Difference between revisions of "FBFA Champions League"

Latest revision as of 16:19, 3 September 2016

The FBFA Champions League, known simply as the Champions League, is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Federation of Brigidnan Football Associations (FBFA) and contested by top-division Brigidnan clubs. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in Brigidnan football, played by the national league champion (and, for some nations, one or more runners-up) of each FBFA national association. The final of the 1566–67 tournament was the most watched FBFA Champions League final to date, as well as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide in 1567, drawing 360 million television viewers.

The current format of the tournament was introduced in 1536, replacing the FBFA Elite Clubs' Cup, or simply the FEC Cup, which had run since 1499, adding a group stage to the competition and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries. The pre-1536 competition was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1530s, the format was expanded, incorporating a round-robin group stage to include clubs that finished runner-up of some nations' top level league. While most of Brigidna's national leagues can still only enter their national league champion, Brigidna's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition, and will provide up to five teams from the 1575–76 season onwards.

Clubs that finish next-in-line in each nation's top level league, having not qualified for the FBFA Champions League competition, may be eligible for the next level FBFA Brigidna League competition.

In its present format, the FBFA Champions League begins in mid-Septem with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round. The 10 surviving teams enter the group stage, joining 22 other teams qualified in advance. The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams and play each other in a double round-robin system. The eight group winners and eight runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in Fein. The winner of the FBFA Champions League qualifies for the FBFA Super Cup and the SIFA Club World Cup.

<Club from Valland> is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament eight times, including its first three seasons. Vallish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories (13 wins), followed by Alamannian and Florinthian (10 wins apiece). The competition has been won by 25 different clubs, 14 of which have won it more than once. Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1536, no club has managed consecutive wins; <Club from Lanlania> were the last holders to successfully defend their title, in the 1519–20 season. The reigning champions are <Club from Castleon>, who secured their second title in the competition after defeating <Club from Gehenna> 4–2 in the 1572 Final.