The UEFA Champions League is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competition winners through a round robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout format, and a single leg final. It is the most watched club competition in the world and the third-most watched football competition overall, behind only the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originally the Super Competition, and later the European Super Cup. It was renamed the UEFA Super Cup in 1995, following a policy of rebranding by UEFA.
The 2004 UEFA Champions League final was an association football match played on 26 May 2004 to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. AS Monaco, a Monaco-based club representing the French Football Federation, faced Portuguese side Porto at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Porto won the match 3–0, with Carlos Alberto, Deco and Dmitri Alenichev scoring the goals in a dominant game from Mourinho's Porto. Deco was named Man of the Match.
The 2003 UEFA Champions League final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams: Juventus and Milan. The match made history as it was the first time two clubs from Italy had faced each other in the final. It was also the second intra-national final of the competition, following the all-Spanish 2000 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Valencia three years earlier. Milan won the match via a penalty shoot-out after the game had finished 0–0 after extra time. It gave Milan their sixth success in the European Cup.
The 2006 UEFA Super Cup was the 31st edition of the annual UEFA Super Cup, a UEFA-sponsored football club match that pitted the winners of the UEFA Champions League against the winners of the UEFA Cup. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, on 25 August 2006, and featured two Spanish clubs: Barcelona, who won the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, against Sevilla, who took the 2005–06 UEFA Cup title. Sevilla beat Barcelona by 3–0 and added its first UEFA Super Cup trophy to its maiden UEFA Cup.
The 2005 UEFA Super Cup was an association football match between Liverpool of England and CSKA Moscow of Russia on 26 August 2005 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, the annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Liverpool were appearing in the Super Cup for the fifth time, having won the competition in 1977 and 2001. CSKA Moscow were appearing in the Super Cup for the first time, the first Russian team to appear in the competition.
The 2001 UEFA Super Cup was a football match between German team Bayern Munich and English team Liverpool on 24 August 2001 at Stade Louis II, the annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Bayern were appearing in the Super Cup for the third time, their two previous appearances in 1975 and 1976 had ended in defeat. Liverpool were appearing in their fourth Super Cup, they won the competition in 1977, and lost twice in 1978 and 1984.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club first participated in a European competition in 1955. The first international cup they took part in was the Latin Cup in which they participated as champions of Spain. The competition lasted from 1949 to 1957 and Real Madrid won both tournaments which they entered, the same number as Barcelona and Milan. Since becoming the first Spanish club to enter the European Cup in 1955, Real has competed in every UEFA-organized competition, except the Intertoto Cup and Conference League. They have missed out on European football only twice in their history, in the 1977–78 and 1996–97 seasons.
The 1998 UEFA Super Cup was a football match that was played on 28 August 1998 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, contested between Champions League winners Real Madrid and Cup Winners' Cup holders Chelsea. Neither team had previously won the trophy. Chelsea won the match 1–0 with a late goal from Gus Poyet.
The 2004 UEFA Super Cup was the 29th UEFA Super Cup, an annual association football match contested by the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The match was played at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2004 and contested by Porto of Portugal and Valencia of Spain.
The 2003 UEFA Super Cup was played on 29 August 2003 between Milan of Italy and Porto of Portugal. Milan qualified by defeating Juventus in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final, while Porto qualified by beating Celtic in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. Milan won the match 1–0. After the match, defeated Porto manager José Mourinho said, "We leave here convinced we can go into the UEFA Champions League with the hope and certainty we can compete with any team." They finished the season as 2003–04 UEFA Champions League winners.
The 2000 UEFA Super Cup was a football match played on 25 August 2000 between Real Madrid of Spain and Galatasaray of Turkey. Real Madrid qualified by beating Valencia in the 2000 UEFA Champions League Final, while Galatasaray had made it to the Super Cup after beating Arsenal in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final. Galatasaray won the match 2–1, both goals scored by Mário Jardel, the latter a golden goal.
The 2009 UEFA Super Cup was the 34th UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The match was contested by 2008–09 UEFA Champions League winners, Barcelona, and 2008–09 UEFA Cup winners, Shakhtar Donetsk at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 28 August 2009, following the UEFA Champions League and Europa League draws at the Grimaldi Forum.
The 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup, between the reigning champions of the two club competitions organised by the European football governing body UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Inter Milan, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League. Neither side had previously competed in the UEFA Super Cup. As part of a trial that started in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, two extra officials – one on each goal line – were used in this match.
The 2011 UEFA Super Cup was the 36th UEFA Super Cup, between the reigning champions of the two club competitions organised by the European football governing body UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 26 August 2011. It was contested by the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona of Spain and the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League winners Porto of Portugal. Barcelona won the title defeating Porto 2–0.
Björn Kuipers is a former Dutch football referee. He has been a FIFA listed referee from 2006 to 2021 and an UEFA Elite group referee from 2009 to 2021. He was assisted during international matches by Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra. A supermarket owner by occupation, Kuipers has officiated at two World Cups and three European Championship tournaments. It was announced on 29 July 2021 that Kuipers would be retiring from refereeing, officiating his final match between Ajax and PSV on 7 August in the 2021 Johan Cruyff Shield.
The 2013 UEFA Super Cup was the 38th UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. In a repeat of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, the match featured Bayern Munich, the winners of the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League, and Chelsea, the winners of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. Having beaten Bayern in the 2012 Champions League Final, it was Chelsea's second consecutive appearance in the Super Cup. It was played at the Eden Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, on 30 August 2013, and was the first to be held away from the Stade Louis II in Monaco since it became a one-legged match in 1998.
The 2012 UEFA Super Cup was the 37th UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. It was played at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 31 August 2012, between the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea of England and the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League winners Atlético Madrid of Spain.
The 2017–18 UEFA Champions League was the 63rd season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 26th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
