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Rosgosstrakh: Russian Football Championship 2018/2019 is the 26th edition of the national football championship. According to the competition regulations, 16 teams from different cities of the country will take part in it. This season of the Premier League, fans can expect a confrontation for the championship title between several favorite teams, as well as a fierce struggle to maintain their registration in the RFPL.

Clubs participating in the championship

Below is a table listing the teams participating in the Russian Championship “Rosgosstrakh” 2018/2019:

The current Russian football champion is Lokomotiv Moscow.

Newcomers to the league and teams that left it

According to the results of the Football National League 2017/2018, three clubs received the right to compete in the top division Russian football:

• Orenburg, which won the 2017/2018 FNL championship, scored 84 points and entered the Premier League after a year break.
• The FNL vice-champion, the Samara club Krylya Sovetov, scored 82 points at the end of the season and also received a direct ticket to the RPL.
• “Enisey” from Krasnoyarsk prevailed in a two-game confrontation with “Anzhi” Makhachkala, thanks to which it earned the right to play in the Premier League. Krasnoyarsk club has best indicator goals scored among the teams of the last season of the Football National League.

The following teams left the Russian Major League Football:

• SKA-Khabarovsk took last place in the RPL of the 2017/2018 season.
• Football club "Tosno" from the city of the same name in Leningrad region took 15th place in the standings, after which it was announced that it would be disbanded. It should be noted that this team became the winner of the Russian Cup 2017/2018, beating Avangard from Kursk.
• Amkar took 13th place and beat FC Tambov in the play-offs for the right to play in the Premier League. However, in June 2018, it was announced that the team, which had been playing in the RPL since 2004, would be disbanded.

Despite the defeat of Yenisei, Makhachkala Anzhi retained its registration in elite division Russian football due to financial problems of Tosno and some FNL teams.

Schedule

Below is the calendar of the Russian Football Championship "Rosgosstrakh" 2018/2019:

Eurocups

Good news for Russian football fans was that Russia received sixth place in the UEFA coefficients table. This means that the domestic football championship in European competition will again be represented by six clubs:

• Two will compete in the UEFA Champions League Russian teams: Lokomotiv is the national champion, CSKA is the silver medalist of the Russian Football Premier League.
• The third club that received the right to represent Russia in the Champions League is Moscow Spartak. The Red-Whites lost in the third qualifying round of the tournament to the Greek club PAOK with a total score of 3-2, and the match at the Otkritie Arena ended in a goalless draw. Now the Moscow club will play in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
• "Krasnodar", which ended up in the group round of the UEFA Europa League due to the bankruptcy of the winner of the national cup - Tosno - and the refusal to issue a UEFA license to the finalist of the national cup - Avangard Kursk.
• “Zenith”, which needs to not lose to the Norwegian “Molde” on August 30 with a score of more than 1-0, to get into the group stage of the tournament. In qualifying, the St. Petersburg club scored a record victory over Dynamo from Minsk with a score of 8-1.
• “Ufa”, which lost minimally in the playoff round to the “Rangers” club from Glasgow, will play on August 30 return match on your own field. To advance to the next round, the Ufa team needs to win with a difference of two goals.

Transfers

The main news of the Russian transfer market was the transfer of 22-year-old CSKA midfielder Alexander Golovin to Monaco. The French club paid the army team 30,000,000 euros, which makes the midfielder the most dear football player with a Russian passport for the whole history of the RFPL. The previous record holder was Zenit full-back Yuri Zhirkov, who was acquired by Chelsea in 2009 for 21,000,000 euros.

Talking about how Russian clubs use the transfer window, it should be noted Zenit and Lokomotiv. Several famous players joined the camp of the current national champion:

• Nigerian with Russian citizenship Brian Idowu, who strengthened Loko's defense.
• 2014 world champion Benedikt Höwedes, who played 120 minutes in the final of the championship victory for the German team.
• Fedor Smolov, who scored two goals in 5 matches for Loko.
• Eder, the scorer of the winning goal for the Portuguese national team at the 2016 European Championship, was bought by Lokomotiv from Lille.
• Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak moved to Loko from PSG on loan.
• The trainee of the "railroad workers" Rifat Zhemaletdinov returned to the team after two seasons in Kazan.

