Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the administrative and controlling body for European football. It consists of 55 member associations, each of which is responsible for governing football in their respective countries.[1]
Each UEFA member has its own football league system, except Liechtenstein.[3] Clubs playing in each top-level league compete for the title as the country's club champions. Clubs also compete in the league and national cup competitions for places in the following season's UEFA club competitions, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League. Due to promotion and relegation, the clubs playing in the top-level league are different every season, except in San Marino and Gibraltar where there is only one level.[4]
Some clubs play in a national football league other than their own country's. Where this is the case, the club is noted as such.
The UEFA league coefficients, also known as the UEFA rankings, are used to rank the leagues of Europe, and thus determine the number of clubs from a league that will participate in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. A country's ranking determines the number of teams competing in the season after the next; the 2009 rankings determined qualification for European competitions in the 2010–11 season.[5]
A country's ranking is calculated based on the results of its clubs in UEFA competitions over the past five seasons. Two points are awarded for each win by a club, and one for a draw. If a game goes to extra time, the result at the end of time is used to calculate ranking points; if the match goes to a penalty shootout, it is considered to be a draw for the purposes of the coefficient system. The number of points awarded to a country's clubs are added together, and then divided by the number of clubs that participated in European competitions that season. This number is then rounded to three decimal places; two and two-thirds would become 2.667.[5]
For the league coefficient the season's league coefficients for the last five seasons must be added up. In the preliminary rounds of both the Champions League and Europa League, the awarded points are halved. Bonus points for certain achievements are added to the number of points scored in a season. Bonus points are allocated for:
Qualifying for the Champions League group phase. (4 bonus points)
Reaching the second round of the Champions League. (5 bonus points)
Reaching the quarter, semi and final of both Champions League and Europa League. (1 bonus point)[5]
Andorra's national league system was formed in 1993, and the Andorran Football Federation gained UEFA membership in 1996.[9] Records from the league's first three seasons are incomplete, but FC Santa Coloma have won more First Division titles than any other team, with at least 13.[10]
Another Andorran football club, FC Andorra, play in the Spanish football league system. In recent years, eight teams have competed in the First Division. Each team plays two matches against the other seven clubs. After fourteen games, the league splits into two groups, with teams carrying their previous points totals forward. The top four teams play each other a further two times in the championship round to decide 1st–4th places, while the bottom four teams do likewise in the relegation round, to determine the 5th–8th positions. At the end of the season, the bottom-placed team is relegated, while the seventh-placed team plays a two-legged play-off against the second-placed team in the Second Division to decide which team plays in which division for the following season.
Armenia gained independence in 1991, following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Organised football had been played in Armenia since 1936, as part of the Soviet football system. The Football Federation of Armenia gained UEFA affiliation in 1992, and the league ran as the national championship for the first time in the same year.[11][12] Since independence, the country's most successful team is Pyunik, who has won 14 league titles.[11]
Although the country was part of the Soviet Union, the first Azerbaijan-wide football competition took place in 1928, and became an annual occurrence from 1934. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, the first independent Azeri championship took place in 1992, and the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan gained UEFA affiliation in 1994[17][18] Since independence, the country's most successful team is Neftçi Baku, with eight league titles. In recent years, 10 teams had competed in the Azerbaijan Premier League, but two teams that otherwise would have competed in the 2016–17 season were denied professional licenses, making it an eight-team league at present.
Locations of the 2022–23 Azerbaijan Premier League teams. Team in italics is from a zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and is playing its home games in Baku
Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Its independence was widely recognised within Europe in 1991, an independent national championship began in 1992, and UEFA membership followed in 1993.[20] Through the 2018 season, the most successful team is BATE Borisov, with 15 league championships, including an ongoing streak of 13 titles.[21] The 2016 season saw the league expand from 14 teams to 16, accomplished by promoting three clubs from the Belarusian First League and relegating only the last-place team in the 2015 Premier League. At the end of the season, the bottom two teams are relegated to the First League and replaced by that league's top two finishers.
Organised football reached Belgium in the 19th century; the Royal Belgian Football Association was founded in 1895, and
FC Liégeois became the country's first champions the following year. Belgium joined European football's governing body, UEFA, upon its formation in 1954.[25] Historically the country's most successful team are Anderlecht, with 34 league titles as of 2019.[26] The Belgian First Division A, historically known as the First Division and also known as the Pro League from 2008 to 2009 through 2015–16, currently consists of 16 teams. Initially, each team plays the other clubs twice for a total of 30 matches. At this point, the league proceeds as follows (as of the current 2016–17 season):[27]
The top six teams take half of their points (rounded up) into a championship play-off, playing each other two further times to determine the national champion.
