Champions league history

The Champions League (the old European Cup) is thee primier club competition in the world, some people in the game even consider it greater than the World Cup.  Alex Ferguson for one, believes that it is better, as it is garaunteed to have “the worlds best players” as opposed to the world cup where some players of lesser ability may have found themselves in the lucky position of qualification.  Down through the years some great players haven't played at the World Cup; most famously George Best, the legendary Manchester United and N. Ireland player, never walk out in a Worl Cup game.

The Champions League launched in 1955 (then called the European Cup and incidentally it wasn't a UEFA initiative), has had a colourful history and stories of great teams from times past are now folklore.  During the early years of the competition teams didn't have to be champions of their repective leagues.  Instead L'Equipe the daily frence sports paper that started the competition, decided that entry into the competition would be invite only to teams they thought had the most fan appeal.

Winners:
It is something of great, great pride for a team to have possessed the great trophy even if only the once!  So imagine the stature of Real Madrid; who went on to dominant the competition in its inaugural years, winning it every year for the first 5 years with legendary players like Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.  AC Milan are second in the winner rankings with 7 titles to there name.  But Milan have never one three in a row – that feat has only been achieved by three clubs Real Madrid, Ajax of Amsterdam and Bayern Munich, 3 wins entitles the winners to hold on to the trohpy.

More information about the competition:

Stories from the competition live on through the generations.  Of how the Glasgow Celtic team won in  1967 with all their players coming from within just 20 miles of Celtic park in Glasgow and of the brilliant Red Star Belgrade team of 1991, who went through the whole tournament playing the most amazing attacking football and then in the final reverted to all out defence! But still beat Bayern Munich on penalties after one of the most boring games in the competitions history finished 0-0.  The final of 1987 was one that has been talked about for years also, Porto shocked Bayern Munich in a especially exciting match – won famously by a cheeky back heel by Rabeh Madjer.

Most poignantly maybe is the win in 1968 by Manchester United.  10 years after one of Europe's greatess teams tragically lost 8 members, Matt Busby (who survived the disaster and was read his last rites twice) built another great team captained by Bobby Charlton (another survivor) and lead them to the trophy; beating Benfica in the final at Wembley.  United next won it in 1999, again emotion were high has united done history by scoring 2 last minute goals to be the first English team to ever win the treble.