history repeats itself. Three of the first four European Cup winners, the real Madrid, Inter and Milan, will be present in the semifinals of the Champions League of the edition 2022-2023, in a campaign in which curiously, Spain, England and Italy strengthen their dominance. Because since the creation of the competition in 1955 They are the three countries that have historically commanded the list of winners. A list of winners in which at the team level the madridistas dominate with 14 titles followed by the milanistas with 7 gimped. And in which Inter is seventh with three titles. The fourth semifinalist, the city, will seek to be crowned 'King of Europe' for the first time.
Despite this coincidence in which three of the clubs that began dominating the competition now control it 68 years later, many things have changed since 1955 the maximum continental competition will be created.
It was born at the initiative of the French newspaper The team, who after various media praised Wolverhampton for beating two other powerful European teams, the Spartak of Moscow and the Honved of Budapest, in friendly matches played in England, questioned the claim that the British team could be considered 'world champion'. And he proposed a tournament with the best European teams. His initial idea was a double round League between the 16 best in Europe, but the interested parties preferred a knockout system to lighten the load of matches.
It was approved by UEFA, although the body 'vetoed' that it be called the European Cup to reserve that name for the Eurocup of selections. And the nascent competition, which included the president of Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabeu, as one of the founders, It was called the European Champions Clubs Cup and in it the English Federation prohibited its champion from participating, Chelsea or any other representative in order to protect national competitions.
The real Madrid, who has won in the most recent years five of the last nine championships, won the first five editions. Then, portuguese benfica, won two consecutive titles in the early 60 and he became one of the 'greats' because he reached three more finals. the city of milan, the only one on the continent with two champions, celebrated the title of Milan A.C. in 1963 and of its interested neighbors in the 64 and the 65 before a new Real Madrid title in 1966.
It was a turning point. Because after three years without teams or countries of clear dominance, representatives of the Netherlands dominated the list of winners for the following four years, Ajax being champion three times. And then, Germans and English shared the titles for the following eleven years. First they dominated Bayern with a treble. And then British football with six consecutive titles.
Since 1982, club football became so equal that the next six champions belonged to different countries (Germany, England, Italy, Romania, Portugal and the Netherlands) until little by little, Spanish people, Italians and English once again dominated the tournament, Although in the case of Spain, They had to pass 26 years for Barça, with Koeman's remembered goal against Sampdoria (1-0) will take over from Real Madrid de los Yeyés.
In recent years, Spain, England and Italy, countries that are in the semifinals today, have strengthened their dominance. Just check how 16 of the last 18 champions were representatives of those three countries. And only Bayern, in 2013 Y 2020, broke that oligarchy. Today, Spain rules with 19 Titles, England is second with 14 and Italy tercera with 12.
The number of participants has been gradually increasing. Because if they participated in the first edition 16 guest teams, in the second year the number increased to 22. The objective was still for the champions of the European Leagues to participate, although until the competition was settled some absences were to be regretted, replaced by invitation.
The knockout format between the champions was maintained for a long period of time, but in 1997 the runners-up also went on to play. not the most historic but the most relevant within the football environment 1999 I could already participate until the fourth of each League. This restructuring to consolidate the maximum continental competition forced the change of format and become a Champions League, in which after previous phases that qualify for the final table 32 teams are divided into groups and the 16 best begin to beat in playoffs.
Like the format, the trophy has had two designs. And also the organizers' policy regarding whether the winner returned it or kept a replica. In 1955 was born with a design that remained until 1966, when UEFA authorized Real Madrid to keep the original trophy for having been the dominator of the first years of the competition. L'Equipe's initial design gave way to the new Cup, known today as the 'Orejona' for its large handles.
In the season 1968-69 a rule was issued: the champion of three consecutive or five alternate editions would own the trophy. and ajax, Bayern, Milan and Liverpool achieved it and joined the Madrid club on the list of owning it.
But in 2008 UEFA wanted all clubs to get the same prize regardless of their history and imposed the rule that the champion had to return the original trophy two months before the final, getting out a smaller scale replica. The measure was not well received and the following year he ruled that the original trophy would never be awarded to the champion, but each year the winner would take an exact replica of it..
Another of the recent variations in the most important soccer competition in the world, which continues to be renewed, for example, with the implementation of video arbitration (WHERE) and that the regulations have also recently changed to simplify the qualifying regulations, Because since 2022 goals in the opposite field are not worth 'double' in case of a tie at the end of the second of the games.
Many novelties in a competition that is constantly being updated but that at a sporting level counts again in the final rounds 68 years later with three of its dominators from the first editions and an emerging team, the city, that due to its financial muscle threatens to become part of that select group for many seasons. A sports trader, thanks to your service live match results, football fans will soon be able to find out if the citizens finally achieve their goal of registering their name for the first time in the highest continental competition.