Zenit, in turn, did not make any high-profile acquisitions after the arrival of Sergei Semak. However, some players who were on loan returned to the team. Three of them - Artem Dzyuba, Robert Mack and Christian Noboa - firmly took their places in starting lineup"blue-white-blue".

After five rounds of the RPL “Zenit” is in the lead in the standings of the Russian Football Championship “Rosgosstrakh” 2018/2019. The competition for the St. Petersburg club includes Spartak, which scored two points less than Zenit and is in second place, CSKA and the current national champion Lokomotiv. Krasnodar, Orenburg and Rostov are also dangerously close to the championship favorites. This season Russian Premier League promises to be spectacular and intriguing, despite all the problems that plague Russian football.

"Olympiastadion" (Munich, Germany). Opened in 1972. Accommodates 69,250 spectators.

The final match of the first UEFA Champions League in the 1992/93 season took place at the Munich Olympic Stadium. Marseille and Milan competed for the trophy. The meeting, which took place on May 23, 1993, ended in victory for the French team with a score of 1:0.

Second main final club tournament The Munich Arena hosted Europe in 1997. In that match, Borussia Dortmund beat Juventus 3:1.

Olympic Stadium (Athens, Greece). Opened in 1982, reconstructed in 2002-2004. Accommodates 69,618 spectators.

The Olympic Stadium in the capital of Greece can be called happy for Milan. After losing in the final of the 1992/93 season, the Italian club again reached the decisive stage of the tournament the following year, where they defeated Barcelona with a score of 4:0.

After 13 years, the Rossoneri took to the field again Olympic Stadium Athens as a contender for the trophy, and again they managed to win, this time over Liverpool - 2:1.

"Ernst Happel Stadion" (Vienna, Austria). Opened in 1931, reconstructed twice - in 1986 and 2008. Accommodates 55,665 spectators.

The arena in the Austrian capital hosted the final of the Champions League of the 1994/95 season, and Milan participated in it for the third time in a row. Like two years earlier, the Italians lost with a score of 0:1, but this time to Ajax.

Stadio Olimpico (Italy, Rome). Opened in 1937, the last reconstruction was carried out in 1989-1990. Accommodates 72,698 spectators.

In the 1995/96 season, Ajax came to Rome as the reigning Champions League winner, but the Dutch club failed to defend its title. Already in the first half of the match with Juventus, the teams exchanged goals, after which they brought the matter to a penalty shootout. The Bianconeri were more accurate and won the main European club trophy.

The Olympic Stadium in Rome received the right to once again host the Champions League final of the 2008/09 season, but this time the local teams failed to make it to the decisive stage of the tournament. The trophy was won this year by Barcelona, ​​beating Manchester United 2:0.

Amsterdam Arena (Amsterdam, Netherlands). Opened in 1996. Accommodates 54,990 spectators.

The stadium, which now bears the name of Johan Cruyff, hosted the Champions League final just two years after it opened. In May 1998, Real Madrid and Juventus met on the field of the Amsterdam Arena. The match ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of the Madrid club.

Camp Nou (Barcelona, ​​Spain). Opened in 1957, it was reconstructed twice - in 1995 and 2008. Accommodates 99,354 spectators.

The Barcelona stadium has seen many memorable matches, but the 1998/99 Champions League final stands apart. Without exaggeration, that meeting between Bayern and Manchester United can be called legendary. The Germans took the lead in the 6th minute and controlled the game until the last minutes, but two goals scored by the Mancunians in stoppage time of the second half brought victory to Manchester United.

"Stade de France" (Saint-Denis, France). Opened in 1998. Accommodates 81,338 spectators.

The arena, built on the outskirts of Paris, hosted the Champions League final for the first time in the 1999/2000 season. The meeting between Real Madrid and Valencia ended with a confident victory for the Madrid club with a score of 3:0. This was the first time in the history of the Champions League that clubs from the same country played in the final.

