The ceremony around the football: the anthem, the trophy, the ball, the origin of the tournament and the culture of European nights.
Before every Champions League match, the same music plays. The anthem is the signal that a European night has begun, and it has become the competition's most recognisable sound.
Core
The trophy is the competition's most recognisable object. Made of silver, it is awarded to the winner of the final and it has carried the same name since the European Cup began in 1955.
Core
The match ball has changed with the game. From heavy leather panels to the light geometric balls of today, its design records how the sport itself has developed.
Intermediate
The competition began in 1955 as the European Cup. It brought the champions of Europe together in a knockout, and the idea spread quickly across the continent.
Core
A European night is a fixture unlike a league match. The floodlights, the anthem and the travelling supporters give the competition an atmosphere of its own.
Core
The final opens with a ceremony. Before the match begins, the stadium stages a show that marks the occasion, and the ritual frames the biggest night of the club season.
Intermediate
The competition has a look as well as a name. Its symbols, its colours and its star pattern make it recognisable at once, and that identity was built around the rebrand of the 1990s.
Intermediate