The Champions League is a football tournament between the best clubs in Europe. Originally the format of the competition was for just the winners of each participating country's domestic league to compete against each other in a two leg knock out contest. In those days the comp was just known as the European Cup. In 1992 the format of the competition was changed to allow more of the top flight football teams from highly ranked countries to enter. Up to 4 teams from one country can now play.
The format of the tournament is now 3 qualifying rounds for lower placed teams and lower ranked countries followed by a group stage or mini-league which is then followed by a knock-out round for the remaining 16 teams.
Due to football hooliganism English clubs were banned from the champions league for 5 years in 1985, and Liverpool was banned for a further 2 years.
Below are listed the winning teams of the Champions league since it started in 1956. The table includes the winners, runner-up and score. The year refers to the year the trophy was awarded, the actual competition starts at the beginning of the football season which is usually autumn of the previous year.
Year | Winning Football Club |
Score | Runner-up Football Team |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Manchester United FC | 6-5 penalties 1-1 after extra time | Chelsea FC |
2007 | AC Milan | 2-1 | Liverpool |
2006 | FC Barcelona | 2-1 | Arsenal |
2005 | Liverpool | 3-2 penalties 3-3 after extra time | AC Milan |
2004 | FC Porto | 3-0 | AS Monaco FC |
2003 | AC Milan | 3-2 penalties 0-0 after extra time | Juventus FC |
2002 | Real Madrid CF | 2-1 | Bayer Leverkusen |
2001 | FC Bayern München | 5-4 penalties 1-1 after extra time | Valencia CF |
2000 | Real Madrid CF | 3-0 | Valencia CF |
1999 | Manchester United FC | 2-1 | FC Bayern München |
1998 | Real Madrid CF | 1-0 | Juventus FC |
1997 | Borussia Dortmund | 3-1 | Juventus FC |
1996 | Juventus FC | 4-2 penalties 1-1 after extra time | AFC Ajax |
1995 | AFC Ajax | 1-0 | AC Milan |
1994 | AC Milan | 4-0 | FC Barcelona |
1993 | Olympique de Marseille | 1-0 | AC Milan |
1992 | FC Barcelona | 1-0 after extra time | Sampdoria UC |
1991 | Red Star Belgrade | 5-3 penalties 0-0 after extra time | Marseille |
1990 | AC Milan | 1-0 | Benfica |
1989 | AC Milan | 4-0 | Steaua Bucharest |
1988 | PSV Eindhoven | 6-5 penalties 0-0 after extra time | Benfica |
1987 | Porto | 2-1 | Bayern Munich |
1986 | Steaua Bucharest | 2-0 penalties 0-0 after extra time | Barcelona |
1985 | Juventus | 1-0 | Liverpool |
1984 | Liverpool | 4-2 penalties 1-1 after extra time | Roma |
1983 | Hamburg | 1-0 | Juventus |
1982 | Aston Villa | 1-0 | Bayern Munich |
1981 | Liverpool | 1-0 | Real Madrid |
1980 | Nottingham Forest | 1-0 | Hamburg |
1979 | Nottingham Forest | 1-0 | Malmö |
1978 | Liverpool | 1-0 | Club Brugge |
1977 | Liverpool | 3-1 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
1976 | Bayern Munich | 1-0 | Saint-Etienne |
1975 | Bayern Munich | 2-0 | Leeds United |
1974 | Bayern Munich | 4-0 replay 1-1 after extra time | Atlético de Madrid |
1973 | Ajax | 1-0 | Juventus |
1972 | Ajax | 2-0 | Inter Milan |
1971 | Ajax | 2-0 | Panathinaikos |
1970 | Feyenoord | 2-1 after extra time | Celtic |
1969 | AC Milan | 4-1 | Benfica |
1968 | Manchester United | 4-1 after extra time | Benfica |
1967 | Celtic | 2-1 | Inter Milan |
1966 | Real Madrid | 2-1 | Partizan Belgrade |
1965 | Inter Milan | 1-0 | Benfica |
1964 | Inter Milan | 3-1 | Real Madrid |
1963 | AC Milan | 2-1 | Benfica |
1962 | Benfica | 5-3 | Real Madrid |
1961 | Benfica | 3-2 | Barcelona |
1960 | Real Madrid | 7-3 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
1959 | Real Madrid | 2-0 | Stade de Reims |
1958 | Real Madrid | 3-2 after extra time | AC Milan |
1957 | Real Madrid | 2-0 | Fiorentina |
1956 | Real Madrid | 4-3 | Stade de Reims |
For lots more Champions League info, have a look at this Champions League Database site.