Champions League

Note: this article refers to the Simulated Champions League. For information on the in-game Champions Cup implementation, please see the Hattrick Masters page.

On 28 May 2005 at the beginning of the 26th season of Hattrick, Calvert, a manager from the United States, decided to run a Simulated Champions League based on a proposal he had submitted in October 2004. There would be sixteen brackets of eight teams each and they would play a 14-week schedule identical to that of a normal Hattrick series, followed by a 16-team knockout round involving the bracket winners. The initial selection of teams were the Cup winners in all countries with the Division I winners in the largest countries to fill out the 128-team field. The unique feature of this proposal was the promotion and relegation system. The teams that finish in 7th and 8th place in their respective brackets are auto-relegated out of the Champions League. The teams in 5th and 6th place must play a qualifier in order to retain their position. The teams that finish from 1st-4th will remain in the Champions League for the next season regardless of their performance in their national league. The original proposal had Champions League participants be removed from their national Cups and playing their CL matches in their place. For promotion, each country sends one candidate each season. That candidate is their Division I champion unless that team is already in the CL, in which case the Cup winner (or runner up) is selected. Since CL matches replace Cup matches for the participants, if this system were implemented in the game it would be impossible for the Cup winner to be a current CL participant, thus avoiding one of the problems that the simulation faces when determining candidates.

Since the actual game engine could not be used, the games were simulated using the HTRatings match predictor with the actual ratings from that week's league matches input into the calculator. Results were posted in a dedicated thread in the Global (English) conference and the standings were posted on the Simulated CL's website. The website had full historical information about every CL match that was ever played, to include qualifiers, sortable by team nationality and season.

Due to the labor intensive process required to run the CL and the grievous lack of automated procedures needed to resolve matches, the Simulated Champions League shut down after Week 9 of Season 3 as it had simply become too time consuming to maintain. While the method of simulating matches had numerous problems, the format developed for the system proved to be sustainable over time, which was the designer's express purpose behind the development of the simulation.

Champions League Winners

• Season 1 (Rouen, France): Mokouko FC (Norway) defeated S.L. Cabecinha (Portugal) by a 1-0 score. The lone goal was scored by former Polish national team striker Ryszard Korojew. The match was held at Stade Bugg Superstar, home of then French champion FC Barentin. The other semi-finalists were Hallgale (Norway) and Tombstone Titans (USA). The remaining group winners were Roots Crew (Indonesia), Burnt Out Koalas FC (Oceania), Dziobaki (Poland), Hobbits Play Football (Switzerland), Heiskan JK (Finland), Sparker (Oceania), Inter Sthlm (Sweden), Shirayuri Sky (Japan), GDL (Mexico), Beltxis (Venezuela), Arezzo Galasocaray (Italy) and Barrington Barons (Canada).

• Season 2 (Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt): Xeq Matt (Brazil) defeated I L.S.F. (Russia) by a 2-1 score in overtime. The overtime goal was scored by winger Aizal Ladzim on a counter-attack. The match was held at Cactus Arena, home of then Egyptian Cup winner Cactus. The other semi-finalists were Beltxis (Venezuela) and FK Mayertown (Latvia). The remaining group winners were Durham City FC (England), FC Barentin (France), Mokouko FC (Norway), Red Star Belgrade (United States), Inter Sthlm (Sweden), Tsing Yi MTR Drivers (China), Arezzo Galasocaray (Italy), Mighty Murmels (Netherlands), Sion (Chile), Tamariz (Spain), Hallgale (Norway) and Burnt Out Koalas FC (Oceania).

