Question(s) for the soccer/football heads

[WaLLy]

Hey peeps,

I'm not a big fan of soccer/football, mostly cuz I find it really boring (don't taze me bruh!). However, I do enjoy playing FIFA on PS3 against family members. And because of it, I have favorite teams which I do well with; Real Madrid, Bayern, Portugal, Germany.

Today, I watched the OT of the Real Madrid v. Atletico. I saw Real Madrid players crying even though they won. Because I don't know what all the Leagues, cups and shit load of games teams play, I don't know the meaning of Champions League. Can anyone compare what level the Champions League championship compares to say the NBA and/or NFL?

 

[Jana]

Personally, I think winning the Champions League is the greatest thing a european club can achieve. It´s like the Superbowl in American Football I guess
Only the top clubs of Europe make it to the Champions League. The three most important things for a club are winning the championchip in the national football leagues, the national cup final and the Champions League (or the UEFA Europe League in case you don´t make it in CL )

 

[Kreubs]

The number of CL teams from a country depend on certain factors about the country's league 1. I think the Premier League has 5 spots (maybe more) whilst Romania has 1 + 1 (the second has to qualify, the first is automatically in CL). IDK about other countries.

The best sport to compare it to in North America would probably be baseball, since more neighboring countries play it (don't know about basketball leagues in other countries). The top teams from each country's primary league get pooled, then on to regular tournament stuff and bla bla

 

[WaLLy]

Is Champions League the mecca of soccer league/championships?

 

[animal66]

Is Champions League the mecca of soccer league/championships?

Yeah pretty much, when my team (Chelsea fc) won the champions league a couple of years ago, I cried as well, because there had been so many times that we had almost won it, and finally there we were. Good times indeed.

I was actually rooting for Atletico madrid today, but only because i don't like Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

[MikeK]

Champions League is definitely the most desired trophy in club football / soccer.

@Kreubs I guess PL also has 4 spots and that must be the max possible number of slots per country

 

[WaLLy]

Yeah pretty much, when my team (Chelsea fc) won the champions league a couple of years ago, I cried as well, because there had been so many times that we had almost won it, and finally there we were. Good times indeed.

I was actually rooting for Atletico madrid today, but only because i don't like Cristiano Ronaldo.

Thanks! Now we're getting somewhere! Makes sense. How long often does the Champions League take? Or, when does it start/begin and end? Once/twice a year? Is it based off of seasons? Does it depend on set games in a season? Sorry for the many questions.

 

[Kreubs]

It runs through a whole season. Group stages during the first half and elimination after the winter break.

All the top teams this season will be in CL next season. There is also Europa League which if for X number of slots below CL depinding on your league. Its trophy is cool, but not as cool as CL. The winners of CL and EL have a face-off every year. It's called the super cup methinks.

Konami's UEFA license expires this year. This means that there is an uber high chance that FIFA 15 will have Champions League and Europa League

 

[WaLLy]

So it's not always the same teams that play in the Champions League I see. Not really comparable to NFL/NBA/MLB since these leagues have the same teams every year

 

[Sodalover]

It's like if Japan's top baseball team plays America's top baseball teams for a cup. Now imagine it with more teams from more countries on the same continent and you have the CL. Or maybe if the Grey Cup winner of the CFL plays the Superbowl winner of the NFL.