 — 1977
Belgium Club Brugge 0 1 — 1978
Sweden Malmö FF 0 1 — 1979
Italy Roma 0 1 — 1984
Italy Sampdoria 0 1 — 1992
Germany Bayer Leverkusen 0 1 — 2002
France Monaco 0 1 — 2004
England Arsenal 0 1 — 2006
England Tottenham Hotspur 0 1 — 2019
France Paris Saint-Germain 0 1 — 2020

All-time top scorers (European Cup and UEFA Champions League)

Including qualifying rounds

See also: List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League top scorers
Rank Player Nation Goals Goals in knockout phase Goals in round-robin phase Goals in qualifying rounds Games Years Clubs
1 Raúl Spain 71 20 51 0 144 '95–'11 Real Madrid (66), Schalke 04 (5)
2 Lionel Messi Argentina 65 29 36 0 82 '04– Barcelona (65)
3 Ruud van Nistelrooy Netherlands 60 6 50 4 81 '98–'09 PSV (9), Manchester United (38), Real Madrid (13)
4 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 60 26 33 1 101 '02– Manchester United (16), Real Madrid (44)
5 Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine 59 18 30 11 116 '94–'11 Dynamo Kyiv (23), Milan (32), Chelsea (4)
6 Thierry Henry France 51 12 38 1 115 '97–'10 AS Monaco (7), Arsenal (35), Barcelona (9)
7 Filippo Inzaghi Italy 50 16 30 4 85 '97–'10 Juventus (17), Milan (33)
8 Alfredo Di Stéfano Argentina 49 58 '55–'64 Real Madrid (49)
9 Eusébio Portugal 47 64 '61–'74 Benfica (47)
10 Alessandro Del Piero Italy 43 9 32 2 92 '95–'09 Juventus (43)

Most appearances

Including qualifying games

Rank Player Nation Appearances Goals Goal ratio Debut in Europe Clubs
1 Ryan Giggs Wales 149 29 0.20 1993 Manchester United
2 Raúl Spain 144 71 0.49 1995 Real Madrid, Schalke 04
3 Xavi Spain 143 12 0.08 1998 Barcelona
4 Paolo Maldini Italy 140 3 0.02 1985 Milan
5 Iker Casillas Spain 135 0 0.00 1999 Real Madrid
6 Clarence Seedorf Netherlands 131 12 0.09 1992 Ajax, Real Madrid, Internazionale, Milan
7 Paul Scholes England 130 25 0.19 1994 Manchester United
8 Roberto Carlos Brazil 128 17 0.13 1996 Internazionale, Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe
9 Carles Puyol Spain 120 2 0.02 1999 Barcelona
10 Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine 116 59 0.51 1994 Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea

Players in Bold are still active.

See also

References

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