The Champions? Thirty Years of the UEFA Champions League

Covering the impact on domestic leagues, clubs, fans, and players, this book is an interdisciplinary exploration of 30 years of the Champions League and how it has impacted football. The year 1992 has become a key year in the development of football. Not only was the Premier League formed in this year, but the Champions League was also launched. Both were designed to placate the larger clubs and have provided more money and resources for these elite clubs. The Champions League was also established to avoid the likelihood of a breakaway super league, although recent events have indicated that this was not successful. Despite the threat of the Super League, the Champions League continues to expand. Ultimately, this restructuring of European football’s premier competition has resulted in a variety of impacts on domestic leagues, clubs, fans and players, all are themes that are explored here. This book is an essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals in sports marketing and management, sociology, cultural studies and media analysis. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.