INTRODUCTION TO FOOTBALL

Football or soccer is a team sport consisting of two teams of 11 players on each side, with each player trying to maneuver a football into the opposing team’s goal using any part of their bodies except their hands and arms. There are 10 outfield players with specific roles- defender, midfielders, strikers, and wingers. Apart from the 10 outfield players, all football teams must consist of 1 goalkeeper. A goalkeeper’s aim is to prevent the opposing team from scoring a goal and may use the hands and other body parts. However, the use of hands by a goalkeeper is only restricted to the borders of the penalty area. Soccer is a strategic game in which the players are coached by a manager and has now become open to both men and women. In recent years, soccer has become much more popular and revenue is at a high, making it one of the most profitable sports industries. Soccer, also known as football, has been governed by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) since 1904 and is the main organizer of events such as the World Cup.

HISTORY OF FOOTBALL AT CLUB LEVEL

The game of football is widely regarded as the premier sport across the world. It also has the largest number of spectators among all sports. International football is the form of football that consists of matches between International teams. However, the most dominant format of world football is at the club level. There are numerous clubs present across the world representing towns, cities, states, suburbs, and even villages. Football leagues and cups take place between various clubs from across the world. Club football dates back to the early 19th century with the formation of a number of clubs in the British isles the oldest professional football team in the world is Sheffield FC which was established on October 24, 1857. The club still exists to date and is a part of the Northern Premier League in England. Since then a large number of football clubs have been established across the world. In 1888 the English Football League was formed making it the oldest football league in the world.

GOVERNING BODIES OF FOOTBALL

As the leagues started growing in number there was a requirement of a governing body thereby resulting in the formation of UEFA (The Union of European Football Associations) on 15 June 1954 in Basel, Switzerland after consultation between the Italian, French, and Belgian associations. In 1955, the European Champion Clubs’ Cup also known as the UEFA Champions League was formed and was initially an invitational knockout competition consisting of the champions of Europe’s domestic leagues. Similar to The UEFA Champions League, the CONEMBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) organizes an annual international club football competition consisting of the Champion clubs from South America since 1960. As a result of the massive growth in football, many football clubs started growing.

FOOTBALL LEAGUES

Football clubs from all across the world compete in different football leagues. The domestic leagues of a country allow the clubs to compete within the boundaries of the country. However, Continental football leagues like the UEFA Champions League allow the club of one country to compete against clubs of different countries. The popularity of a football league depends on various factors however, when it comes to the main factor, viewership plays the most important part in judging the success and popularity of a football league. The Premier League in England is the most popular football league in the world when it comes to the overall viewership around the world. The Premier League is home to some of the biggest football players from across the world. La Liga or the Spanish League is the second most popular league in the world. However, due to the rise in the popularity of the German Bundesliga and the Italian Serie A, La Liga’s hype and viewership have suffered heavily. Other top leagues include the French Ligue 1, the Dutch Eredivisie, and more.

SUCCESSFUL FOOTBALL CLUBS IN THE WORLD

The success of a football club is determined by the number of trophies won by the club. Apart from that, there are a variety of factors that determine what makes a big club, legendary players, stadium capacity, domestic and international fanbase, and so on.

The following are the top 3 football clubs in the world at the moment –

1. FC Bayern München –
   
   FC Bayern München or FC Bayern Munich as we all know is a football club based in Munich and is regarded as one of the most successful clubs in Europe and in world football. FC Bayern Munich was founded by members of a Munich gymnastics club on 27 February 1900. Bayern started their rise to the top from humble beginnings playing in the South German championships. The Bavarians won their first National Championships in 1932 after defeating Eintracht Frankfurt in the finals. Since the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963, no other club has won more league titles than Bayern Munich amassing a total of 29 league titles. Their domestic domination does not stop there as they have also won a total of 20 DFB Pokal and 7 DFB Super cups. All the domestic titles and achievements make Bayern the biggest club in Germany. FC Bayern is a global club and their performances in the Intercontinental and International Club tournaments have proved that. They have won a total of 6 UEFA Champions League titles with Liverpool on the list of the number of titles won by a club. In addition to that, the club has also won 1 UEFA Europa League and 1 UEFA Super Cup title. The club is regular challengers for the European crown and under Hansi Flick in the 2019-20 season, their status from contenders changed to champions as they ended their 6-year wait by winning the UEFA Champions League. They ended the tournament unbeaten and also scored the most number of goals. Bayern fans have been witness to some of the biggest names in football down the years with the likes of the legendary Franz Beckenbauer, Phillip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben, and Frank Ribery to name a few all donning the famous red jersey of Bayern. Bayern played their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium previously but since moving to the Allianz Stadium in 2005, it has been a fortress for the club as they have amassed a total of 11 league titles since in the last 15 years winning the last 8 league titles consecutively. Bayern has the best team in the world at the moment and the acquisition of Leroy Sane from Manchester City will elevate their game even more. FC Bayern Munich is certainly one of the most exciting teams in the world at the moment and with their progressive and attacking playstyle, they will enter the 2020-21 season with a force to reckon with.