6 years later, in the 2005/06 season, Barcelona and Arsenal competed for the trophy on the Stade de France field. The Londoners, who played in the minority from the 18th minute after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off, opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break, but in the second half goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti brought victory to the Catalans - 2:1.

"San Siro" (Milan, Italy). Opened in 1926. The last reconstruction was carried out in 1989. Accommodates 80,018 spectators.

The San Siro Stadium was renamed in honor of Giuseppe Meazza in 1979, but the historical name of the arena is still the most popular and recognizable throughout the world. The Champions League final has been held here twice.

In the 2000/01 season, Bayern and Valencia played in Milan dramatic match, in which 11-meter kicks played a major role. Already in the 2nd minute, Gaizka Mendieta brought the Spaniards ahead from the penalty spot, and 4 minutes later, the Bats goalkeeper Santiago Canizares saved a penalty kick from Mehmet Scholl. At the beginning of the second half, Stefan Effenberg equalized the score from the penalty spot, and the fate of the match was decided in a series of post-match strikes, in which the Bayern players were more accurate.

15 years later, in May 2016, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid almost exactly repeated the scenario of the game between Bayern and Valencia in the same arena. Regular time also ended with the score 1:1, in extra time the teams failed to score, and the Royal Club won in the penalty shootout.

Hampden Park (Glasgow, Scotland). Opened in 1903. Reconstructed in 1999. Accommodates 51,866 spectators.

Real Madrid and Bayer 04 took to the Hampden Park pitch in the Champions League final in May 2002, and six months later the arena celebrated its 99th anniversary. The match itself ended with a score of 2:1 in favor of Real Madrid and was remembered for Zinedine Zidane's beautiful goal from the line of the penalty area.

Old Trafford (Manchester, England). Opened in 1910. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2006. Accommodates 74,879 spectators.

Second in modern history The Champions League final involving teams representing one country took place in the 2002/2003 season. In the decisive match of the tournament, which took place in Manchester, Milan and Juventus met. The main and extra time ended with the score 0:0, and in the penalty shootout the victory for Milan was brought by Andrei Shevchenko's accurate shot.

Veltins Arena (Gelsenkirchen, Germany). Opened in 2001. The stadium's capacity was last increased in 2015; today it is 62,271 people.

The arena has had its current name since the summer of 2005; previously it was called Arena AufSchalke. The stadium hosted matches of the World Football and Hockey Championships. Since 2002, the annual Christmas Biathlon Star Race has been held here.

The 2004 Champions League final, held in Gelsenkirchin, is one of the most memorable for Russian fans, as one of the goals was scored by Dmitry Alenichev. The Porto midfielder set the final score of the match against Monaco (3:0). The Portuguese team at that time was led by Jose Mourinho, who became the youngest head coach in history to win the main European club trophy.

Olympic Stadium (Istanbul, Türkiye). Opened in 2002. Accommodates 80,500 spectators.

The stadium in Istanbul was built to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, but Turkey's bid did not receive the required number of votes, and the Olympics took place in Beijing. Currently, the arena in Istanbul bears the name of the first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and is the largest in the country.

The 2005 Istanbul Champions League final is arguably the greatest in the tournament's history. In the decisive match, Milan crushed Liverpool with a score of 3:0 after the first half, but in the second half of the meeting, goals from Gerrard, Smicer and Alonso turned everything upside down. There were no goals scored in extra time, and the British club was stronger in the penalty shootout.

"Luzhniki" (Moscow, Russia). Opened in 1956. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2017. Accommodates 81,000 spectators.

For the first time, Russia received the right to host the 2007/08 Champions League final, and this honorable mission was entrusted to the Bolshoi sports arena"Luzhniki". Chelsea and Manchester United competed for the trophy, marking the first time two English teams met in a Champions League decider.