The teams finishing the regular season between 7th and 15th enter one of two six-team groups. The remaining teams in this competition are the top three teams from the
Belgian First Division B (historically known as the Second Division), excluding that division's champion (which earns automatic promotion to First Division A). Each team plays the other five teams in its group home and away, and the winners of each group play one another in a two-legged play-off. The winner of that match advances to a two-legged play-off against the fourth- or fifth-place team (depending on results) from the championship play-off for the country's final UEFA Europa League
place for the following season.
The bottom team on the regular-season table is automatically relegated to First Division B.
Prior to gaining independence from Yugoslavia, clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina were eligible to compete in the Yugoslav First League, which they won three times. The country gained independence in 1992, and its Football Association gained UEFA membership in 1998.[31] Due to political tensions between Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats, the country did not have a single national top division until the 2002–03 season, but rather two or three. Since then, Zrinjski Mostar have won six titles, Sarajevo have won four, Željezničar have won three, Široki Brijeg have won twice and three other teams have won it once each.[32]
Since the 2016–17 season, the Premier League has consisted of 12 clubs, reduced from 16 in previous seasons. The 2016–17 season was the first for a two-stage season. In the first stage, each team played all others home and away, after which the league split into two six-team groups that also played home and away. The top six teams played for the championship and European qualifying places; the bottom six played to avoid relegation. At the end of the second stage, the bottom two clubs of the relegation group dropped to either the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina or the First League of the Republika Srpska.[33] Since the 2018–19 season, the league is not played as the one in the 2016–17 season. Actually very simple, after all the 12 clubs play each other two times, once home and once away, they play each other three times, also playing home or away depending on how the schedule is made. With that, the league season has 33 full rounds instead of the 22 rounds and an additional 10 rounds in the relegation and championship games.[34]
A national Bulgarian championship has been held in every year since 1924, although the 1924, 1927 and 1944 seasons were not completed. The country gained UEFA membership in 1954.[36] Historically, the most successful teams in Bulgarian football have been CSKA Sofia and Levski Sofia; no other team has won more than ten league titles. In recent years, Ludogorets Razgrad has dominated the league; although the team did not make its first appearance in the top flight until 2011–12, it has won the championship in each of its first eight seasons at that level.[37] The 2015–16 season was intended to have 12 teams, but was reduced to 10 after four clubs (the two clubs that would otherwise have been promoted to what was then known as the A Group, plus two from the previous season's A Group) were denied professional licenses. Following that season, the Bulgarian Football Union revamped the country's professional league structure, expanding the top flight to 14 teams and changing that league's name from "A Group" to "First League".
Under the current structure that began in 2016–17, each team plays the others twice, once at each club's stadium. At the end of the season the league splits into separate playoffs, with table points and statistics carrying over in full. The top six teams enter a championship playoff, with each team playing the others home and away. The top finisher is league champion and enters the UEFA Champions League; the second-place team earns a place in the UEFA Europa League; and the third-place team (or fourth-place team, should the winner of that season's Bulgarian Cup finish in the top three) advances to a playoff for the country's final Europa League place. The bottom eight split into two four-team groups, playing home and away within each group. The top two teams from each group enter a knockout playoff consisting of two-legged matches (note, however, that if one of these four teams is the Bulgarian Cup winner, it is withdrawn from the playoff and its opponent receives a bye into the final). The winner of this playoff then plays the third-place team in a one-off match for the final Europa League place. The bottom two clubs from each group enter an identical knockout playoff. The winner remains in the First League; the other three teams face a series of relegation playoffs that also include the second- and third-place clubs from the Second League, with places for only two of these five teams in the next season's First League.[38]
Founded in 1888, the Football League was the world's first national football league.[48] The inaugural competition was won by Preston North End, who remained unbeaten throughout the entire season. It was the top level football league in England from its foundation until 1992, when the 22 clubs comprising the First Division resigned from the Football League to form the new FA Premier League.[48] As of the 2019–20 season the Premier League comprises 20 clubs;[49] each team plays every other team twice, with the bottom 3 clubs at the end of the season relegated to the EFL Championship. The most successful domestic club is Manchester United, who have won the league 20 times, while the most successful English club in Europe is Liverpool, who have won 6 European Cups, 3 UEFA Cups and 4 UEFA Super Cups, more than any other English team.[50]
An independent Estonian league took place between 1921 and 1940. However, after the Second World War it became part of the Soviet Union, and became a regional system. Estonia regained independence after the dissolution of the
USSR, organising the first national championship in 52 years in 1992, the same year that the Estonian Football Association joined UEFA.[52][53]FC Flora is the most successful team in the modern era, with 11 league titles as of the end of the 2018 season.[52] Since 2005, the Premier Division has consisted of 10 teams, which play one another four times. At the end of the season the bottom team is relegated to the second level of Estonian football, while the ninth-placed team enters into a relegation playoff.[54]
The Faroe Islands are a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark, which also comprises Greenland and Denmark itself. The league was formed in 1942, and has been contested annually since, with the exception of 1944 due to a lack of available balls.[58] The Faroe Islands gained UEFA recognition in 1992.[59] The most successful teams are HB and KI, with 23 and 17 Premier League titles respectively as of the most recently completed 2018 season. Since the 1988 season, the Premier League has consisted of 10 teams.[60] They play each other three times, with the bottom two teams relegated to the First Division.
