Thursday, 24 May 2012
| 2011 | Barcelona |
| 2010 | Inter Milan |
| 2009 | Barcelona |
| 2008 | Manchester Utd |
| 2007 | AC Milan |
| 2006 | Barcelona |
| 2005 | Liverpool |
| 2004 | Porto |
| 2003 | AC Milan |
| 2002 | Real Madrid |
| 2001 | Bayern Munich |
| 2000 | Real Madrid |
With mainly a pair of North American countries as exceptions, the sport most of the world knows as “football” remains by far the most popular – and the most popular of the popular among fans is surely the UEFA Champions League. Along with NFL football betting, the Champions League final is the world’s most watched championship event and certainly also the most wagered upon.
The present-day UEFA Champions League has its origins in 1955, when the European Champion Clubs’ Cup was created essentially in response to journalistic boasting from Britain that, based on a run of friendlies in Europe, the Wolverhampton Wanderers were “The Champions of the World.” This tournament was to provide an indisputable champion for the continent and was initially stocked with only national champions.
In 1992, the format was changed to include a pool-play round in addition to the double-leg knockout tournament previously employed and by 1997, UEFA was allowing runners-up to compete in the tournament as well.
Just as punters have been gambling on the sport throughout its organized existence, online sportsbooks have provided an Internet alternative for soccer fans. Today, the offerings for football betting at any internet bookmaker are truly stunning, with most reputable sites carrying hundreds of markets on hundreds of games in dozens of countries daily.
And a recent wrinkle available to online punters has made betting on football even more popular (if that’s possible). Bigger sportsbooks today offer in-game live betting, which allows punters to bet on events during the match itself – a brilliant augmentation to the old cycle of wagering, watching and waiting. Many sportsbooks even provide online broadcasts of games once you become a member.
With the wealth of information available on the internet today plus the opportunity to watch games thousands of miles away live, it’s a great time for sports fans to try their hand at wagering on “The Beautiful Game.” It’s never been more fun or more intriguing to bet on football. To get started, check out one of the recommended online sportsbooks listed below to enjoy the betting action!
