history and winners of soccer tournaments

THE ENGLISH F.A CUP

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THE ENGLISH FA CUP

HISTORY

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. It is sponsored by E.ON, and is therefore officially known as the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON.

The FA Cup was first held in 1871–72, and is the oldest association football competition in the world. Because it involves clubs of all standards playing against each other, there is the possibility for "minnows" from the lower divisions to become "giant-killers" by eliminating top clubs from the tournament and even theoreotically win the Cup, although lower division teams rarely reach the final. The holders of the FA Cup are Chelsea, who beat fellow Premier League side Everton
in the 2009 final on 30 May 2009

CLUB
WIN - LAST FINAL WON
RUNNERS UP - LAST FINAL LOST

Manchester United
11 -2004
7 -2007

Arsenal
10 -2005
7 -2001

Tottenham Hotspur
8 -1991
1 -1987

Liverpool
7 -2006
6 -1996

Aston Villa
7 -1957
3 -2000

Newcastle United
6 -1955
7 -1999

Blackburn Rovers
6 -1928
2 -1960

Everton
5 -1995
8 -2009

West Bromwich Albion
5 -1968
5 -1935

Chelsea
5 -2009
4 -2002

Wanderers
5 -1878
0

Manchester City
4 -1969
4 -1981

Wolverhampton Wanderers
4 -1960
4 -1939

Bolton Wanderers
4 -1958
3 -1953

Sheffield United
4 -1925
2 -1936

Sheffield Wednesday
3 -1935
3 -1993

West Ham United
3 -1980
2 -2006

Preston North End
2 -1938
5 -1964

Old Etonians
2 -1882
4 -1883

Portsmouth
2 -2008
2 -1934

Sunderland
2 -1973
2 -1992

Nottingham Forest
2 -1959
1 -1991

Bury
2 -1903
0
Huddersfield Town
1 -1922
4 -1938

Southampton
1 -1976
3 -2003

Leeds United
1 -1972
3 -1973

Derby County
1 -1946
3 -1903

Royal Engineers
1 -1875
3 -1878

Oxford University
1 -1874
3 -1880

Blackpool
1 -1953
2 -1951

Cardiff City
1 -1927
2 -2008

Burnley
1 -1914
2 -1962

Charlton Athletic
1 -1947
1 -1946

Barnsley
1 -1912
1 -1910

Notts County
1 -1894
1 -1891

Clapham Rovers
1 -1880
1 -1879

Wimbledon
1 -1988
0

Coventry City
1 -1987
0

Ipswich Town
1 -1978
0
Bradford City
1 -1911
0

Blackburn Olympic
1 1883
0

Old Carthusians
1 -1881
0

Leicester City
0
4 -1969

Birmingham City
0
2 -1956

Queen's Park
0
2 -1885

Millwall
0
1 -2004

Middlesbrough
0
1 -1997

Crystal Palace
0
1 -1990

Watford
0
1 -1984

Brighton and Hove Albion
0
1 -1983

Queens Park Rangers
0
1 -1982

Fulham
0
1 -1975

Luton Town
0
1 -1959

Bristol City
0
1 -1909

THE CARLING CUP

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Carling Cup

AN OVERVIEW
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or Carling Cup, is an English football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout (single elimination) basis. Unlike the FA Cup where 762 teams entered in 2008–09 only 92 clubs can enter—the 20 clubs of the Premier League, and the 72 clubs of The Football League, which organises the competition. Unlike the FA Cup, the semi-finals are played over two legs. The winners qualify for the UEFA Europa League, if they have not qualified for European competition in some other way. (If the winner qualifies for the Champions League, the UEFA Europa League spot is given to the team that finishes highest in the Premier League that has not already qualified for a European competition.) Manchester United are the current holders

HISTORY

During the late 1950s, the majority of senior English clubs equipped their grounds with floodlights. This opened up the opportunity to exploit weekday evenings throughout the winter. The League Cup was introduced in the 1960–61 season specifically as a mid-week floodlit tournament. In the early years of the competition, many of the top teams declined to take part. It was only when automatic entry to the UEFA Cup was promised to the winners that the full League membership took part.

In the last 10 years, following restructuring of European football, and the introduction of the restructured format of the UEFA Champions League, the League Cup was threatened with losing its UEFA Cup slot for its winners. It has retained it thus far however, and along with France is the only nation to offer a UEFA cup slot to its second cup competition winners. Therefore it retains enough importance and popularity, especially with fans of clubs for whom the League Cup offers a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe.

Aston Villa were the inaugural winners in 1960–61. Liverpool have won the cup on the most occasions with seven victories including four successive trophies in the early 1980s. They have appeared ten times in the final overall, also a record. Thanks to winning the competition, Liverpool were able to complete two trebles of trophy wins, in 1984 and 2001. The present holders are Manchester United, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 on penalties after the 2009 final finished goalless after extra time.

Winners

Liverpool won 7
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003

Aston Villa won 5
1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996

Tottenham Hotspur won 4
1971, 1973, 1999, 2008 1982, 2002, 2009

Nottingham Forest won 4
1978, 1979, 1989, 1990 1980, 1992

Chelsea won 4
1965, 1998, 2005, 2007 1972,

Manchester United won 3
1992, 2006, 2009

Leicester City won 3
1964, 1997, 2000

Arsenal won 2
1987, 1993

Norwich City won 2
1962, 1985

Manchester City won 2
1970, 1976

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2
1974, 1980

West Bromwich Albion won 1
1966

Middlesbrough won 1
2004

Birmingham City won 1
1963

Queens Park Rangers won 1
1967

Leeds United won 1
1968

Stoke City won
1972

Luton Town won 1
1988

Sheffield Wednesday won 1
1991

Swindon Town won 1
1969

Oxford United won 1
1986

Blackburn Rovers won 1
2002

THE NIGERIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

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HISTORY

The Nigerian Premier League is the highest level of domestic Nigerian football. It is fed into by the two First Division groups: the Nigerian Division 1-A and Nigerian Division 1-B. It is organised by the Nigeria Football Association. The NFL Chairman is Oyuiki Obaseki. Kano Pillars are the current champions, the first northern team to win in nine years.
The league was founded in 1972 with six teams. The league was rechristened the "Professional League" in 1990 with a goal to modernize the game and make clubs self-sufficient. Decrees 10 and 11 which codified the introduction of professional football in Nigeria stipulated that professional clubs should be run as limited liability companies each governed by a regularly-constituted board of directors and required to hold annual general meetings, present independently audited accounts, cultivate youth/feeder teams and own their own stadium within five years of registration with the Pro League Department. To assist Pro League clubs in the timely achievement of these stated goals, all 56 professional club sides that constituted the inaugural Pro League were granted a five-year tax moratorium on all income starting from 1990. The Premier League was upgraded from the First Division of the Nigerian League in 2004. From 1999-2007, there was an end of season Championship mini-league called the "Super Four". The top four teams would play a round robin at a neutral site to determine the league champion. After the 2006 competition, the league changed its calendar to more closely match the common European regular season structure, i.e. starting around August and ending around May. As of the 2007/08 season the league is known as the Globacom Premier League, due to sponsorship from the Globacom telecommunications company.