Finland's current league has been contested annually since 1898, with the exceptions of 1914 and 1943.[61] The most successful team are HJK with 29 titles; as of 2018, no other team has won 10 or more. However, between 1920 and 1948 a rival championship operated, organised by the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation. Frequent champions in that competition before it came under the jurisdiction of the Football Association of Finland included Kullervo Helsinki, Vesa Helsinki and Tampereen Pallo-Veikot.[62] The Premier League consists of 12 teams. Since 2019 season teams play one another two times, then the top 6 teams play the championship round, and the bottom 6 the relegation round. At the end of the season the bottom club is relegated to the First Division, and the second-last club contests a in a play-off with the 2nd team of the First Division.
France's first football team—Le Havre AC—formed in 1872. The first French championship was first held in 1894, but only featured teams from the capital, Paris. Between 1896 and 1912, national championships were organised by several competing federations; the first universally recognised national championship took place in the 1912–13 season. However, it only lasted two seasons; from the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, French football operated on a regional basis until 1932. A national league resumed between 1932 and 1939, and has operated annually since the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945.[63] Ligue 1 and its predecessors have featured 20 teams since the 1946–47 season. Each team plays the other nineteen sides home and away, and at the end of the season the bottom three teams are relegated to Ligue 2.[64] From 2023-24 season, the Ligue 1 will be reduced to 18 teams that means 4 teams will be relegated in the 2022-23 season.[65] So far, Olympique de Marseille are the only French club to have won the UEFA Champions League, in 1993.
A Georgian football championship first took place in 1926, as part of the Soviet football system. The first independent championship took place in 1990, despite the fact that Georgia remained a Soviet state until 1991. Upon independence, Georgia subsequently joined UEFA and FIFA in 1992.[67]
When Georgia organised its first independent championship, it operated with a spring-to-autumn season contained entirely within a calendar year. After the 1991 championship, the country transitioned to an autumn-to-spring season spanning two calendar years. This format continued through the 2015–16 season, after which it returned to a spring-to-autumn format. This was accomplished by holding an abbreviated 2016 season in autumn; the transition was completed for the 2017 season. Before the most recent transition, 16 teams had competed in the top flight, but the league was reduced to 14 teams for the 2016 season, and was reduced further to 10 for 2017 and beyond.
The Bundesliga consists of 18 teams, who play each other twice, for a total of 34 matches. The teams finishing in 17th and 18th places are relegated directly to the 2. Bundesliga, while the team finishing in 16th place enters into a two-legged play-off with the team finishing 3rd in the lower division.
The Gibraltar Football Association was founded in 1895, making it one of the ten oldest active football associations in the world. League football has been organized by the GFA since 1905. The first league season after Gibraltar were accepted as full members of UEFA was 2013–14, making qualification to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League possible since the 2014–15 season, provided the relevant club has received a UEFA licence.[2] The Premier Division has consisted of 10 teams since the 2015–16 season. All league matches are held at Victoria Stadium.