Champions League Participants

Original Champions League members

• Original members that have never been out of the CL (42 teams): Foxy (Egypt), Hobbits Play Football (Switzerland), CaFFe (Indonesia), Lirex FC (Serbia), Wuhou (Turkey), The Ngoumnipotents (Hong Kong), Glasgow Athletic (Scotland), Barrington Barons (Canada), Inter Sthlm (Sweden), Forza VC (Malaysia), Ikaroi (Greece), Kopli JK (Estonia), Tombstone Titans (USA), Sion (Chile), 1.FC Maradona (Switzerland), Shirayuri Sky (Japan), Ancestrales (Spain), G's Goons (USA), Mokouko FC (Norway), Mighty Murmels (Netherlands), Tsing Yi MTR Drivers (China), Beltxis (Venezuela), America de Cali F.C. (Colombia), Strebersdorfer Soccer-Buam (Austria), FC Teerlunge (Germany), Besaid Aurochs FC (Canada), Social Club (Latvia), Deportivo Paraguayo (Uruguay), Dziobaki (Poland), Gdobisimislu (Slovenia), Hallgale (Norway), DodoBird (Turkey), FC Barentin (France), Killagoola (Ireland), Zollfrancks Drenge (Denmark), S.L. Cabecinha (Portugal), Arezzo Galasoceray (Italy), Ipoh United (Malaysia), Full Time (Finland), Maritza 1921 (Bulgaria), Cujo Internationale (Denmark), Burnt Out Koalas FC (Oceania).
• Original members that were relegated after season 2: C.A. La Cacatua (Uruguay), Kukeri (Latvia), Lions (South Africa), Sparker (Oceania), Inges FC (Mexico), Osmi Basein (Bulgaria), Tupenugised (Estonia), Fuzarca F.C. (Brazil), Dinamo Budapest (Hungary), Dalmacija u srcu (Croatia), Araiot J-M (India), Crema (Peru), Oriole United (Sweden), Doy's United (Israel), The Sheiks (United Arab Emirates), Heiskan JK (Finland), FC Pinzgau (Austria), FC Zakscharters (Belgium), F.C Haifa (Israel), Norn-iron Rangers (Northern Ireland), La Plata F.C. (Argentina), Belgrade Bulldogs (Serbia), FAR Meknès United (Morocco), GDL (Mexico), Hackers United (England), Guisbo C.E.T.A. (Brazil), De Inheemse Struiktegels (Belgium), Tequila Lovers (Russia), CSKA Patras (Greece), Cermonicule (Scotland), Liverpool Thailand (Thailand), FC Zlomeme Vazy (Slovakia), Eibergse Boys (Netherlands)
• Original members that were relegated after season 1: Pura Vida (Costa Rica), Magari Kartvelebi (Georgia), Xerez C.D. (Spain), Mojca (Slovenia), Maxnet (Bosnia), Elephantopolis (Jamaica), CTEHA (Ukraine), Gainesvillerockcity (Luxembourg), Wanafunzi (Kenya), Straikeris (Lithuania), Me Olvide (Paraguay), KFUPM (Saudi Arabia), Ac Milan Cyprus (Cyprus), 1 FC Brno (Czech Republic), Saigon Saints (Vietnam), FC Zahop (Belarus), Long and Strong (Jordan), Valkyries (Iceland), Arstan FC (Kyrgyzstan), Nacional de Medellin (Colombia), Juodoji Gvardija (Lithuania), Saharan Gladiators (Tunisia), San Pablo F.C. (Panama), Unisport-Auto (Moldova), Titleist (Philippines), The Knights of Malta (Malta), Margarita Warszawa (Honduras), Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Wales), Athletico Montebello (El Salvador), Poli Unirea Iasi (Romania), FC 1972 (Faroe Islands), Beast from East (Makedonija), FC Mottola (Italy), El Barcelona S.C. (Ecuador), Mbeto XI (Nigeria), Real Madrid FC (Bolivia), Busan Power (Korea), Herron (Singapore), Prerov United (Czech Republic), Golden Dragon (Taiwan), EDUR (Chile), Normala FC (Bosnia), Saads Football Club (Pakistan), FC Atletika (Albania), Les Bourrinus (France), Jarabacoa (Dominican Republic), Sporting Club Rieumois (Andorra), Karpaty Krosno (Poland), Atletico de Vrancea (Romania), Real Piroozi (Iran), Jardin Eléctrico (Guatemala)