The league was founded in 1972 with six teams. The league was rechristened the

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION

• 1972 : Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1973 : Bendel Insurance (Benin City)
• 1974 : Rangers International (Enugu)
• 1975 : Rangers International (Enugu)
• 1976 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan)
• 1977 : Rangers International (Enugu)
• 1978 : Racca Rovers (Kano)
• 1979 : Bendel Insurance (Benin City)
• 1980 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan)
• 1981 : Rangers International (Enugu)
• 1982 : Rangers International (Enugu)
• 1983 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan)
• 1984 : Rangers International (Enugu)
• 1985 : New Nigeria Bank (Benin City)
• 1986 : Leventis United (Ibadan)
• 1987 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1988 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1989 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1990 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1991 : Julius Berger (Lagos)
• 1992 : Stationery Stores (Lagos)
• 1993 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1994 : BCC Lions (Gboko)
• 1995 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan)
• 1996 : Udoji United (Awka)
• 1997 : Eagle Cement (Port Harcourt)
• 1998 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan)
• 1999 : Lobi Stars (Makurdi)
• 2000 : Julius Berger (Lagos)
• 2001 : Enyimba FC (Aba)
• 2002 : Enyimba FC (Aba)
• 2003 : Enyimba FC (Aba)
• 2004 : Dolphins F.C. (Port Harcourt)
• 2005 : Enyimba FC (Aba)
• 2006 : Ocean Boys FC (Brass)
• 2007 : Enyimba FC (Aba)
• 2008 : Kano Pillars F.C. (Kano)
• 2009 : Bayelsa United (Yenegoa)

THE NIGERIAN FA CUP

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AN OVERVIEW

The Nigerian FA Cup (AKA the Challenge Cup or since 2009 Federation Cup) is the main football single-elimination tournament in Nigeria. It was created in 1945 as the "Governor's Cup", succeeding the War Memorial Challenge Cup that had been limited to teams from Lagos

HISTORY

The earliest cup for senior sides was the Mulford Cup, founded in 1938 and played between Lagos clubs. It was competed for until 1952. Before, the Bergedorf Cup (later renamed Zard Cup) was founded, contested between junior sides in Lagos. In 1948 the Zard Cup was re-assigned to a competition for secondary schools.
During the war years, the War Memorial Challenge Cup was launched and succeeded by the Governor's Cup in 1945 (with 9 teams, all from Lagos, entering the initial competition (other source: 13 participants); the first team from outside Lagos to enter were Aebokuta in 1946, followed by Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri in 1948), which was renamed Challenge Cup after Nigeria's independence and developed into the main cup competition of Nigeria. It initially was played in four regional areas (North, East, West and Lagos Capital Territory) who sent their winners to the final play-offs in Lagos. In 1963 the Western Region was split into two, with the Mid-West becoming the fifth region. In 1958, Port Harcourt Red Devils beat Ikot Ekpene 18-0 for the record score in the competition; Ibadan once defeated Ekiti 17-0.
Prior to 1945, various provincial trophies were at stake in different parts of Nigeria: the Comet Cup (in the North), Unafrico Cup (in the East), Pilot Cup (in Lagos), and Thermogene Cup (in the West; involving (city selections from?) Benin, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Warri). Zik's Athletic Club (ZAC) won the City of Lagos Cup 1932 (apparently not a 'senior' competition).

WINNERS

War Memorial Challenge Cup

• 1942 : ZAC Bombers 1-0 Services
• 1943 : Lagos Marine 3-2 RAF
• 1944 : Lagos Railways 2-0 Marine
• 1945 : Lagos Railways 1-1 (4-1) Lagos United

Governor's Cup

• 1945 : Marine 1-0 Corinthians
• 1946 : Lagos Railways 3-1 Port Harcourt
• 1947 : Marine 3-1 Lagos Railways
• 1948 : Lagos Railways 1-0 Warri
• 1949 : Lagos Railways 3-0 Port Harcourt
• 1950 : Lagos UAC 3-2 Port Harcourt
• 1951 : Lagos Railways 3-2 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1952 : Lagos PAN Bank 6-0 Warri (Mid-West)
• 1953 : Kano Pillars 2-1 Lagos Dynamos

FA Cup

• 1954 : Calabar 3-0 Kano Pillars
• 1955 : Port Harcourt FC 4-1 Warri
• 1956 : Lagos Railways 3-1 Warri
• 1957 : Lagos Railways 5-1 Zaria
• 1958 : Port Harcourt FC 6-0 Federal United
• 1959 : Ibadan Lions 1-0 Lagos Police

Nigeria Challenge Cup

• 1960 : Lagos ECN 5-2 Ibadan Lions
• 1961 : Ibadan Lions 1-0 Lagos UAC
• 1962 : Police Machine 1-0 Mighty Jets(Jos)
• 1963 : Port Harcourt FC 1-0 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1964 : Lagos Railways 3-1 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1965 : Lagos ECN 3-1 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1966 : Ibadan Lions beat Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1967 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 3-1 Mighty Jets(Jos)
• 1968 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 3-1 (r.) Warri
• 1969 : Ibadan Lions 5-1 Warri
• 1970 : Lagos ECN 3-1 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1971 : WNDC Ibadan 2-1 Enugu Rangers
• 1972 : Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 2-2 3-2 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1973 : -
• 1974 : Enugu Rangers 2-0 Mighty Jets (Jos)
• 1975 : Enugu Rangers 1-0 Shooting Stars (Ibadan)
• 1976 : Enugu Rangers 2-0 Alyufsalam Rocks (Ilorin)
• 1977 : Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 2-0 Racca Rovers (titre attribué 2-0 à Shooting Stars)
• 1978 : Bendel Insurance 3-0 Enugu Rangers
• 1979 : Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 2-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
• 1980 : Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 1-0 Stationery Stores (Lagos)
• 1981 : Enugu Rangers 2-0 Bendel Insurance (Benin City)
• 1982 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 4-1 Niger Tornadoes (Minna)
• 1983 : Enugu Rangers 0-0 (5 t.a.b. à 4) DIC Bees (Kaduna)
• 1984 : Leventis United (Ibadan) 1-0 Abiola Babes (Abeokuta)
• 1985 : Abiola Babes (Abeokuta) (6 t.a.b. à 5) BCC Lions (Gboko)
• 1986 : Leventis United (Ibadan) 1-0 Abiola Babes (Abeokuta)
• 1987 : Abiola Babes (Abeokuta) 1-1 (7 t.a.b. à 6) Ranchers Bees
• 1988 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) 3-0 Flash Flamingoes
• 1989 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 1990 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) 0-0 (5 t.a.b. à 4) Enugu Rangers
• 1991 : El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri) 3-2 Kano Pillars
• 1992 : El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri) 1-0 Stationery Stores (Lagos)
• 1993 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Plateau United (Jos)
• 1994 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Julius Berger (Lagos)
• 1995 : Shooting Stars (Ibadan) 2-0 Katsina United
• 1996 : Julius Berger (Lagos) 1-0 (a.p.) Katsina United
• 1997 : BCC Lions (Gboko) 1-0 Katsina United
• 1998 : Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) 0-0 (3 t.a.b. à 2) Plateau United (Jos)
• 1999 : Plateau United (Jos) 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 2000 : Niger Tornadoes (Minna) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
• 2001 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-0 El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri)
• 2002 : Julius Berger (Lagos) 3-0 Yobe Stars (Damaturu)
• 2003 : Lobi Stars (Makurdi) 2-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
• 2004 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
• 2005 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-1 (aet, 6-5 pen) Lobi Stars (Makurdi)
• 2006 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-2 (aet, 5-3 pen) Bendel Insurance
• 2007 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-1 [aet, 3-2 pen] Enugu Rangers
• 2008 : Ocean Boys FC (Brass) 2-2 [aet, 7-6 pen] Gombe United
• 2009 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)

THE FRENCH LIGUE 1

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FRENCH LIGUE 1

AN OVERVIEW

Ligue 1 (Première division or Division 1 until 2003, now officially called Ligue 1) is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper. Ligue 1 is one of the top national leagues, currently ranked fourth in Europe behind the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and ahead of German Fußball-Bundesliga.

