UEFA Youth League

UEFA Youth League
Founded 2013
Region Europe (UEFA)
Number of teams 32 (current)
64 (starting from 2015–16)
Current champions England Chelsea
(1st title)
Most successful club(s) Spain Barcelona
England Chelsea
(1 title each)
Website Official website
2014–15 UEFA Youth League

The UEFA Youth League[1] (originally titled as the UEFA U-19 Champions League) is an association football competition for all under age players registered to senior clubs that participate and qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.[2]

History

The teams in the first tournament, 2013–14 UEFA Youth League, played a group stage with the same composition and calendar as the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League group stage, and was held on a 'trial basis'.[3]

The eight group-winners and eight runners-up from group stage then participated in a knockout phase. Unlike the UEFA Champions League, the knockout phase had single-leg ties, with the semi-finals and final played at neutral venues.[3]

British media commented that the competition was formed to "limit the growing influence of the NextGen Series".[4]

In April 2014, Barcelona became the first champion, beating Benfica by 3–0 in the final-four held in Nyon.

After a two-year trial period, the UEFA Youth League will become a permanent UEFA competition starting from the 2015–16 season, with the tournament expanded from 32 to 64 teams to allow the youth domestic champions of the top 32 associations according to their UEFA country coefficients to also participate. The 32 UEFA Champions League group stage youth teams will retain the group stage format, with the group winners advancing to the round of 16 and the runners-up advancing to the play-offs. The 32 youth domestic champions will play two rounds of two-legged ties, with the eight winners advancing to the play-offs, where they play a single match at home against the Champions League path runners-up. The round of 16 onwards will retain the same format of single-leg ties as before.[5]

Finals

Season Winners Score Runners-up Losing semi-finalists Final stage host
2013–14 Spain Barcelona 3–0 Portugal Benfica Spain Real Madrid and Germany Schalke 04 Switzerland Colovray Stadium, Nyon
2014–15 England Chelsea 3–2 Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk Belgium Anderlecht and Italy Roma Switzerland Colovray Stadium, Nyon

See also

References

  1. ↑ "UEFA EURO 2020 to be held across continent". UEFA.com. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "UEFA EURO 2020, UEFA Super Cup decisions". UEFA.com. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "UEFA Youth League club competition launched". UEFA.com. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "UEFA to launch U19 shadow Champions League from 2013 to curtail NextGen series". Daily Mail (London). 30 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "UEFA Youth League retained and expanded". UEFA.org. 18 September 2014.

External links