People take part in many different types of sport all over the world but the one sport that seems to have the most players and fans seems to soccer. On the European continent it is certainly one of the most played sports with a large fan base that support their teams with gusto and fervor. While FIFA is the main governing body of soccer or football in the world, it is UEFA that governs the game on the European continent. They are also the ones that are responsible for the organization of the competitive UEFA Cup tournament.

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is the governing body of the game of soccer or football in Europe. While it is limited to Europe there are many countries that technically fall in Asia that is part of UEFA. They are one of the biggest federations in the world and are certainly one of the wealthiest as well. Some of their members are top-ranked teams in the world according to the FIFA rankings and there are more UEFA teams in the FIFA rankings than any of the other associations. They are the organizers and a sponsor of two of the biggest tournaments amongst European football clubs as well, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.

The UEFA Cup is also known as the European Cup 3, CE3, or C3. The clubs that qualify for this competition qualify based on their performance in national leagues and other cup competitions. The UEFA Cup came into being in 1971 it replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Later, in 1999, the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup was removed and the competition was merged with the modern UEFA Cup. As per usual the winning team may hold the cup for a year before having to return it, but they do keep a smaller replica of the year that they won the cup. There is a tradition that the cup is handed over to any club that manages to win the cup three times in a row or can win it five times overall. Oddly, this has yet to happen up to 2007. The future will tell which club eventually gets to keep the cup.

As with many other tournaments, the UEFA Cup is a difficult and competitive tournament between the clubs of the European continent. The merchandizing, television broadcasts, advertisement, and ticket sales are major sources of income for many cities and organizations during the tournament. Law enforcement agencies also keep an eye out during these times as spirits can run high and supporters may get a little carried away in their celebrations.

Football, or soccer as it is also called (according to the Europeans), is a big game all over the world. The UEFA Cup is one of the biggest tournaments for the European clubs and still draws hundreds of fans every year. While certainly not the only tournament in the world, it is one of the most well-known with even international fans keeping an eye on their favorite teams.