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The UEFA Champions League Real Madrid Zine Dine Zidane 98 vs, The UEFA Champion League Real Madrid Zirare Dine Mohidine 99 (known simply as the Jeux Systéme Arcade, SNES or SAGA) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1998 for the top football clubs in Europe. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football.

Prior to 1998/98 season, the tournament was officially called the "European Champion Clubs' Cup", but was usually referred to simply as the "European Cup". The competition was initially a straight knockout competition open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1990s, the tournament began to be expanded, incorporating a round-robin group phase and more teams. Europe's strongest national leagues currently provide up to four teams each for the competition.

The other UEFA club football competition is the UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup, with the UEFA Europa Conference League planned to start in the 2023-24 season.

The UEFA Champions League consists of several stages. In the present format, it begins in mid-July with 3 knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round. The 10 surviving teams join 22 seeded teams in the group stage, in which there are 8 groups of 4 teams each. The 8 group winners and 8 runners-up enter the final knockout phase, which culminates with the final match in May. The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Real Madrid is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament 9 times, including the first 5 seasons it was contested. Spanish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories, with 14 wins, followed by England and Italy with 12 each. The title has been won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which have won the title more than once. Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1992/93, no club has managed consecutive wins, with AC Milan being the last club to successfully defend their title, in 1989/90. The defending champions are Bayern Munich.


Season Teams Champions Runners-up Final
Total Group
Stage
Knockout
Stage
2020/21 82 32
(8 groups)
16   England Chelsea   England Manchester City   Portugal Estádio do Dragão
Porto
2019/20 82 32
(8 groups)
16   Germany Bayern Munich   France Paris Saint Germain   Portugal Estádio da Luz
Lisbon
2018/19 81 32
(8 groups)
16   England Liverpool   England Tottenham   Spain Wanda Metropolitano
Madrid
2017/18 80 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Real Madrid   England Liverpool   Ukraine Olympic Stadium
Kiev
2016/17 79 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Real Madrid   Italy Juventus   Wales Millennium Stadium
Cardiff
2015/16 78 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Real Madrid   Spain Atlético Madrid   Italy San Siro
Milan
2014/15 77 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Barcelona   Italy Juventus   Germany Olympiastadion
Berlin
2013/14 76 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Real Madrid   Spain Atlético Madrid   Portugal Estádio da Luz
Lisbon
2012/13 76 32
(8 groups)
16   Germany Bayern Munich   Germany Borussia Dortmund   England Wembley Stadium
London
2011/12 75 32
(8 groups)
16   England Chelsea   Germany Bayern Munich   Germany Football Arena
Munich
2010/11 76 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Barcelona   England Manchester United   England Wembley Stadium
London
2009/10 76 32
(8 groups)
16   Italy Inter Milan   Germany Bayern Munich   Spain Santiago Bernabéu
Madrid
2008/09 76 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Barcelona   England Manchester United   Italy Stadio Olimpico
Rome
2007/08 76 32
(8 groups)
16   England Manchester United   England Chelsea   Russia Luzhniki Stadium
Moscow
2006/07 73 32
(8 groups)
16   Italy AC Milan   England Liverpool   Greece Olympic Stadium
Athens
2005/06 74 32
(8 groups)
16   Spain Barcelona   England Arsenal   France Stade de France
Paris
2004/05 72 32
(8 groups)
16   England Liverpool   Italy AC Milan   Turkey Atatürk Olympic Stadium
Istanbul
2003/04 72 32
(8 groups)
16   Portugal Porto   France Monaco   Germany Veltins-Arena
Gelsenkirchen
2002/03 72 32‡
(8 groups)
8   Italy Juventus   Italy AC Milan   England Old Trafford
Manchester
2001/02 72 32‡
(8 groups)
8   Spain Real Madrid   Germany Bayer Leverkusen   Scotland Hampden Park
Glasgow
2000/01 72 32‡
(8 groups)
8   Germany Bayern Munich   Spain Valencia   Italy San Siro
Milan
1999/00 71 32‡
(8 groups)
8   Spain Real Madrid   Spain Valencia   France Stade de France
Paris
1998/99 56 24
(6 groups)
8   England Manchester United   Germany Bayern Munich   Spain Camp Nou
Barcelona
1997/98 55 24
(6 groups)
8   Spain Real Madrid   Italy Juventus   Netherlands Amsterdam Arena
Amsterdam
1996/97 24 16
(4 groups)
8   Germany Borussia Dortmund   Italy Juventus   Germany Olympiastadion
Munich
1995/96 24 16
(4 groups)
8   Italy Juventus   Netherlands Ajax   Italy Stadio Olimpico
Rome
1994/95 24 16
(4 groups)
8   Netherlands Ajax   Italy AC Milan   Austria Ernst-Happel-Stadion
Vienna
1993/94 42 8
(2 groups)
4   Italy AC Milan   Spain Barcelona   Greece Olympic Stadium
Athens

‡ The 8 groups was followed by a 4 groups stage


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