The game caused a great stir among fans in both England and Russia, with more than 67 thousand spectators present in the stands. Midway through the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo put Manchester United ahead, but Frank Lampard equalized just before the break. The second half and extra time passed without any goals scored, and in the penalty shootout the Mancunians were more accurate.

Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1947. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2001. Accommodates 81,044 spectators.

The home arena of one of the most successful clubs in modern football has hosted the Champions League final only once - in the 2009/10 season, but this only match has gone down in history.

Inter and Bayern met in the Madrid final. The match ended with a score of 2:0 in favor of the Italian club, and Jose Mourinho, who was working with the Nerazzurri at that moment, became the third coach in history to win the Champions Cup with two different teams(there are now five of them: in addition to the Portuguese, these are Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti).

An interesting fact is that in the Milanese squad in the 2010 final there was only one Italian - Marco Materazzi, and even he appeared on the field in the 90th minute of the match.

Wembley (London, England). Opened in 2007. Accommodates 90,000 spectators.

The new Wembley was built on the site of the legendary arena, which hosted matches of the World and European Championships, Olympic Games and many European Cup finals.

The final match of the 2010/11 Champions League, which took place at the new Wembley, in a sense turned out to be a home match for Manchester United, but this did not help the Mancunians win the trophy. Barcelona, ​​led by the trio Xavi - Iniesta - Messi, won with a score of 3:1.

In 2013, Wembley hosted the first “German” Champions League final, in which Bayern and Borussia Dortmund met. The victory and the cup were brought to the Bavarians by a precise shot from Arjen Robben, who set the final score at 2:1 in the 89th minute.

Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany). Opened in 2005. Accommodates 67,812 spectators.

The decisive match of the 2011/12 Champions League season was the first final of the tournament, which was held at the home stadium of one of the participants in the meeting - Bayern hosted Chelsea in Munich. The scoring was opened only in the 83rd minute after a shot by the hosts' forward Thomas Muller, but five minutes later the leader of the Londoners' attack, Didier Drogba, restored the balance.

The fate of the trophy was decided in a penalty shootout. Bayern again took the lead after Philipp Lahm's accurate shot and Juan Mata's miss, but then the visiting players converted all their attempts, while the German team's players made two misfires. Thus, Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history.

"Millennium" (Cardiff, Wales). Opened in 1999. Accommodates 73,930 spectators.

The home arena of the Wales national team was opened at the turn of the millennium, having received the appropriate name, but in 2016 the stadium received a new name - Principality Stadium, which, with a certain amount of imagination, can be translated simply as "Princely Stadium", since Wales is part of the United Kingdom, and the Queen's son Elizabeth II Charles bears the title Prince of Wales.

But let's return to the Champions League. The final of the main European club tournament took place here in 2017, and the participants in that match were Real Madrid and Juventus. The Madrid team won with a score of 4:1 and won their second Champions League title in a row, and football fans remembered that meeting for the super goal of Turin striker Mario Mandzukic.

"Metropolitano" (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1994. Reconstructed in 2017. Accommodates 67,700 spectators.

Liverpool and Tottenham met in the 2019 Champions League final. The final was the first in Tottenham's history, and the first since the 2013 final, where at least one Spanish club did not play. Liverpool, reaching the final for the second time in a row, won the match 2-0. In his third Champions League final as head coach, Jurgen Klopp won the trophy.

Rosgosstrakh Russian football championship 2017-2018 is in full swing. The teams have already played 7 rounds out of the planned 30, which is almost a quarter of the distance. As a result, experts and fans have the opportunity to evaluate the success of individual clubs at the start of the championship. Some lived up to expectations, some failed, some remained at the usual level and did not present any surprises.

Tournament table of Rosgosstrakh Russian Football Championship 2017-2018 this moment as follows:

After 7 rounds played, Zenit and Lokomotiv advance to the group stage of the Champions League, and Rostov will play in the qualifications. CSKA and Krasnodar are still in the Europa League zone, but several football teams are hot on their heels.

Today, Amkar and Anzhi are facing relegation from the Premier League. Arsenal (Tula) and SKA-Khabarovsk are in the play-off zone. This four have already gained a noticeable gap from the saving 12th place, so at the current level of play, the status quo will likely remain until the end of the tournament.

