FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is the official World Cup soccer club teams in which for the winners of the six continental champions club football competitions against each other. After a first attempt in 2000, in Brazil it is played regularly since 2005 towards the end of the year. It is regarded as the successor to the World Cup, although this was only limited to European and South American teams.
Open to seven clubs, in addition to the winners of the UEFA Champions League (Europe) and the Copa Libertadores (South America) and the winners of the CAF Champions League ( Africa), the AFC Champions League (Asia), the CONCACAF Champions League ( North and Central America ) and the OFC Champions League ( Oceania ) and a team from the host country. Host the tournament from 2005 to 2008 was Japan. In the years 2009 and 2010 the tournament in the United Arab Emirates take place. 2011 and 2012, Japan was once again the host country.
Precursor
As a precursor, the true back in the early 50s only twice discharged Copa Rio. Until the final establishment of the Club World Cup in 2005, the winner of the, from 1960 to 2004 played out between the winners of the continental champion competitions from Europe and South America, also known as the World Cup, Copa Intercontinental was regarded as the world's best club team. Similar comparisons between two continents gave it to the Afro - Asia Cup between Africa and Asia and the Copa Interamericana between North and South America.
Mode
The first Club World Cup was held with eight teams, each of which once played in two groups of four against each other. The group winners played against each other the final, the two runners-up the match for 3rd place
In 2001, a tournament was planned with twelve teams in Spain. The teams should play in three groups of four against each other. The group winners and the best runner-up should sort out the semi-finals. This tournament was canceled for financial reasons.
Since 2005, the tournament will be played in the knockout system. The two representatives from South America and Europe are set for the semifinals. The teams from the other four confederations play in the quarterfinals of the two semi-final opponents. In addition to the final will be played between the two semifinal losers in the 3rd place. Between the two quarter-final losers of the 5th is played. An exception was the host in 2007, when the game was not played for fifth place.
Due to the change of the Australian Football Association of the OFC to AFC and therefore lower skill level of the OFC club a rule change was approved in March 2007. Since then, the master of the host association has a fixed starting place in the competition. He plays in a preliminary round against the representative of Oceania for a place in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals start the teams from Asia, North America and Africa. Only in the semi-finals come the teams from Europe and South America at the tournament. Since, however, may attend only one team per member association, takes in the event that a representative of the host country the Continental Cup his Confederacy wins, instead of the master of the host country the best-placed club that does not belong to the organizing association, the continental competition part. This case occurred in 2007 and 2008, the AFC Champions League winning teams as Japanese.
If a winner of the Continental Cup and the representative of the national champion not in the confederation, it is replaced by the highest-ranked team in the confederation, in the relevant competition.
The tournaments at a glance
Rankings
Records
(As of December 18, 2013 )
Awards
At the end of each FIFA Club World Cup awards are given to the best player and the fairest team.
- Adidas Golden Ball for best player
- FIFA Fair Play Award for the fairest club team
2000 so far has been awarded Golden Boot for top scorer and the unique Adidas. Prize winners, each with three gates of the Frenchman Nicolas Anelka and Brazilian Romário.
Statistics
Criticism
Despite a participation bonus of 2.5 million U.S. dollars and an additional 1.5 million to 3.5 million U.S. dollars for the first three places at the first tournament in 2000 in Brazil, the European top clubs fought over the coming years against the additional burden in already very tight international calendar. Only after long negotiations, the cancellation of the tournament in 2001 as well as to the schedule for a tournament in 2003, agreed the club football, represented by the so-called G -14, the Swiss Competition Commission ( Comco) and FIFA, in spring 2004 on the introduction of a modified tournament as a replacement for the European- South African world Cup.
Based on discussions with all parties of the former Toyota Cup ratified the FIFA Executive Committee, chaired by FIFA President Joseph Blatter at a meeting on Monday, May 17, 2004 in Paris, the agreements reached.