2005–06 UEFA Champions League
|
|
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 13 September 2005 – 17 May 2006 (competition proper) |
| Teams | 32 (group stage) 74 (total) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |
 Barcelona (2nd title)
|
| Runners-up |
 Arsenal
|
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 125 |
| Goals scored | 294 (2.35 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
 Andriy Shevchenko(9 goals) |
The 2005–06 UEFA Champions League was the 51st season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League and the 14th since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992. 74 teams from 50 football associations took part, starting with the first qualifying round played on 12 July 2005.
The tournament ended with a final between Arsenal and Barcelona at Stade de France, Paris, on 17 May 2006. Barcelona won 2–1 with Juliano Belletti scoring a late winner. Arsenal had taken the lead through a Sol Campbell header in the 37th minute, despite Jens Lehmann being sent off in the 18th minute. Samuel Eto'o brought Barcelona back on level terms in the 76th minute before Belletti scored the winner five minutes later.
The defending champions Liverpool were eliminated by Benfica in the first knockout round.
Title-holders Liverpool, as well as 23 league champions from countries ranked 27 or lower on the 2004 UEFA ranking, were drawn against each other and played two matches, home and away, with the winners advancing to the second qualifying round. Though they finished fifth in the Premier League in 2004–05 (usually only four English teams are allowed in), Liverpool were granted a special exemption by UEFA as the holders, whereby they were placed into the first qualification round.
The 12 winners from the first qualifying round, 10 champions from countries ranked 17–26, and six second–placed teams from countries ranked 10–15 were drawn against each other and played two matches, home and away, with the winners advancing to the third qualifying round.
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