Who made you happy?

Looking at the Rosgosstrakh table of the Russian football championship 2017-2018, we can say with confidence that only . Roberto Mancini's first season in St. Petersburg is going perfectly: his players take sole first place, demonstrating effective play and an enviable will to win. Over the course of 7 games, the blue-white-blues scored the most in the league (16 goals) and conceded the fewest (3). Several factors speak in favor of Zenit’s championship:

• balanced composition;
• wide bench;
• good microclimate in the team;
• confident actions on the field of leaders (Kokorin, Paredes, Driussi, etc.)

The scandals at Zenit disappeared into oblivion with the departure of Mircea Lucescu. Even Artem Dzyuba, who sat down on the bench, does not show dissatisfaction and speaks of his intention to win a place in the team through intensive training. Separately, it is worth mentioning the European Cups: if the St. Petersburg team fails to qualify for the Europa League, for which there are certain prerequisites, then the club’s fans can already stock up on champagne. With a schedule of 1 match per week, Zenit simply has no equal in .

We’ll add Rostov to the list of teams that pleased their fans. After the departure of Poloz, Erokhin and a whole galaxy of players who determined the game in the off-season, experts predicted a place for the Rostovites in the second part of the table. After 7 rounds, Leonid Kuchuk’s team are in the Champions League zone, demonstrating rational actions on the field. Even though he didn’t score so many goals (only 8 goals), he also conceded only 3. Even top strikers can’t find the keys to Sergei Pesyakov’s goal, and in the Premier League, a reliable defense is already half the battle on the way to European competition.

Who surprised?

Rosgosstrakh Russian football championship 2017-2018 was marked by a number of unpredictable ups and downs of some football teams. The list of clubs that surprised with their play includes:

• "Locomotive";
• "Ural";
• "Amkar".

“Lokomotiv” should be called without reservation the main discovery of the start of the Premier League. Before the last round, skeptics associated the success of the “railroad workers” with an easy calendar, but the strong-willed victory over Spartak proved that the players were ready to fight for the highest places. So far, this is the only serious competitor to Zenit for the first line, and if Yuri Semin’s team improves during the tournament, they will certainly remain in the Champions League zone. A tight schedule can make adjustments to the team’s plans, because starting from September 2017, Lokomotiv will play in the group stage of the Europa League, which means at least 6 additional matches.

One of the main questions for Rosgosstrakh of the Russian Championship 2017-2018 remains when Ural will lose. Oleg Tarkhanov's team is a tough nut to crack, especially on their home field. At the start of the championship, the club from Yekaterinburg demonstrates meaningful football and is undefeated. However, the next match with Lokomotiv will be a serious test for the players, when it will become clear how much safety margin Ural has.

Amkar's performance was a surprise with a minus sign. The 2017-2018 Rosgosstrakh Russian Championship calendar for the Permians was compiled quite successfully: strong opponents alternated with weak ones. Many predicted that Gadzhi Gadzhiev’s wards would struggle for, but not for survival. Two draws in 7 matches and a pathetic number of 1 in the goals scored column indicate a deep crisis in the team. Perhaps the management’s patience will run out in the 8th round, and we will face the first coaching resignation in the RFPL 2017-2018.

Who disappointed?

At the very least, the Spartak game is causing concern among the multi-million army of fans. On the eve of the start of the Champions League, Massimo Carrera's team lost the second match in a row with their principal rivals - first CSKA snatched the victory, and then Lokomotiv defeated the red-whites on their field. Spartak's problems are obvious:

• weak defense (13 goals conceded - the most in the league);
• injuries to leading football players (Zobin, Ze Luis, etc.);
• unstable offensive play;
• lack of moral and volitional qualities.

This season, the most popular team has forgotten how to act according to the score. Leading in matches with Dynamo, CSKA and Lokomotiv, the “red-whites” repeatedly missed out on victory, which is a potential 9 points scored. All this led to a sad result: the current champion of the country is in 11th place in the standings, only 3 points from the zone of junctions with clubs.

