UEFA competitions

UEFA competitions, also referred to by the mass media as European football,^[1] are the competitions organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur association football and futsal. The term was established by the Confederation to differentiate the tournaments under its administration from other international competitions held in Europe between 1960 and 1990, such as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Karl Rappan Cup, Cup of the Alps and Mitropa Cup, tournaments still not recognised by the organization.^[2] The Confederation is the only organization with legal authority over these tournaments^[2] and considers only results in these competitions in calculating and communicating confederation-level official records and statistics and setting combined values in interclub football.^[3]

The only team to have won every club competition is Juventus of Italy, while the Italian, German, Spanish and French men's national teams are only ones to have won the European football championship in all categories prior to the creation of the UEFA Nations League in 2014. The Germany women's national football team is the only team to have won the women's championship in all categories.

UEFA sanctioned tournaments

Active

For national teams

• UEFA European Championship, European football's premier competition, established in 1960.
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship, established in 1978.
• UEFA European Under-19 Championship, established in 1948.
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship, established in 1982.
• UEFA Women's Championship, European football's premier competition, established in 1984.
• UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, established in 1997.
• UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, established in 2007.
• UEFA Futsal Championship, established in 1996.

For clubs

• UEFA Champions League, European football's premier club competition, established in 1955 and reorganised in 1992.
• UEFA Europa League, European football's second football club competition, established in 1971 and reorganised in 2009.
• UEFA Super Cup, the previous season's winners of the Europa League and the Champions League. Previously played between the European Champions' Cup and Cup Winners Cup winners.
• UEFA Youth League, established in 2013.
• UEFA Regions' Cup, established in 1999.
• UEFA Women's Champions League, Europe's premier women's football club competition, established in 2001 and reorganised in 2009.
• UEFA Futsal Cup, established in 2001 to replace the Futsal European Clubs Championship.

Defunct

For national teams

• UEFA Amateur Cup, organised in 1967; 1970; 1974 and 1978.
• UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup (1997–2007), organised jointly with the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF).
• UEFA Futsal Under-21 Championship, the only edition in 2008.

For clubs

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1960–1999), European football's third football club competition, disbanded with qualifying clubs transferred to UEFA Cup in 1999.
• UEFA Intertoto Cup (1961–2009), disbanded with qualifying clubs transferred to UEFA Europa League in 2009.
• Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004), organised jointly with the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL), was renamed Toyota Cup for commercial reasons in 1980.

References

1. Although the mass media often define "European football" as comprising any international football competitions held exclusively in Europe (often excluding the Intercontinental Cup, held in South America, Europe and Asia), for UEFA it is "based on a system of domestic competitions and European competitions". Cf. "Vision Europe" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. April 2005. p. 13. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
2. "Vision Europe" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. April 2005. p. 23. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
3. "Legend: UEFA club competition" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. p. 77. Retrieved 2013-06-15.