HISTORY

Ligue 1 has been an all-professional league since its inception in 1932. Because of World War II, the LFP suspended play for the 1939–1940 through 1944–1945 seasons, although its member clubs continued playing in regional competitions. (For the 1943–44 season, the Vichy regime abolished professionalism, but professional clubs operated during the other war years.) Since the end of World War II, the French first division has switched several times between an 18- and a 20-team format, the latter being in force today and having the preference of clubs in spite of a busier schedule for the players.
The 20 Ligue 1 teams play each other twice (home and away) during the season for a 38-match schedule. At the end of the season, the bottom three teams in the division are relegated to Ligue 2, and are replaced by the top three teams of Ligue 2. This particular promotion and relegation format, in place since 1995, is a relative novelty in the French top flight. The traditional format has long been direct relegation of the bottom two teams and a play-off between the third-last first-division team and the winner of the second-division play-offs.
Currently, the top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League, with the top two proceeding directly to the group phase. The third-placed team enters in the final qualifying round. The fourth- and fifth-placed teams qualify for the UEFA Cup. The sixth- and seventh-placed teams can also qualify, depending on results in the two domestic cup competitions

Ligue 1 is generally regarded as competently run, with good planning of fixtures, complete and consistently enforced rules, timely resolution of issues, and adequate escalation procedures of judicial disputes to national or international institutions. It has faced three significant corruption scandals in its history (Olympique d'Antibes in 1933, Red Star in the 1950s, and Olympique de Marseille in 1993) and has preserved its reputation every time through swift and appropriately severe punishment of the guilty parties.

LIST OF FRENCH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

Amateurs (1894-1929) and professionals (since 1932) champions

Year Winner Runner Up

1893-94 Standard Athletic Club, Meudon
White Rovers Paris
1894-95 Standard Athletic Club, Meudon
White Rovers Paris
1895-96 Club Français Paris White Rovers Paris
1896-97 Standard Athletic Club, Meudon
White Rovers Paris
1897-98 Standard Athletic Club, Meudon
Club Français Paris
1898-99 Le Havre Club Français Paris
1899-00 Le Havre Club Français Paris
1900-01 Standard Athletic Club, Meudon
Le Havre
1901-02 RC Roubaix RC Paris
1902-03 RC Roubaix RC Paris
1903-04 RC Roubaix Paris United SC
1904-05 Gallia Club Paris RC Roubaix
1905-06 RC Roubaix CA Paris
1906-07 RC Paris RC Roubaix
1907-08 RC Roubaix RC Paris
1908-09 Stade Helvétique Marseille CA Paris
1909-10 Tourcoing Stade Helvétique Marseille
1910-11 Stade Helvétique Marseille RC Paris
1911-12 Saint-Raphaël Le Perreux (former AS Française Paris)
1912-13 Stade Helvétique Marseille Rouen
1913-14 Lille Sète
1918-19 Le Havre Olympique Marseille
1926-27 CA Paris Amiens
1927-28 Stade Français Paris Montpellier
1928-29 Olympique Marseille Club Français Paris
1932-33 Lille Cannes
1933-34 Sète Fives
1934-35 Sochaux Strasbourg
1935-36 RC Paris Lille
1936-37 Olympique Marseille Sochaux
1937-38 Sochaux Olympique Marseille
1938-39 Sète Olympique Marseille
1944-45 Rouen Lyon
1945-46 Lille Saint-Etienne
1946-47 CO Roubaix Reims
1947-48 Olympique Marseille Lille
1948-49 Reims Lille
1949-50 Bordeaux Lille
1950-51 Nice Lille
1951-52 Nice Bordeaux
1952-53 Reims Sochaux
1953-54 Lille Reims
1954-55 Reims Toulouse
1955-56 Nice Lens
1956-57 Saint-Etienne Lens
1957-58 Reims Nîmes
1958-59 Nice Nîmes
1959-60 Reims Nîmes
1960-61 Monaco RC Paris
1961-62 Reims RC Paris
1962-63 Monaco Reims
1963-64 Saint-Etienne Monaco
1964-65 Nantes Bordeaux
1965-66 Nantes Bordeaux
1966-67 Saint-Etienne Nantes
1967-68 Saint-Etienne Nice
1968-69 Saint-Etienne Bordeaux
1969-70 Saint-Etienne Olympique Marseille
1970-71 Olympique Marseille Saint-Etienne
1971-72 Olympique Marseille Nîmes
1972-73 Nantes Nice
1973-74 Saint-Etienne Nantes
1974-75 Saint-Etienne Olympique Marseille
1975-76 Saint-Etienne Nice
1976-77 Nantes Lens
1977-78 Monaco Nantes
1978-79 Strasbourg Nantes
1979-80 Nantes Sochaux
1980-81 Saint-Etienne Nantes
1981-82 Monaco Saint-Etienne
1982-83 Nantes Bordeaux
1983-84 Bordeaux Monaco
1984-85 Bordeaux Nantes
1985-86 Paris SG Nantes
1986-87 Bordeaux Olympique Marseille
1987-88 Monaco Bordeaux
1988-89 Olympique Marseille Paris SG
1989-90 Olympique Marseille Bordeaux
1990-91 Olympique Marseille Monaco
1991-92 Olympique Marseille Monaco
1992-93 Olympique Marseille (stripped of title) Paris SG
1993-94 Paris SG Olympique Marseille
1994-95 Nantes Lyon
1995-96 Auxerre Paris SG
1996-97 Monaco Paris SG
1997-98 Lens Metz
1998-99 Bordeaux Olympique Marseille
1999-00 Monaco Paris SG
2000-01 Nantes Lyon
2001-02 Lyon Lens
2002-03 Lyon Monaco
2003-04 Lyon Paris SG
2004-05 Lyon Lille
2005-06 Lyon Bordeaux
2006-07 Lyon Olympique Marseille
2007-08 Lyon Bordeaux
2008-09 Bordeaux Marseille

English Football Cup Competitions

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English Football Cup Competitions:

English football clubs contest a dizzying array of competitions, surely more than any other country. There is everything from the venerable FA Cup to the

non-league FA Trophy all the way down to the county cups and league cups all across the country. The English love their cups! Out of all these there are a few

that are considerably more important than the rest.

* The FA (Football Association) Cup is the oldest surviving football competition in the world. Soon after the foundation of the Football Association a

knockout competition open to all its members was launched, the first winners being Wanderers 1-0 over Royal Engineers in 1872. While the number of entrants

continues to grow (762 for the 2009-10 edition) the FA Cup plays a distant second fiddle to the English Premier League in importance. Top-tier clubs enter at

the third round (of 64 clubs) which is traditionally played on the first weekend of January while the final takes place at Wembley Stadium in May and is

normally one of the last matches of the English football season.
* The League Cup is contested by all members of the English Premier League plus Football League Championship, League One and League Two, a total of

92 clubs. It is seen as a nuisance by many clubs, with low attendance and often second-string squads until the final rounds. Nonetheless it provides a trip to

Wembley for the finalists and a spot in the next season's Europa League.
* The Community Shield (originally the Charity Shield) is the traditional season-opener of the English football calendar and is contested (at Wembley)

between the previous season's English Premier League champion and FA Cup winner. While a trophy is a trophy, little significance is attached to winning or

losing and it's mainly just a moment to get the ball rolling.