We can confidently call Anzhi the weakest team in the Russian championship. Yes, the team completely rebuilt in the summer, yes, its financial budget is limited, but clubs with more modest budgets and less talented players perform much better. So far, after 7 rounds, the Makhachkala residents have 3 points and their only victory over the sinking Amkar. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for Anzhi: the most goals conceded, the lack of will to win, the inability to rebuild during the match. At the moment, the club is a clear contender for relegation.

Interesting facts about the start of the championship

Let us note a number of interesting moments from Rosgosstrakh of the Russian Football Championship 2017-2018:

1. The most uncompromising team in the Premier League is Akhmat. Over the 6 rounds played, Oleg Kononov’s team never played a draw: 3 wins and 3 losses.
2. The driest RFPL club is SKA-Khabarovsk: in 7 rounds with the participation of the club, only 10 goals were scored and never more than 2 per game.
3. The most successful draws were recorded in matches with Ural. The club from Yekaterinburg finished matches 4 times with a score of 1:1, and once with a score of 2:2.
4. The biggest victory in the championship stratum was won by Rubin. In the 7th round, Anzhi was defeated with a score of 6:0.
5. The best RFPL scorer at the moment is Alexander Kokorin. The Zenit striker scored 6 goals in 7 matches, which is already 1 more than in the entire last season.

Thus, Rosgosstrakh, standings which you can watch on our website, is rightfully considered one of the most spectacular tournaments over the past few years. Before the 2018 World Cup, many players aspiring to be included in the national teams are trying to demonstrate their leadership qualities and skills in order to perform at the main football forum of the four-year anniversary. It will be all the more interesting for fans to watch the ups and downs of the domestic championship.

"Olympiastadion" (Munich, Germany). Opened in 1972. Accommodates 69,250 spectators.

The final match of the first UEFA Champions League in the 1992/93 season took place at the Munich Olympic Stadium. Marseille and Milan competed for the trophy. The meeting, which took place on May 23, 1993, ended in victory for the French team with a score of 1:0.

The Munich Arena hosted the second final of the main European club tournament in 1997. In that match, Borussia Dortmund beat Juventus 3:1.

Olympic Stadium (Athens, Greece). Opened in 1982, reconstructed in 2002-2004. Accommodates 69,618 spectators.

The Olympic Stadium in the capital of Greece can be called happy for Milan. After losing in the final of the 1992/93 season, the Italian club again reached the decisive stage of the tournament the following year, where they defeated Barcelona with a score of 4:0.

Thirteen years later, the Rossoneri returned to the Athens Olympic Stadium as trophy contenders and again managed to win, this time over Liverpool 2-1.

"Ernst Happel Stadion" (Vienna, Austria). Opened in 1931, reconstructed twice - in 1986 and 2008. Accommodates 55,665 spectators.

The arena in the Austrian capital hosted the final of the Champions League of the 1994/95 season, and Milan participated in it for the third time in a row. Like two years earlier, the Italians lost with a score of 0:1, but this time to Ajax.

Stadio Olimpico (Italy, Rome). Opened in 1937, the last reconstruction was carried out in 1989-1990. Accommodates 72,698 spectators.

In the 1995/96 season, Ajax came to Rome as the reigning Champions League winner, but the Dutch club failed to defend its title. Already in the first half of the match with Juventus, the teams exchanged goals, after which they brought the matter to a penalty shootout. The Bianconeri were more accurate and won the main European club trophy.

The Olympic Stadium in Rome received the right to once again host the Champions League final of the 2008/09 season, but this time the local teams failed to make it to the decisive stage of the tournament. The trophy was won this year by Barcelona, ​​beating Manchester United 2:0.

Amsterdam Arena (Amsterdam, Netherlands). Opened in 1996. Accommodates 54,990 spectators.

The stadium, which now bears the name of Johan Cruyff, hosted the Champions League final just two years after it opened. In May 1998, Real Madrid and Juventus met on the field of the Amsterdam Arena. The match ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of the Madrid club.

