Real Madrid CF

Real Madrid CF — page 3
EUROPEAN SOCCER The European soccer season is broken down into different levels of competition It can be confusing to keep track of it all Here’s a handy guide to help you follow the action League Play The 20 best teams in Spain play in La Liga Teams play all league opponents twice each season for 38 total games The three teams with the worst records are relegated or sent down to the second division which sends its top three teams up to replace them the next season European Play The top three teams in La Liga qualify for the group stage of the Union of European Football Associations UEFA Champions League This annual tournament involves the best teams from the top leagues throughout Europe The Champions League debuted in 1992 It replaced the European Cup a similar tournament that began in 1955 The fourth place team enters Champions League play in the qualifying round The next two teams from La Liga qualify for the UEFA Europa League The Europa League is Europe’s second-tier tournament It runs in a similar manner to the Champions League but crowns its own winner The Europa League debuted in 1971 as the UEFA Cup but was renamed in 2009 Domestic Cups Teams from the top four levels of Spanish soccer are eligible to play in the Copa del Rey or King’s Cup Founded in 1903 the tournament is the oldest in Spain The winning team automatically qualifies for the Europa League It also faces the champion of La Liga in the Supercopa de Espana Spanish Super Cup 6