[wp_ad_camp_1]The Playoff stage of 2012/2013 Champions League was drawn last Thursday. Some interesting matches on the way (to be held next February 12, 13, 19 and 20th) and we try to have a look behind the team’s names and offer some relevant facts and figures.

7 teams out of the 16 qualified for this stage never won the competition in its current format or the former European Champion Club’s Cup (held between 1956 and 1992). Those teams are:

– Valencia, PSG, Shakhtar Donetsk, Málaga, Arsenal, Galatasaray and Schalke. Frome these only Valencia and Arsenal made it to a final (both once).

Of the remaining 9 teams, 7 won at least once in both the competition formats (altogether 33 wins). The other two teams won only either the European Champion Club’s Cup (Celtic, in 1967 Lisbon Final) or the Champions League (Borussia Dortmund).

Only 2 of the 8 matches (Galatasaray-Schalke and Valencia-PSG) will oppose teams that have never won the competition.

In all the 57 editions held till now only 22 clubs and a total of 10 countries managed to reach the trophy.

This year’s clash between Real Madrid (9) and Manchester United (3) will have on the pitch two of the most successful teams in this competition (20% of all trophies endorsed). Another statistically relevant match will be the one that will put face to face Milan (7) and Barcelona (4) – 11 Cups, almost 20% of all trophies endorsed. This means that these 4 teams hold 40% of all European Champions League/European Champion Club’s Cup.

Spain is the country with more trophies (13 followed by Italy and England (both with 12).  Altogether these 3 countries have 65% of the cups and England is the one that have won with more clubs (5, apart from ManUnited, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest also won).

The 13 titles of spain are exclusively due to Real Madrid and Barcelona performances. The only other country with 2 winning clubs is Portugal with a total of 4 cups and other 5 non succeeded appearances in a final. Portugal, Italy (14), Germany (6 cups and 9 lost finals) and France  (1 cup and 5 lost finals)are the only countries with club winners that have less cups than non succeeded appearances in the finals.

Please remember – as we before have published – this year’s Champion League Final will be held at Wembley Stadium next May 25th.

2013 Major Sports Events Calendar

You may also want to recall how the UEFA’s rankings work:

Soccer – UEFA’s Team Ranking: A Calculation to define Top Seed Clubs

Soccer – UEFA’s Country Ranking: How it works and what it serves for?

And since World’s 2012 best player and coach will be announced by FIFA next January 7th (Messi, Ronaldo and Iniesta are in the playoffs, while José Mourinho is the only nominated coach in) we invite you to check our predictions and to take part on both our polls!

FIFA’s 2012 Ballon d’Or and Best Coach: Our Predictions