2. Liverpool Football Club –
   
   Football in England is the most popular sport of all. The country has some of the oldest clubs in world football. One of the oldest and the most successful clubs in England is Liverpool Football Club established 128 years ago on 3 June 1892. The famous club is situated in Liverpool which is in Merseyside county. The city of Liverpool and its fans have a huge passion for the game of football and have loyal love and support for their club. Liverpool, one of the oldest teams in England joined the Football League in 1893 and have played in the historic Anfield Stadium since then. The club boasts a rich history filled with trophies and accolades. Liverpool has won a total of 19 Premier League titles, which is second only to Manchester United their arch-rivals, and another historic club that has won a total of 20 Premier League titles. Liverpool Football Club has also won 7 FA Cup titles and a record 8 League Cup titles.

Liverpool has also had a rich history when it comes to winning trophies in International Club competitions having won 6 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 UEFA Europa League titles, and 4 UEFA Super Cup titles. Liverpool Football Club has a rich pedigree when it comes to winning trophies but after the 1989-90 season, they regularly failed to win the League titles and with growing football teams like Chelsea FC and Manchester City, the prospects of Liverpool winning the League grew harder every year. They finally managed to break their drought after lifting their first title in 30 years in the 2019-20 season after several impressive performances both domestically as well as in European competitions under Jürgen Klopp. The current Liverpool team is a mixture of young and experienced talents all over the pitch with the likes of Trent Alexander Arnold, Joe Gomez, Minamino all drawing experiences from veteran campaigners like James Milner, Jordan Henderson. The team also has star players like Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and more. Liverpool under Klopp is building a team for the present as well as the future in order to replicate the success the club had during the 90s when the team was full of star players like Daglish, Fowler, Owen who are now recognized as club legends. Going into the 20-21 season in spite of making no new signings, they are going into the season as favorites to win the league and make serious amends after their failed Champions League run in the 19-20 season where they were knocked out in the round of 16 stages by Atletico Madrid.

3. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol –
   
   Real Madrid is the most decorated club in the history of football. Having amassed over 92 major trophies since its inception back on 6 March 1902 as Madrid Football Club. Whenever there is a discussion regarding winning competitions and leagues Real Madrid is one of the first clubs that come to the mind. The club has won a record 34 La Liga (Spanish first division ) titles with their most recent title coming during the 2019-20 season after dominating major phases of the league. Their domestic success makes them the most successful club in Spain. Real Madrid is also regarded as the most successful club in Europe as they are the holders of a record 13 UEFA Champions League titles thereby making them the kings of Europe. The club has also won a record 4 FIFA Club World Cup titles making them a force outside Europe as well. Real Madrid also boasts a large number of legendary players like Alfredo di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, and Cristiano Ronaldo, to name a few all of whom have played major parts of their career in the sacred pitch of Santiago Bernabeu. The Santiago Bernabeu has been the home of Real Madrid C.F since its completion in 1947. It is the second-largest stadium in Spain. The Spanish National team also plays its home matches in the legendary stadium. Real Madrid has all the characteristics which rightly make them the biggest club in the world when it comes to the overall success of the club. Nowadays Real Madrid has become a modern side with a modern style of play and management but their prestige and rich heritage still remain intact. Under the leadership of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, the club has won the 19-20 LaLiga title after losing to FC Barcelona in the 18-19 season. In spite of their failure in the UEFA Champions League in recent years, the club has invested heavily in the youth as well as on modern-day stars like Eden Hazard, and under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane, the future looks bright for the Galacticos.