List of Major Titles Won in English Football:

The FA Cup:

11 Manchester United
10 Arsenal
8 Tottenham Hotspur
7 Aston Villa
7 Liverpool
6 Blackburn Rovers
6 Newcastle United
5 Everton
5 The Wanderers
5 West Bromwich Albion
4 Bolton Wanderers
4 Chelsea
4 Manchester City
4 Sheffield United
4 Wolverhampton Wanderers
3 Sheffield Wednesday
3 West Ham United
2 Bury
2 Nottingham Forest
2 Old Etonians
2 Porstmouth
2 Preston North End
2 Sunderland
1 Barnsley
1 Blackburn Olympic
1 Blackpool
1 Bradford City
1 Burnley
1 Cardiff City
1 Charlton Athletic
1 Clapham Rovers
1 Coventry City
1 Derby County
1 Huddersfield Town
1 Ipswich Town
1 Leeds United
1 Notts County
1 Old Carthusians
1 Oxford University
1 Royal Engineers
1 Southampton
1 Wimbledon

The carling cup (League Cup):

7 Liverpool
5 Aston Villa
4 Chelsea
4 Nottingham Forest
4 Tottenham Hotspur
3 Leicester City
3 Manchester United
2 Arsenal
2 Manchester City
2 Norwich City
2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
1 Birmingham City
1 Blackburn Rovers
1 Leeds United
1 Luton Town
1 Middlesbrough
1 Oxford United
1 Queen's Park Rangers
1 Sheffield Wednesday
1 Stoke City
1 Swindon Town
1 West Bromwich Albion

The Community/Charity Shield:

17 (4) Manchester United
15 (5) Liverpool
12 (1) Arsenal
9 (1) Everton
7 (3) Tottenham Hotspur
4 Chelsea
4 (1) Wolverhampton Wanderers
3 Manchester City
2 Leeds United
2 (1) Burnley
2 (1) West Bromwich Albion
1 Blackburn Rovers
1 Bolton Wanderers
1 Brighton & Hove Albion
1 Cardiff City
1 Derby County
1 Huddersfield Town
1 Leicester City
1 Newcastle United
1 Nottingham Forest
1 Sheffield Wednesday
1 Sunderland
1 (1) Aston Villa
1 (1) Portsmouth
1 (1) West Ham United

NOTE: numbers in bracket represent runners up

THE BUNDESLIGA

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THE BUNDESLIGA

Full Name: Bundesliga
Founded: 1963
Level: 1
Number of Teams: 18
Record Bundesliga Titles: Bayern München, 20
Record German Championship Titles: Bayern München, 21
Official Website: bundesliga.de

Description:

The Bundesliga (National League) is the top tier of the German football pyramid. It was launched for the 1963-64 season - previously there had been regional

leagues leading up to a championship playoff.

The Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's football league system. The term Bundesliga also applies to football in Austria and is used to refer to the

highest level league competitions in several other sports in the two countries.
Germany was unusual, in that, unlike in other countries, a unified national league structure was quite late in developing. The Bundesliga was not formed until

1963 and the structure and organisation of the nation's football leagues have undergone frequent changes right up to the present day. The league was

originally founded by the German Football Association, but is now operated by the Deutsche Fußball Liga.
The Bundesliga is composed of two divisions: the 1. Bundesliga (although it is rarely referred to with the First prefix), and, below that, the 2. Bundesliga

(Second Bundesliga), which has been the second tier of German football since 1974. The Bundesligen (pl.) are professional leagues. Since 2008, the 3. Liga (3rd

League) in Germany is also a professional league, but may not be called Bundesliga because the league is run by the German Football Association (DFB) and

not, as are the 2 Bundesligen, by the German Football League (DFL).

Format:

The 18 Bundesliga clubs play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 34 games. The season runs from August to May with a one month winter break.

The bottom 2 clubs are automatically relegated while the 16th-placed club goes into a promotion/relegation playoff with the 3rd-placed team from the

second-tier 2. Bundesliga. All Bundesliga clubs enter the German Cup (the DFB-Pokal) from the first round of 64 teams.
International Tournament Qualification:

* UEFA Champions League - The top two finishers in the Bundesliga qualify directly to the group stage of the Champions League. The 3rd-place finisher

enters at the 4th Qualifying Round.
* UEFA Europa League - the DFB-Pokal winner and the two next highest-placed Bundesliga finishers qualify for the Europa League. If the DFB-Pokal

winner qualifies for the Champions League the DFB-Pokal spot goes to the losing finalists. If both finalists qualify for the Champions League the spot goes to

the next-highest Bundesliga finisher.

German National Championship:

1903 VfB Leipzig
1904 Not Completed
1905 Union Berlin
1906 VfB Leipzig
1907 Freiburger FC
1908 Viktoria Berlin
1909 Phönix Karlsruhe
1910 Karlsruher FV
1911 Viktoria Berlin
1912 Holstein Kiel
1913 VfB Leipzig
1914 SpVgg Fürth

1920 1. FC Nürnberg
1921 1. FC Nürnberg
1922 Not Completed
1923 Hamburger SVer SV
1924 1. FC Nürnberg
1925 1. FC Nürnberg
1926 SpVgg Fürth
1927 1. FC Nürnberg
1928 Hamburger SV
1929 SpVgg Fürth
1930 Hertha BSC
1931 Hertha BSC
1932 Bayern München
1933 Fortuna Düsseldorf
1934 FC Schalke 04
1935 FC Schalke 04
1936 1. FC Nürnberg
1937 FC Schalke 04
1938 Hannover 96
1939 FC Schalke 04
1940 FC Schalke 04
1941 Rapid Wien
1942 FC Schalke 04
1943 Dresdner SC
1944 Dresdner SC

1948 1. FC Nürnberg
1949 VfR Mannheim
1950 VfB Stuttgart
1951 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1952 VfB Stuttgart
1953 Kaiserlautern
1954 Hannover 96
1955 Rot-Weiss Essen
1956 Borussia Dortmund
1957 Borussia Dortmund
1958 FC Schalke 04
1959 Eintracht Frankfurt
1960 Hamburger SV
1961 1. FC Nürnberg
1962 1. FC Köln
1963 Borussia Dortmund

Bundesliga Champions:

1964 1. FC Köln
1965 Werder Bremen
1966 1860 München
1967 Eintracht Braunschweig
1968 1. FC Nürnberg
1969 Bayern München
1970 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1971 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1972 Bayern München
1973 Bayern München
1974 Bayern München
1975 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1976 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1977 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1978 1. FC Köln
1979 Hamburger SV
1980 Bayern München
1981 Bayern München
1982 Hamburger SV
1983 Hamburger SV
1984 VfB Stuttgart
1985 Bayern München
1986 Bayern München
1987 Bayern München
1988 Werder Bremen
1989 Bayern München
1990 Bayern München
1991 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1992 VfB Stuttgart
1993 Werder Bremen
1994 Bayern München
1995 Borussia Dortmund
1996 Borussia Dortmund
1997 Bayern München
1998 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1999 Bayern München
1900 Bayern München
2001 Bayern München
2002 Borussia Dortmund
2003 Bayern München
2004 Werder Bremen
2005 Bayern München
2006 Bayern München
2007 VfB Stuttgart
2008 Bayern München
2009 VfL Wolfsburg

Total Bundesliga Titles:

20 Bayern München
5 Borussia Mönchengladbach
4 Werder Bremen
3 Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV, VfB Stuttgart
2 1. FC Kaiserslautern, 1. FC Köln
1 1. FC Nürnberg, 1860 München, Eintracht Braunschweig, VfL Wolfsburg

Total German Championship Titles:

21 Bayern München
9 1. FC Nürnberg
7 FC Schalke 04
6 Hamburger SV, Borussia Dortmund
5 VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Mönchengladbach
4 Werder Bremen, 1. FC Kaiserslautern
3 1. FC Köln, VfB Leipzig, Greuther Fürth
2 Hertha BSC, Viktoria 89 Berlin, Dresdner SC, Hannover 96
1 Karlsruher FV, Holstein Kiel, 1860 München, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Eintracht Frankfurt, Blau-Weiss Berlin, Eintracht Braunschweig, Rot-Weiss Essen,
Freiburger FC, Phönix Karlsruhe, VfR Mannheim, Rapid Wien, VfL Wolfsburg

Total Bundesliga Seasons:

