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The Football Dictionary
Your comprehensive guide to football and soccer terminology, slang, and phrases used by fans and players worldwide.
The pinnacle of club football – the European Cup. The best clubs in Europe qualify through performance in their domestic league the previous season. Historically, before the rebrand to the Champions League in 1992 the tournament was a straight knockout, home and away legs each round, and only champions from each country. Now, the format is a large league table of 36 teams, multiple clubs from the top leagues. Each team plays 8 matches before progressing to a home and away knockout phase. The final is the biggest game of the season. It's all about the glory. The Champions League brand is used for every other continent apart from South America (the top competition is called Copa Libertadores de América).
Maybe the greatest European final of all was AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool in Istanbul, 2005. A World Class Milan team went 3-0 up at half time only to be shaken in a special 6 minutes in the second half. An average Liverpool team created the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’, winning a 5th European Cup on penalties.
Said by commentators about 10,000 times during matches on the last day of the season. When every team is playing at the same time and the goals are flying in, we're told the table 'As it stands' every time a goal goes in somewhere and the title, promotion, European or playoff places, and relegation matters change multiple times. Drama!
With just seconds to go in the Manchester City v QPR match at the end of the 2011-2012 season the commentators let us know that "As it stands, Manchester United are Champions". Then came the iconic "Aguerooooo!" moment as City snatched the league title with the last kick of the season.
Functionally the new champions in all but name, the champions-elect describes a team that is significantly ahead in their league with a points advantage that will be difficult to overcome by competing teams.
Bayern Munich are so dominant in the Bundesliga again, they are already champions-elect by October each season!
When a one-sided match ends in an exceptionally high and unexpected score it is often referred to as resembling the runs scored in a cricket match.
The Tottenham 9-1 Wigan match in 2009 was more like a cricket score than a football result.
A derogatory term used by rival fans to describe a traditionally big club who is currently a laughing stock. This could be a club that has gone years without winning anything (Everton since 1995), a chaotic ownership that churns through managers and players with no clear plan (Chelsea), or a previous giant that can't find that winning formula they once dominated with (Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson). See also, Spursy...
Seven managers, over a £billion spent on players, two owners who can't stand each other. Chelsea have gone from European Champions and title-chasers to a banter club struggling in mid-table.
The ‘Big Six’ is an informal term that is used to describe the biggest clubs in the English Premier League. In the 2000s there was a big 4 of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool. In the 2010s they were joined by Manchester City and Tottenham. They are traditionally the most successful clubs, have large fanbases, and generate most of the revenue for the entire league between the 6 clubs. Some people might say that Tottenham shouldn’t be a ‘Big Six’ club due to their Spursy nature.
Should Aston Villa and Newcastle be in with a shout to replace Spurs in the ‘Big Six’ conversation now they’re regularly in the Champions League?
The temporary entitlement of fans of a winning team over the opposing set of fans after a victory in a big match. Often associated with derby matches and historical rivalries, a win for one team gives their fans bragging rights over their rivals until the next time they meet. It gives fans the chance to 'banter' through chants such as 'this city is ours' or 'can we play you every week'?.
Did you see how happy the Sunderland fans were after beating Newcastle in the Wear-Tyne Derby? They've now got bragging rights over their neighbours!