Source: LaLiga Santander Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Fair-play points (Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played)[92] (C) Champions; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Osasuna were initially disqualified from the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League due to historic match-fixing.[90] However, the club became later eligible to participate after an evidence of innocence had been provided.[91]
A Swedish championship was first organised in 1896, and the champions were decided by a knockout cup format until 1925, when Allsvenskan was formed.[93] Sweden was one of the founding members of UEFA in 1954.[94] As of the most recently completed 2018 season, Malmö FF have won the most national titles with 20, followed by IFK Göteborg with 18 and IFK Norrköping with 13. Malmö also have the most league titles, with 23 to 13 for both IFK Götebörg and IFK Norrköping. Since 2008,[95] Allsvenskan has featured 16 teams. They each play one another home and away, for a total of 30 games. The bottom two teams are relegated to the Superettan (The Super One), and the 14th-placed Allsvenskan team enters into a relegation playoff with the 3rd-placed Superettan team to decide which will play in Allsvenskan for the following season.[96]
Turkish football operated on a regional basis until the 1950s. A national knockout tournament took place in 1957 and 1958, to decide European qualification. The Turkish Football Federation retrospectively recognised these tournaments as deciding the Turkish champions; both competitions were won by Beşiktaş.[98] A national league was formed in 1959, and has been held annually from then onwards.[98] Since the formation of a national league, the most successful teams are Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, with 22 and 19 league titles respectively, as of the most recently completed 2018–19 season. Currently, 18 teams compete in the Süper Lig. Each team plays the other teams home and away, with the bottom three teams relegated to the TFF First League for the following season.[99]
As a member of the Soviet Union, Ukraine's league operated as a feeder to the national Soviet leagues, meaning that until 1992 the strongest Ukrainian teams did not take part.[103] The Football Federation of Ukraine was formed shortly after the country achieved independence in 1991, and gained UEFA membership the following year.[104] Since the formation of a national league, Dynamo Kyiv have won 15 titles, Shakhtar Donetsk 12, and Tavriya Simferopol one, as of the most recently completed 2018–19 season.[103]
Through the 2013–14 season, 16 teams participated in the Premier League. However, during that season's winter break, the
war in the country's east
. These developments led to the league dropping to 14 teams in 2014–15 and 12 in 2016–17.
Beginning with the 2016–17 season, the league season is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the teams play one another home and away, after which the league splits into two groups, each playing a home-and-away schedule within the group and with table points carrying over intact. The top six teams play to determine the league champion and European qualifying spots, while the bottom six teams play to avoid relegation, with the bottom two at the end of the second stage dropping to the Ukrainian First League.[105][106]
Although Wales joined UEFA in 1954, Welsh football operated on a regional basis until 1992, with no national championship.
Merthyr Town. Despite competing in Football Association competitions, the latter three are under the jurisdiction of the Football Association of Wales.[109] Until 2011 Swansea City and Cardiff City had similar arrangements with the FAW but are now under the jurisdiction of The Football Association.[110] The most successful Welsh club since the formation of the Welsh Premier League is The New Saints, with 13 league titles after having clinched their eighth straight league crown in 2018–19.[111] Since the 2010–11 season, the Welsh Premier League has featured 12 teams.[112] Relegation to and promotion from lower regional leagues is in part dictated by whether or not clubs can obtain a Premier League licence; only clubs able to obtain a licence are eligible for promotion, and clubs which fail to obtain one are relegated regardless of their final league position.[113]
^CE Principat have three titles, and were runners-up in the 1993–94 season, meaning that they cannot match Santa Coloma's six confirmed league titles. Kramarsic, Igor (31 May 2012). "Andorra: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
^ abManaschev, Erlan; Stokkermans, Karel (26 November 2010). "Armenia: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
^ ab"Bundesliga.at - Tabelle" [Bundesliga.at - Table] (in German). Austrian Football Bundesliga. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
^"Bundesliga.at - Tabelle" [Bundesliga.at - Table] (in German). Austrian Football Bundesliga. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
^Manaschev, Erlan; Stokkermans, Karel (25 August 2016). "Azerbaijan: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
^Should the first and second, or 17th and 18th-placed teams at the end of the season be tied on points, a play-off tiebreaker match was held at a neutral site to determine the title and final team relegated respectively.
^"Eliteserien tabell". NIFS (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
^"Podręcznik Ekstraklasy na sezon 2021/2022" [Ekstraklasa handbook for the 2021/2022 season] (PDF). ekstraklasa.org (in Polish). Ekstraklasa SA. pp. 33–34. Archived from the original(PDF) on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
^Glenning, Clas (28 March 2008). "Sweden 2007". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 10 June 2014. NB: 1 club relegated, 3 promoted as Allsvenskan is extended to 16 clubs 2008.
^Stokkermans, Karel (3 April 2014). "Sweden 2013". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 10 June 2014.[dead link]
.svg)
.svg)