Camp Nou (Barcelona, ​​Spain). Opened in 1957, it was reconstructed twice - in 1995 and 2008. Accommodates 99,354 spectators.

The Barcelona stadium has seen many memorable matches, but the 1998/99 Champions League final stands apart. Without exaggeration, that meeting between Bayern and Manchester United can be called legendary. The Germans took the lead in the 6th minute and controlled the game until the last minutes, but two goals scored by the Mancunians in stoppage time of the second half brought victory to Manchester United.

"Stade de France" (Saint-Denis, France). Opened in 1998. Accommodates 81,338 spectators.

The arena, built on the outskirts of Paris, hosted the Champions League final for the first time in the 1999/2000 season. The meeting between Real Madrid and Valencia ended with a confident victory for the Madrid club with a score of 3:0. This was the first time in the history of the Champions League that clubs from the same country played in the final.

6 years later, in the 2005/06 season, Barcelona and Arsenal competed for the trophy on the Stade de France field. The Londoners, who played in the minority from the 18th minute after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off, opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break, but in the second half goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti brought victory to the Catalans - 2:1.

"San Siro" (Milan, Italy). Opened in 1926. The last reconstruction was carried out in 1989. Accommodates 80,018 spectators.

The San Siro Stadium was renamed in honor of Giuseppe Meazza in 1979, but the historical name of the arena is still the most popular and recognizable throughout the world. The Champions League final has been held here twice.

In the 2000/01 season, Bayern and Valencia played a dramatic match in Milan in which penalty kicks played a major role. Already in the 2nd minute, Gaizka Mendieta brought the Spaniards ahead from the penalty spot, and 4 minutes later, the Bats goalkeeper Santiago Canizares saved a penalty kick from Mehmet Scholl. At the beginning of the second half, Stefan Effenberg equalized the score from the penalty spot, and the fate of the match was decided in a series of post-match strikes, in which the Bayern players were more accurate.

15 years later, in May 2016, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid almost exactly repeated the scenario of the game between Bayern and Valencia in the same arena. Regular time also ended with the score 1:1, in extra time the teams failed to score, and the Royal Club won in the penalty shootout.

Hampden Park (Glasgow, Scotland). Opened in 1903. Reconstructed in 1999. Accommodates 51,866 spectators.

Real Madrid and Bayer 04 took to the Hampden Park pitch in the Champions League final in May 2002, and six months later the arena celebrated its 99th anniversary. The match itself ended with a score of 2:1 in favor of Real Madrid and was remembered for Zinedine Zidane's beautiful goal from the line of the penalty area.

Old Trafford (Manchester, England). Opened in 1910. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2006. Accommodates 74,879 spectators.

The second final in the modern history of the Champions League involving teams representing one country took place in the 2002/2003 season. In the decisive match of the tournament, which took place in Manchester, Milan and Juventus met. The main and extra time ended with the score 0:0, and in the penalty shootout the victory for Milan was brought by Andrei Shevchenko's accurate shot.

Veltins Arena (Gelsenkirchen, Germany). Opened in 2001. The stadium's capacity was last increased in 2015; today it is 62,271 people.

The arena has had its current name since the summer of 2005; previously it was called Arena AufSchalke. The stadium hosted matches of the World Football and Hockey Championships. Since 2002, the annual Christmas Biathlon Star Race has been held here.

The 2004 Champions League final, held in Gelsenkirchin, is one of the most memorable for Russian fans, as one of the goals was scored by Dmitry Alenichev. The Porto midfielder set the final score of the match against Monaco (3:0). The Portuguese team at that time was led by Jose Mourinho, who became the youngest head coach in history to win the main European club trophy.

Olympic Stadium (Istanbul, Türkiye). Opened in 2002. Accommodates 80,500 spectators.

The stadium in Istanbul was built to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, but Turkey's bid did not receive the required number of votes, and the Olympics took place in Beijing. Currently, the arena in Istanbul bears the name of the first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and is the largest in the country.