46 Hamburger SV
45 Werder Bremen
44 Bayern München
43 VfB Stuttgart
42 1 FC Kaiserslautern, Borussia Dortmund
41 Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Schalke 04
40 1. FC Köln
33 VfL Bochum
30 Bayer Leverkusen
27 1. FC Nürnberg, Hertha BSC
25 MSV Duisburg
24 Karlsruher SC
22 Fortuna Dusseldorf
21 Hannover 96
20 1860 München, Eintracht Braunschweig
17 Arminia Bielefeld
14 Bayer Uerdingen
12 Hansa Rostock, VfL Wolfsburg
10 SC Freiburg
7 FC St Pauli, Kickers Offenbach, Rot-Weiss Essen, Waldhof Mannheim
6 Energie Cottbus
5 Saarbrucken
4 Alemania Aachen, Dynamo Dresden, Rot-Weiss Oberhausen, SG Wattenscheid 09
3 1. FSV Mainz, Borussia Neunkirchen, FC 08 Homburg, Meidericher, Wuppertaler SV Borussia
2 SpVgg Unterhaching, Stuttgart Kickers, SV Darmstad 98, Tennis Borussia Berlin
1 1899 Hoffenheim, Blau-Weiss Berlin, Fortuna Köln, Lokomotiv Leipzig, Preussen Munster, SSV Ulm 1846, Tasmania Berlin

THE KING'S CUP (COPA DEL REY)

2009-10-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

THE KING'S CUP (COPA DEL REY)

The Spanish domestic cup competition, the Copa del Rey, has been known as the Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII (1902-32), Copa del Presidente de la República (1933-36), Copa del Generalísimo (1939-76) and the Copa del Rey Juan Carlos I (1976-). Around 1910 there was a split in the administration of Spanish football and in 1910 and 1913 two separate cup competitions were contested, the Copa de la Federación Española de Fútbol and the Copa de la Unión Española de Clubs de Fútbol. Up until the creation of a Spanish football league in 1928 it acted effectively as a national championship. In 1937 the Copa de la España Libre was contested amongst a handful of clubs and in 2007 was officially included in the Copa del Rey title list.

Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII:

1902 Club Vizcaya
1903 Athletic Bilbao
1904 Athletic Bilbao
1905 Madrid FC
1906 Madrid FC
1907 Madrid FC
1908 Madrid FC
1909 Club Ciclista
1910 Athletic Bilbao (Copa de la Unión Española de Clubs de Fútbol)
1910 Barcelona (Copa de la Federación Española de Fútbol)
1911 Athletic Bilbao
1912 Barcelona
1913 Rácing de Irún (Copa de la Unión Española de Clubs de Fútbol)
1913 Barcelona (Copa de la Federación Española de Fútbol)
1914 Athletic Bilbao
1915 Athletic Bilbao
1916 Athletic Bilbao
1917 Madrid FC
1918 Real Unión
1919 Arenas Club de Getxo
1920 Barcelona
1921 Athletic Bilbao
1922 Barcelona
1923 Athletic Bilbao
1924 Real Unión
1925 Barcelona
1926 Barcelona
1927 Real Unión
1928 Barcelona
1929 Español
1930 Athletic Bilbao
1931 Athletic Bilbao
1932 Athletic Bilbao

Copa del Presidente de la República:

1933 Athletic Bilbao
1934 Madrid FC
1935 Sevilla
1936 Madrid FC

Copa de la España Libre:

1937 Levante

Copa del Generalísimo:

1939 Sevilla
1940 Español
1941 Valencia
1942 Barcelona
1943 Atlético Bilbao
1944 Atlético Bilbao
1945 Atlético Bilbao
1946 Real Madrid
1947 Real Madrid
1948 Sevilla
1949 Valencia
1950 Atlético Bilbao
1951 Barcelona
1952 Barcelona
1953 Barcelona
1954 Valencia
1955 Atlético Bilbao
1956 Atlético Bilbao
1957 Barcelona
1958 Atlético Bilbao
1959 Barcelona
1960 Atlético Madrid
1961 Atlético Madrid
1962 Real Madrid
1963 Barcelona
1964 Real Zaragoza
1965 Atlético Madrid
1966 Real Zaragoza
1967 Valencia
1968 Barcelona
1969 Atlético Bilbao
1970 Real Madrid
1971 Barcelona
1972 Atlético Madrid
1973 Atlético Bilbao
1974 Real Madrid
1975 Real Madrid
1976 Atlético Madrid

Copa del Rey Juan Carlos I:

1977 Real Betis
1978 Barcelona
1979 Valencia
1980 Real Madrid
1981 Barcelona
1982 Real Madrid
1983 Barcelona
1984 Athletic Bilbao
1985 Atlético Madrid
1986 Real Zaragoza
1987 Real Sociedad
1988 Barcelona
1989 Real Madrid
1990 Barcelona
1991 Atlético Madrid
1992 Atlético Madrid
1993 Real Madrid
1994 Real Zaragoza
1995 Deportivo La Coruña
1996 Atlético Madrid
1997 Barcelona
1998 Barcelona
1999 Valencia
2000 Espanyol
2001 Real Zaragoza
2002 Deportivo La Coruña
2003 Real Mallorca
2004 Real Zaragoza
2005 Real Betis
2006 Espanyol
2007 Sevilla
2008 Valencia
2009 Barcelona

Total Copa del Rey Titles:

25 Barcelona

23 Athletic Bilbao

17 Real Madrid

9 Atlético Madrid

7 Valencia

6 Real Zaragoza

4 Espanyol
4 Sevilla

3 Real Unión

2 Deportivo La Coruña
2 Real Betis
2 Real Sociedad

1 Arenas Club de Getxo
1 Club Vizcaya
1 Levante
1 Racing Club de Irún
1 Real Mallorca

SERIE A

2009-10-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

SERIE A

Full Name: Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A TIM
Founded: 1929 (1898)
Level: 1
Number of Teams: 20
Record Champions: Juventus, 25
Record Italian Championship Titles: Juventus, 27
Official Website: lega-calcio.it

Description:

The top tier of Italian football is known as Serie A. The official name includes the title sponsor TIM, an Italian mobile phone company.

Format:

The 20 teams of the Italian Serie A play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 38 games. The season runs from August/September to May with a short break for the holidays. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the second-tier Serie B. Serie A clubs also compete in the Coppa Italia, entering in the second or third round although the format seems to change from year to year. The league champion wins the right to wear a small shield (a scudetto in Italian) in the red, white and green colors of Italy on their jerseys the following season and therefore the league title is often referred to as the scudetto. The league champion and the Coppa Italia winner contest the Supercoppa Italiana, the traditional opener of the Italian football season.
International Tournament Qualification:

* UEFA Champions League - the top three league finishers qualify directly to the group stage of the Champions League. The fourth place team enters at the fourth qualifying round.
* UEFA Europa League - The Coppa Italia winner and the next two league finishers qualify for the Europa League. If the Coppa Italia winner qualifies for the Champions League, the Coppa Italia spot goes to the losing finalist. If both Coppa Italia finalists qualify for the Champions League then that spot goes to the next highest league finisher.

Italian National Champions:

1898 Genoa
1899 Genoa
1900 Genoa
1901 Milan
1902 Genoa
1903 Genoa
1904 Genoa
1905 Juventus
1906 Milan
1907 Milan
1908 Pro Vercelli
1909 Pro Vercelli
1910 Inter Milan
1911 Pro Vercelli
1912 Pro Vercelli
1913 Pro Vercelli
1914 Casale
1915 Genoa

1920 Inter Milan
1921 Pro Vercelli
1922 Pro Vercelli (CCI)
1922 Novese (FIGC)
1923 Genoa
1924 Genoa
1925 Bologna
1926 Juventus
1927 No title awarded - Torino had title revoked
1928 Torino
1929 Bologna
Serie A Champions:

1930 Ambrosiana-Inter
1931 Juventus
1932 Juventus
1933 Juventus
1934 Juventus
1935 Juventus
1936 Bologna
1937 Bologna
1938 Ambrosiana-Inter
1939 Bologna
1940 Ambrosiana-Inter
1941 Bologna
1942 Roma
1943 Torino

