Every 2 years when one of the FIFA World Cups happen all of the futbol (soccer for us Americans) fans start coming out. But most of these guys that play for their national teams at the Men’s World Cup also play year around for many top clubs in Europe. To many futbol fans, European soccer is a bit foreign to us (no pun intended). So we gathered some information to give a little insight on what European soccer is all about.
UEFA:
The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative body for association football in Europe. It is one of the six confederations of FIFA.
Champions League:
The Champions League is one of the most prestigious leagues in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The league is made up of 76 teams from all over Europe. They consist of top teams such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, Milan and Bayern Munich. The Champions League tournament begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round. 32 teams advance to the group stage, which takes place from September to December, where they are split into eight groups of four teams and play a double round-robin. Then in February the eight group winners and the eight runner-ups advance to the knockout phase. The knockout ties are played in a two-legged format and are usually held in the final two weeks of May. The final game is played at the end of May or beginning of June and determine the winner of the Champions League.
How to Get Tickets:
Europe’s biggest ticket provider is Viagogo. Since they are headquartered in London, we know it is sometimes hard to trust if you’re going to actually receive your tickets. Getting tickets to any of the games in England can be a little challenging because there aren’t many tickets in the secondary market besides the Hospitality Tickets that tend to be really expensive. Games in Spain and other countries are a little easier to get because they don’t have the issue of a membership that the clubs in England do.
How to Travel to the Stadium:
There are a few ways to get to the game. One is to take a taxi, the hotel you’re staying in can easily call you one and they’ll take you right to the game. If you don’t want to take a cab or want the ease that the app offers, Uber is available in many cities across the world. Before embarking on your journey check the website to see if Uber is in the city you’re traveling to. If you aren’t sure what Uber is check out this blog post that explains it all to you.
Where to Fly Into:
Most of the Clubs are in big cities that have main airports to fly into. For example, when flying to see Manchester United you would fly into Manchester Airport (MAN). And when flying to see FC Barcelona you would fly into Barcelona Airport (BCN).
How Safe is it?
Most places in Europe are very safe places to travel. As long as you are aware of your surroundings and are careful of your belongings you should have no issues while traveling abroad. Locals are extremely kind and will help you with directions or give you good suggestions on where to eat and what to do. Be kind, be patient and try your best to be aware of everything happening around you that way you can avoid anything that would possibly happen.