The 2005 Istanbul Champions League final is arguably the greatest in the tournament's history. In the decisive match, Milan crushed Liverpool with a score of 3:0 after the first half, but in the second half of the meeting, goals from Gerrard, Smicer and Alonso turned everything upside down. There were no goals scored in extra time, and the British club was stronger in the penalty shootout.

"Luzhniki" (Moscow, Russia). Opened in 1956. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2017. Accommodates 81,000 spectators.

For the first time, Russia received the right to host the 2007/08 Champions League final, and this honorable mission was entrusted to the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena. Chelsea and Manchester United competed for the trophy, marking the first time two English teams met in a Champions League decider.

The game caused a great stir among fans in both England and Russia, with more than 67 thousand spectators present in the stands. Midway through the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo put Manchester United ahead, but Frank Lampard equalized just before the break. The second half and extra time passed without any goals scored, and in the penalty shootout the Mancunians were more accurate.

Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1947. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2001. Accommodates 81,044 spectators.

The home arena of one of the most successful clubs in modern football has hosted the Champions League final only once - in the 2009/10 season, but this only match has gone down in history.

Inter and Bayern met in the Madrid final. The match ended with a score of 2:0 in favor of the Italian club, and Jose Mourinho, who was working with the Nerazzurri at that moment, became the third coach in history who managed to win the Champions Cup with two different teams (there are now five of them: in addition to the Portuguese, this Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti).

An interesting fact is that in the Milanese squad in the 2010 final there was only one Italian - Marco Materazzi, and even he appeared on the field in the 90th minute of the match.

Wembley (London, England). Opened in 2007. Accommodates 90,000 spectators.

The new Wembley is built on the site of the legendary arena, which hosted matches of the World and European Championships, the Olympic Games and many European Cup finals.

The final match of the 2010/11 Champions League, which took place at the new Wembley, in a sense turned out to be a home match for Manchester United, but this did not help the Mancunians win the trophy. Barcelona, ​​led by the trio Xavi - Iniesta - Messi, won with a score of 3:1.

In 2013, Wembley hosted the first “German” Champions League final, in which Bayern and Borussia Dortmund met. The victory and the cup were brought to the Bavarians by a precise shot from Arjen Robben, who set the final score at 2:1 in the 89th minute.

Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany). Opened in 2005. Accommodates 67,812 spectators.

The decisive match of the 2011/12 Champions League season was the first final of the tournament, which was held at the home stadium of one of the participants in the meeting - Bayern hosted Chelsea in Munich. The scoring was opened only in the 83rd minute after a shot by the hosts' forward Thomas Muller, but five minutes later the leader of the Londoners' attack, Didier Drogba, restored the balance.

The fate of the trophy was decided in a penalty shootout. Bayern again took the lead after Philipp Lahm's accurate shot and Juan Mata's miss, but then the visiting players converted all their attempts, while the German team's players made two misfires. Thus, Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history.

"Millennium" (Cardiff, Wales). Opened in 1999. Accommodates 73,930 spectators.

The home arena of the Wales national team was opened at the turn of the millennium, having received the appropriate name, but in 2016 the stadium received a new name - Principality Stadium, which, with a certain amount of imagination, can be translated simply as "Princely Stadium", since Wales is part of the United Kingdom, and the Queen's son Elizabeth II Charles bears the title Prince of Wales.

But let's return to the Champions League. The final of the main European club tournament took place here in 2017, and the participants in that match were Real Madrid and Juventus. The Madrid team won with a score of 4:1 and won their second Champions League title in a row, and football fans remembered that meeting for the super goal of Turin striker Mario Mandzukic.

"Metropolitano" (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1994. Reconstructed in 2017. Accommodates 67,700 spectators.

Liverpool and Tottenham met in the 2019 Champions League final. The final was the first in Tottenham's history, and the first since the 2013 final, where at least one Spanish club did not play. Liverpool, reaching the final for the second time in a row, won the match 2-0. In his third Champions League final as head coach, Jurgen Klopp won the trophy.