1946 Torino
1947 Torino
1948 Torino
1949 Torino
1950 Juventus
1951 Milan
1952 Juventus
1953 Inter Milan
1954 Inter Milan
1955 Milan
1956 Fiorentina
1957 Milan
1958 Juventus
1959 Milan
1960 Juventus
1961 Juventus
1962 Milan
1963 Inter Milan
1964 Bologna
1966 Inter Milan
1966 Inter Milan
1967 Juventus
1968 Milan
1969 Fiorentina
1970 Cagliari
1971 Inter Milan
1972 Juventus
1973 Juventus
1974 Lazio
1975 Juventus
1976 Torino
1977 Juventus
1978 Juventus
1979 Milan
1980 Inter Milan
1981 Juventus
1982 Juventus
1983 Roma
1984 Juventus
1985 Verona
1986 Juventus
1987 Napoli
1988 Milan
1989 Inter Milan
1990 Napoli
1991 Sampdoria
1992 Milan
1993 Milan
1994 Milan
1995 Juventus
1996 Milan
1997 Juventus
1998 Juventus
1999 Milan
2000 Lazio
2001 Roma
2002 Juventus
2003 Juventus
2004 Milan
2005 Not awarded (Juventus had title revoked)
2006 Inter Milan (Juventus had title revoked)
2007 Inter Milan
2008 Inter Milan
2009 Inter Milan

Total Serie A Titles:

25 Juventus
15 Inter Milan
14 Milan
6 Torino
5 Bologna
3 Roma
2 Fiorentina, Lazio, Napoli
1 Cagliari, Sampdoria, Verona

Total Italian Championship Titles:

27 Juventus
17 Inter Milan, Milan
9 Genoa
7 Bologna, Pro Vercelli, Torino
3 Roma
2 Fiorentina, Lazio, Napoli
1 Cagliari, Casale, Novese, Sampdoria, Verona

Total Serie A Seasons (out of 77):

77 Inter
76 Juventus, Roma
75 Milan
71 Fiorentina
68 Torino
66 Lazio
63 Bologna, Napoli
53 Sampdoria
49 Atalanta
41 Genoa
36 Udinese
30 Cagliari, Vicenza
28 Bari
26 Triestina
24 Verona
22 Palermo
21 Brescia
18 Parma
16 Ascoli, Livorno, Padova, Spal
13 Alessandria, Como, Lecce, Modena, Perugia
12 Catania, Novara, Pro Patria, Venezia
11 Foggia
10 Avellino, Cesena
9 Empoli
8 Lucchese, Piacenza, Reggina
7 Catanzaro, Chievo, Cremonese, Mantova, Pisa, Varese
6 Pro Vercelli, Siena
5 Liguria, Messina, Pescara
4 Casale, Reggiana, Sampierdarenese
3 Lecco, Legnano
2 Ancona, Salernitana, Ternana
1 Pistoise, Treviso

THE LALIGA

2009-10-01T04:15:00.000-07:00

THE LALIGA

Full Name: Liga de Fútbol Profesional Primera División
Founded: 1928
Level: 1
Number of Teams: 20
Record Champions: Real Madrid, 31

Official Website: lfp.es

Description:

The top tier of Spanish football is officially known as the Liga BBVA for its title sponsor BBVA, a Spanish banking firm. It's also called Liga de Fútbol Profesional Primera División - Professional Football League Premier Division or more often simply La Liga - The League. The Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) is an umbrella group that administers the top two tiers of Spanish football, the Primera and the Segunda. La Liga contains two of the most successful clubs in world football - Real Madrid and Barcelona and is likely the second most popular league in the world after the English Premier League.

The Spanish Primera División got its start in the 1928-29 season with 10 teams - two from Madrid, three from Barcelona, five from the northern regions of Cantabria and the Basque country. The first title was won by Barcelona, who overtook Real Madrid on the final day of the season. The league broke apart for several years during the 1930s, one of so many victims of the Spanish Civil War. The league was restarted in 1939 with the bitterness of the Civil War finding new life in Spanish football stadiums and matches are played out to this day to the backdrop of complex historical overtones.

Format:

The 20 teams of La Liga play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 38 games. The season runs from August to May/June with a brief winter break for the Christmas holidays. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the second-tier Segunda División. The Primera clubs all contest the Copa del Rey (the King's Cup) along with teams from the second, third and fourth divisions. Additionally the league champions and the Copa del Rey winners compete in the Supercopa de España which traditionally opens the Spanish football season.
International Tournament Qualification:

* UEFA Champions League - The top three finishers in the Spanish Primera División qualify for the Champions League, entering at the group stage. The fourth place team enters at the fourth qualifying round.
* Europa League - The Copa del Rey winners and the next two league finishers in the league qualify for the Europa League. If the Copa del Rey winners qualify for the Champions League then the runners-up take that spot If both Copa del Rey finalists qualify for the Champions League that spots goes to the next highest league finisher.

Spanish Primera División Champions:

1929 Barcelona
1930 Athletic Bilbao
1931 Athletic Bilbao
1932 Madrid CF
1933 Madrid CF
1934 Athletic Bilbao
1935 Betis Balompié
1936 Athletic Bilbao

1940 Atlético Aviación
1941 Atlético Aviación
1942 Valencia
1943 Athletic Bilbao
1944 Valencia
1945 Barcelona
1946 Sevilla
1947 Valencia
1948 Barcelona
1949 Barcelona
1950 Atlético Madrid
1951 Atlético Madrid
1952 Barcelona
1953 Barcelona
1954 Real Madrid
1955 Real Madrid
1956 Athletic Bilbao
1957 Real Madrid
1958 Real Madrid
1959 Barcelona
1960 Barcelona
1961 Real Madrid
1962 Real Madrid
1963 Real Madrid
1964 Real Madrid
1965 Real Madrid
1966 Atlético Madrid
1967 Real Madrid
1968 Real Madrid
1969 Real Madrid
1970 Atlético Madrid
1971 Valencia
1972 Real Madrid
1973 Atlético Madrid
1974 Barcelona
1975 Real Madrid
1976 Real Madrid
1977 Atlético Madrid
1978 Real Madrid
1979 Real Madrid
1980 Real Madrid
1981 Real Sociedad
1982 Real Sociedad
1983 Athletic Bilbao
1984 Athletic Bilbao
1985 Barcelona
1986 Real Madrid
1987 Real Madrid
1988 Real Madrid
1989 Real Madrid
1990 Real Madrid
1991 Barcelona
1992 Barcelona
1993 Barcelona
1994 Barcelona
1995 Real Madrid
1996 Atlético Madrid
1997 Real Madrid
1998 Barcelona
1999 Barcelona
2000 Deportivo La Coruña
2001 Real Madrid
2002 Valencia
2003 Real Madrid
2004 Valencia
2005 Barcelona
2006 Barcelona
2007 Real Madrid
2008 Real Madrid
2009 Barcelona
Total Spanish Primera División Titles:

31 - Real Madrid
19 - Barcelona
9 - Atlético Madrid
8 - Athletic Bilbao
6 - Valencia
2 - Real Sociedad
1 - Real Betis, Deportivo La Coruña, Sevilla

Total Spanish Primera División Seasons (out of 78):

78 Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Real Madrid
74 Espanyol, Valencia
72 Atlético Madrid
65 Sevilla
63 Real Sociedad
54 Real Zaragoza
46 Celta Vigo, Real Betis
41 Racing Santander
39 Deportivo La Coruña, Real Valladolid
38 Real Oviedo
37 Sporting Gijon
31 Las Palmas, Osasuna
28 Málaga
23 Real Mallorca
19 Elche, Hercules
18 Real Murcia
17 Granada
14 Sabadell
12 Cádiz, Rayo Vallecano, Salamanca, Tenerife
11 Alavés, Castellon
10 Villareal
9 Burgos, Logroñes
8 Córdoba
7 Albacete, Arenas Club de Getxo
6 Pontevedra
5 Getafe, Levante, Recreativo Huelva
4 Alcoyano, Almería, Compostela, Gimnastic Tarragona, Numancia, Real Unión
3 Europa, Real Jaen
2 Extremadura, Lleida, Mérida
1 Atlético Tetuan, Condal, Cultural Leonesa

* Real Madrid was at one time known as Madrid CF. Similarly Real Betis were Betis Balompié and Atlético Madrid were Atlético Aviación.

THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

2009-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE(EPL)

Full Name: FA Premier League - Barclays Premier League
Founded: 1992 (1888)
Level: 1
Teams: 20
Record Champions: Manchester United, 11
Record English First Level Champions: Liverpool and Manchester United, 18

Official Website: premierleague.com

Description:

The Football League was formed in 1888, the first organized league football competition anywhere in the world. After 104 years of existence the Football Association launched a breakaway FA Premier League which incorporated the clubs from the 1991-92 Football League First Division. Whatever the name it is the top tier of English football and is also the wealthiest and most popular league in the world.

The arrival of the Premier League coincided with the transition to all-seater stadiums and the first Sky TV contract. These two events began a massive infusion of wealth into the game and a nearly complete transformation of the culture of watching and attending matches. The launch of the Premier League has become almost a year zero in football for so many supporters. It is hard to against the success and popularity of the Premier League. English clubs are consistently successful in Europe, the league has a wider global audience than any other and billionaire sheikhs line up to inexplicably plop down enormous money on relatively minor provincial clubs.

Despite all the success there are quite a few who have turned their back on the Premier League or watch it in grudging frustration. Ticket prices have risen incredibly since its launch and many clubs' original working class fan bases have simply been priced out of the game. Combine this with the end of the terraces and the transition to heavily monitored all-ticket sections and the result has been a quieter and less atmospheric experience for many. The budget disparity between the Premier League and the second-tier Football League Championship is enormous and promoted clubs often come up with little more hope than a desperate fight against relegation. Not to mention the growing gap between the Champions League regular "Big Four" and the rest of the league.

HISTORY

The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier League is a corporation in which the 20 member clubs act as shareholders. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totaling 380 games in the season. It is sponsored by Barclays Bank and therefore officially known as the Barclays Premier League.

The competition formed as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Football League First Division to break away from The Football League, which was originally founded in 1888, and take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal. The Premier League has since become the world's most watched sporting league. It is the world's most lucrative football league, with combined club revenues of £1.93 billion ($3.15bn) in 2007–08. It is also ranked first in the UEFA coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five years, ahead of Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A

A total of 43 clubs have competed in the Premier League, but only four have won the title: Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, and Chelsea. The current champions are Manchester United, who won their eleventh Premier League title in the 2008–09 seasons, the most of any Premier League team and their eighteenth top division title, drawing level with Liverpool.

2009-10 English Premier League Map:

Map

Satellite

Hybrid

Terrain

Earth

Format:

The 20 teams play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 38 matches. The season begins in August and ends in May with no winter break. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the second-tier Football League Championship. All Premier League clubs also enter the FA Cup (at the 3rd Round) and the Football League Cup (2nd Round, 3rd Round if the club is competing in Europe). The Premier League champions takes on the FA Cup winner in the Community Shield (formerly Charity Shield) staged at Wembley Stadium the week before the season starts.

International Tournament Qualification:

UEFA Champions League - The top three finishers in the English Premier League qualify for the Champions League, entering at the group stage. The fourth place team enters at the fourth qualifying round.
UEFA Europa League - The FA Cup winner, League Cup winner and next highest league finisher qualify for the Europa League. If the FA Cup winner qualifies for the Champions League, the FA Cup spot goes to the losing finalist. If both FA Cup finalists qualify for the Champions League then that spot goes to the next highest league finisher. If the League Cup winner qualifies for the Champions League then the spot simply goes to the next highest league finisher, not the losing finalist.

Football League Champions:

1889 Preston North End
1890 Preston North End
1891 Everton
1892 Sunderland

Football League First Division Champions:

1893 Sunderland
1894 Aston Villa
1895 Sunderland
1896 Aston Villa
1897 Aston Villa
1898 Sheffield United
1899 Aston Villa
1900 Aston Villa
1901 Liverpool
1902 Sunderland
1903 The Wednesday
1904 The Wednesday
1905 Newcastle United
1906 Liverpool
1907 Newcastle United
1908 Manchester United
1909 Newcastle United
1910 Aston Villa
1911 Manchester United
1912 Blackburn Rovers
1913 Sunderland
1914 Blackburn Rovers
1915 Everton

1920 West Bromwich Albion
1921 Burnley
1922 Liverpool
1923 Liverpool
1924 Huddersfield Town
1925 Huddersfield Town
1926 Huddersfield Town
1927 Newcastle United
1928 Everton
1929 The Wednesday
1930 Sheffield Wednesday
1931 Arsenal
1932 Everton
1933 Arsenal
1934 Arsenal
1935 Arsenal
1936 Sunderland
1937 Manchester City
1938 Arsenal
1939 Everton

1947 Liverpool
1948 Arsenal
1949 Portsmouth
1950 Portsmouth
1951 Tottenham Hostpur
1952 Manchester United
1953 Arsenal
1954 Wolverhampton Wanderers
1955 Chelsea
1956 Manchester United
1957 Manchester United
1958 Wolverhampton Wanderers
1959 Wolverhampton Wanderers
1960 Burnley
1961 Tottenham Hotspur
1962 Ipswich Town
1963 Everton
1964 Liverpool
1965 Manchester United
1966 Liverpool
1967 Manchester United
1968 Manchester City
1969 Leeds United
1970 Everton
1971 Arsenal
1972 Derby County
1973 Liverpool
1974 Leeds United
1975 Derby County
1976 Liverpool
1977 Liverpool
1978 Nottingham Forest
1979 Liverpool
1980 Liverpool
1981 Aston Villa
1982 Liverpool
1983 Liverpool
1984 Liverpool
1985 Everton
1986 Liverpool
1987 Everton
1988 Liverpool
1989 Arsenal
1990 Liverpool
1991 Arsenal
1992 Leeds United

English Premier League Champions

1993 Manchester United
1994 Manchester United
1995 Blackburn Rovers
1996 Manchester United
1997 Manchester United
1998 Arsenal
1999 Manchester United
2000 Manchester United
2001 Manchester United
2002 Arsenal
2003 Manchester United
2004 Arsenal
2005 Chelsea
2006 Chelsea
2007 Manchester United
2008 Manchester United
2009 Manchester United

Total English Premier League Titles:

11 Manchester United
3 Arsenal
2 Chelsea
1 Blackburn Rovers

Total First Level English League Titles:

18 Liverpool, Manchester United
13 Arsenal
9 Everton
7 Aston Villa
6 Sunderland
4 Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday
3 Huddersfield Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea
2 Preston North End, Portsmouth, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Derby County
1 Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest

Total English Premier League Seasons (out of 18):

18 Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
17 Newcastle United
16 Blackburn Rovers
15 Middlesbrough, West Ham United
14 Southampton
13 Manchester City
12 Leeds United
11 Bolton Wanderers
9 Coventry City, Fulham, Sunderland
8 Charlton Athletic, Derby County, Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Wimbledon
7 Portsmouth
6 Birmingham City
5 Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Wigan
4 Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Queen's Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion
3 Reading, Sheffield United
2 Bradford City, Oldham Athletic, Watford
1 Barnsley, Hull City, Swindon Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Total First Level English League Seasons (out of 110):

106 Everton
98 Aston Villa
94 Liverpool
92 Arsenal
84 Manchester United/Newton Heath
80 Manchester City
79 Newcastle United
78 Sunderland
73 Chelsea
72 Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion
70 Bolton Wanderers
69 Blackburn Rovers
66 Sheffield Wednesday
65 Derby County
60 Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
56 Nottingham Forest
55 Birmingham City
52 Stoke City, West Ham United
51 Burnley
50 Leeds United
46 Leicester City, Preston North End
36 Southampton
33 Coventry City
32 Portsmouth
30 Huddersfield Town, Notts County
27 Blackpool
26 Charlton Athletic, Ipswich Town
22 Bury
21 Norwich City
20 Fulham, Queen's Park Rangers
16 Luton Town
15 Cardiff City
14 Wimbledon
13 Crystal Palace
12 Bradford City, Grimsby Town, Oldham Athletic
9 Bristol City
8 Watford
5 Accrington Stanley, Brentford
4 Brighton & Hove Albion, Wigan Athletic
3 Bradford Park Avenue, Oxford United
2 Darwen, Millwall, Reading, Swansea
1 Barnsley, Carlisle United, Glossop North End, Hull City, Leyton Orient, Northampton, Swindon Town

* First Level English leagues include the Football League (1888-1891), Football League First Division (1891-1992) and English Premier League (1992-2009) for a total of 110 seasons.

