My Football Facts ⇒ Articles
By Jonathan Lewis | 9th Mar 2023
The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) hosts the Champions League, and it’s considered one of the most distinguished pre-eminent club football tournaments in the whole world. This tournament has been played every year since its inauguration in 1955.
In 2023, it’s considered one of the best sports you can bet on in Europe and around the globe. If you’re considering joining the hype, stock up on knowledge about the Champions League, its history, and its rules. Continue reading to learn more about this!
What’s the UEFA Champions League?
The Champions League is a soccer (or football) tournament hosted by the UEFA. It comprises 32 teams, the best of the best teams in Europe, and they compete in five rounds until one team is hailed as the winner.
When participating in this type of sports betting, you can utilize the matches to learn how the Champion leagues work. Studying past performances, even by different teams, helps you carefully choose your team and analyze different Champions league odds.
UEFA Champions League History
In 1955, the Champions League was first established under the guise of the European Cup. It was meant to be a straight knockout where it’s only open to the champion club of each domestic league. There were only 16 competing teams playing in four rounds (first round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals).
But due to their rebranding in 1992, it became a round-robin group stage, and added entrants, rules, and regulations were added where certain countries were allowed to compete in the tournament. It was the year when they won the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League. But, the league had already expanded to 32 teams in 1960.
In the UEFA Champions League, the 32 selected teams are split into eight groups of four, where each team plays against the other three teams in a double round-robin format. Whoever hails as the dinner and the runner-up of each group advances to the round of 16. After this, the winning team will continue the usual knockout stage process.
How Are the Teams Selected?
The number of teams competing in the UEFA Champions League depends on the UEFA coefficients of the member associations.
Scores will be generated by the club’s results representing their association during the past tournaments and seasons in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The higher the association coefficient, the more teams will represent in the association of the Champions League, and vice versa.
Ever since the new rules in the 2009-2010 season, there are two ways to qualify for the UEFA Champions League; these are for teams that don’t receive a direct entry for the tournament or the group stage. The streams are divided into the country’s domestic champions and other teams that finished in other positions. Five teams in each of these sections can qualify for the group stage.
What Happens to the 32 Qualified Teams?
When 32 teams are already chosen, they are split into four different “pots.” There’s also a restriction that the teams from the same association can’t be drawn against each other; in other words, they can’t compete against each other. It’s to avoid any ill play and for a fair game.
Popular Types of Champions League Bets
Did you know you can place your bets before the Champions League matches? It’s true, and these are the famous Champions League bets you can place.
- Moneyline. This is when you would wager on the “straight-up” winner of the match. It’s as simple as that; you have to analyze and make an analysis of who you think would win. It’s presented in the format of +XXX, -XXX, or an even, which is +100. When you see a negative number in the odds, you’ll win less money than you’re wagering due to the expected outcome.
On the other hand, a positive sign next to the odds means that you will win more than the money you wager since it’s an outcome that the oddsmakers expect would be least likely to occur. Lastly, an even odds (+100) means you’ll win the amount of money you’ve wagered in the Champions League.
- Spread. The number you see on spread odds represents the numerical advantage or disadvantage to the victory or defeat of a given team that’s set by the oddsmakers. This number came up by professional oddsmakers. When you bet a spread wager, you can see who are the favorites and underdogs of a match. The favorite would have a negative sign, while the underdogs would have a positive sign next to their number.
Final Thoughts
The Champions League has been around for 68 years, and its fanbase continuously grows. Placing a bet on the game enables fans to feel more engaged. Luckily, you can use numerous promotions and rewards gifted by sports betting websites, saving you time and energy by having to go to Europe to watch different matches personally.
The UEFA Champions League is a great medium to watch the best of the best teams compete, and it’s just right around the corner! Prepare your tickets and your cheers for this March’s game. You may also rewatch the past games in February to satiate your football needs.