THE HISTORY AND WINNERS OF THE CAF SUPER CUP

2009-09-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

CAF SUPER CUP

Founded 1993

Region CAF

Number of teams 2

Current champions Al Ahly

Finals And Scores

Year	Winner	Score	Runners-up
2009	Al-Ahly Egypt	2-1	Club Sportif Sfaxien Tunisia
2008	Étoile Sahel Tunisia	2-1	Club Sportif Sfaxien Tunisia
2007	Al-Ahly Egypt	0-0 Penalties: 5-4	Étoile Sahel Tunisia
2006	Al-Ahly Egypt	0-0 Penalties: 4-2	FAR Rabat Morocco
2005	Enyimba Nigeria	2-0 a.e.t.	Hearts of Oak Ghana
2004	Enyimba Nigeria	1-0	Étoile Sahel Tunisia
2003	El Zamalek Egypt	3-1	Widad Casablanca Morocco
2002	Al-Ahly Egypt	4-1	Kaizer Chiefs South Africa
2001	Hearts of Oak Ghana	2-0	El Zamalek Egypt
2000	Raja Casablanca Morocco	2-0	Africa Sports Côte d'Ivoire
1999	ASEC Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire	3-1 a.e.t.	Espérance Tunisia
1998	Étoile Sahel Tunisia	2-2 Penalties: 4-2	Raja Casablanca Morocco
1997	El Zamalek Egypt	0-0 Penalties: 4-2	Al-Mokaoulun Egypt
1996	Orlando Pirates South Africa	1-0	JS Kabylie Algeria
1995	Espérance Tunisia	3-0	Daring Club Motema Pembe Zaire
1994	El Zamalek Egypt	1-0	Al-Ahly Egypt
1993	Africa Sports Côte d'Ivoire	2-2 Penalties: 5-3	Widad Casablanca Morocco

Results by teams

Club	Winners
Al-Ahly	4
El Zamalek	3
Etoile Sahel	2
Enyimba	2
Hearts of Oak	1
Raja Casablanca	1
ASEC	1
Orlando Pirates	1
Africa Sports	1
Espérance	1

Countrywise list of winners

Egypt                     7

Tunisia                   3

Ivory Coast               2

Nigeria                   2

Ghana                     1

Morocco                   1

South Africa              1

            win   fin

Egypt        7     10

Tunisia      3      8

Ivory Coast  2      3

Nigeria      2      2

Morocco      1      5

Ghana        1      2

South Africa 1      2

Algeria             1

Zaire               1

            17     34

HISTORY AND WINNERS OF THE FRENCH CUP

2009-09-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

COUPE DE LA LIGUE

(THE FRENCH CUP)

AN OVERVIEW

The Coupe de la Ligue, known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The tournament was established in 1994, although similar competitions had been previously held in France. The Coupe Charles Drago was held from 1953 to 1965; it involved teams eliminated from the Coupe de France. The winner of the first Coupe Charles Drago final was decided by a coin-toss when Sochaux and Toulouse tied 3–3 after extra time. Another competition named Coupe de la Ligue existed from 1963 to 1965; this was run alongside the Coupe Charles Drago for two years until they both ceased. In 1982, a Coupe d'Eté (Summer cup) was held before the start of the French league season; the cup was won by Stade Laval. This tournament continued under the name of Coupe de la Ligue, until 1994, before the beginning of the French season

HISTORY

The first summer tournament took place in 1982 with Laval beating Nancy 3-2 in the inaugural 'final'. While still an official competition, it was often used as a testing ground by teams who would try out different tactics and players. Held every two years at the beginning, the next edition took place in 1984 with Laval repeating their success this time with a 3-1 win over Monaco. Metz took the title in 1986 before Reims, Montpellier and Lens all added their names to the list.

Prior to 1982, there existed another cup competition called the 'Coupe Charles Drago'. Involving teams eliminated from the quarter-finals of the French Cup it ran from 1953 to 1965. An example of its non-competitiveness was the fact that Sochaux won the first of their three Charles Drago cups, in 1953, on a coin toss after the match finished 3-3.

In 1994 the League Cup, as we know it today, was introduced. It quickly became an important part of the season as the winners won entry to the following season's UEFA Cup. Prior to 1998, the final was held at the Parc des Princes before it was moved to the newly built Stade de France. Only two teams have won the trophy at both stadiums; PSG and Strasbourg.

The tournament in its current format started in 1994. Entrance to the UEFA Cup, now called the UEFA Europa League, is offered to the winning team. Its first winner was Paris Saint-Germain, after their 2–0 victory over Bastia. The first final decided by a penalty shoutout was the 1996 cup when Metz beat Olympique Lyonnais. The first three finals were held at Parc des Princes; since the 1998 cup, all finals have been held at the Stade de France. Strasbourg and Paris Saint-Germain have won the competition at both stadiums. Gueugnon became the first team below the top division of France to win the cup after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the 2000 final. Overall, there have been 14 winners of the competition since 1995. The most successful teams, in terms of competitions won, are Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain, who have won the cup thrice. The current holders of the cup are Bordeaux, who beat Vannes in the 2009 final.

LIST OF COUPE DE LA LIGUE WINNERS

The Coupe de la Ligue is a knockout cup competition in French football organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The competition was established relatively late in 1994 and comprises clubs of France's top football division, Ligue 1, France's second division, Ligue 2, and the third division, the Championnat National.

The most successful clubs in the history of the Coupe de la Ligue are Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux. Both have had the honor of winning the cup three times. Bordeaux have also made the most appearances in the final. Including this year's final, they have appeared in the final match five times. The venue for the final was the Parc des Princes for its first three years, until it was moved to the Stade de France. Paris Saint-Germain and Strasbourg are the only clubs to have won the cup at both stadiums. In 2000, Gueugnon became the first team outside the top French league to win the tournament.

Previous League Cup Finals With Goal Scorers

2005/06 – Nancy
Nancy 2 (Zerka, Kim)
Nice 1 (Vahirua)

2004/05 – Strasbourg
Caen 1 (Mazure)
Strasbourg 2 (Niang, Devaux)

2003/04 – Sochaux
Nantes 1 (Pujol)
Sochaux 1 (Monsoreau)
(Sochaux won 5-4 on penalties)

2002/03 – Monaco
Sochaux 1 (Saveljic)
Monaco 4 (Giuly 2, Squilacci, Prso)

2001/02 – Bordeaux
Lorient 0
Bordeaux 3 (Pauleta 2, Meriem)

2000/01 – Lyon
Monaco 1 (Nonda)
Lyon 2 (Cacapa, Muller)

1999/00 - Gueugnon
Gueugnon 2 (Trapasso, Flauto)
PSG 0

1998/1999 – Lens
Lens 1 (Moreira)
Metz 0

1997/98 – PSG
PSG 2 (Simone, Rai)
Bordeaux 2 (Papin, Micoud)
(PSG won 4-2 on penalties)

1996/97 – Strasbourg
Strasbourg 0
Bordeaux 0
(Strasbourg won 6-5 on penalties)

1995/96 – Metz
Metz 0
Lyon 0
(Metz won 5-4 on penalties)

1994/95 – PSG
PSG 2 (Roche, Rai)
Bastia 0

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