Season 2 team changes

• Auto-promotees: Carratt's Crusaders (Northern Ireland), FK Mayertown (Latvia), Jakova FC (Albania), Durham City FC (England), Jamaica Tigers (Jamaica), Vanjito Headbangers (Croatia), Kuemmi (Korea), FC Punkrock (Germany), I L.S.F. (Russia), Pawn Utd (Portugal), FC Knoldesparkerne (Denmark), Csabagyöngye (Hungary), Forest Rovers (Sweden), TOSK (Bosnia), Fight Club (Netherlands), Karsiyakali (Turkey), DeadlY (Norway), Gratis Bier (Belgium), Butcher Boys (Finland), Metsmüttajad (Estonia), Tehra (Iran), Wiedikon (Switzerland), Tamariz (Spain), Galj FC (Colombia), Tricolor de Corazón (Paraguay), Red Star Belgrade (USA), Peace Death (Ukraine), Acáridos (Mexico), Gut (Austria), The Dung Beetles (Greece), Suttu Rovers (Nigeria), Cactus (Egypt)
• Qualification match winners: Les Mousquetaires (France), Taipei FC (Taiwan), Cowabunga Kickers (India), Liniers (Argentina), Xeq Matt (Brazil), Winning Eleven (Singapore), Trash United (Iceland), FK Bizon Bratislava (Slovakia), Spora (Luxembourg), Badang FC (Malaysia), North York FC (Canada), Hassin Assassins (South Africa), San Benito F.C. (Peru), Hapoel Argentina (Israel), Zatopek (Romania), Dostin (Serbia), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Bolsilludo (Uruguay), Kajet Eagles (Poland)
• Relegated teams are above in italics along with the following: Guisbo C.E.T.A. (Brazil), La Plata F.C. (Argentina), Fuzarca F.C. (Brazil), Heiskan JK (Finland), Oriole United (Sweden), C.A. La Cacatua (Uruguay), FC Pinzgau (Austria), F.C Haifa (Israel), Dalmacija u srcu (Croatia), CSKA Patras (Greece), Doy's United (Israel), GDL (Mexico), FC Zlomeme Vasy (Slovakia), Sparker (Oceania), De Inheemse Struiktegels (Belgium), FC Zakscharters (Belgium), Inges FC (Mexico), Liverpool Thailand (Thailand), Norn-iron Rangers (N. Ireland), Kukeri (Latvia), Tupenugised (Estonia), FAR Meknès United (Morocco), Osmi Basein (Bulgaria), Hackers United (England), Lions (South Africa), Araiot J-M (India), The Sheiks (U.A. Emirates), Belgrade Bulldogs (Serbia), Cermonicule (Scotland), Eibergse Boys (Netherlands)
• Ownerless teams that finished in 4th or higher and were removed: Gut (Austria), Tequila Lovers (Russia)

Season 3 team changes

• Auto-promotees: FC Atletika (Albania), Sispony F.C. (Andorra), Chevere (Chile), Pura Vida (Costa Rica), FC Vaina (Dominican Republic), El Barcelona S.C. (Ecuador), Inter Tbilisi (Georgia), Unreal Aktobe (Kazakhstan), Mellieha F.C. (Malta), Milsbeek (Netherlands), Za Twigs (Nigeria), Philippine Nationals FC (Philippines), KFUPM (Saudi Arabia), AC Bagamoyo (South Africa), Caribbean Heroes (Trinidad), Clippers (France), U.D. Son Sardina (Spain), El Imperio FC. (Venezuela), Ophiuchus (Turkey), Crazy Girls (Germany), Alien's (Latvia), Zastava (Croatia), Traktorist (Ukraine), KoKy Team (Argentina), CSKA_ (Bulgaria), Tsing Yi Computer Studies FC (China), The Camel Masters (Serbia), SC Brussels United (Belgium), IK Frisco (Sweden), Deportivo Rayo Vallecano (Colombia), Styrian Killer (Austria), Inter United (Ireland)
• Qualification match winners: Saads Football Club (Pakistan), Pipers (Scotland), CSG FC (Vietnam), Ballymena Utd (N. Ireland), Magnificent Seven (Indonesia), Parrots (Israel), ChAmPzz (Singapore), FC Tórshavn (Faroe Islands), Dinamo Nakhonping (Thailand), FC Slovan Zalesie (Slovakia), Netopia (Hong Kong), The Super Squirrel Squadron (India), Dunf United (Italy), Viking 2 (Norway), Z'Inq (Romania), Gimpelkings Utd (England), Skou United (Denmark), Florianer FC (Switzerland), FC Murikka (Finland), Maxnet (Bosnia), Malpertuis F.C. (Uruguay), Londrina Sabrewolves (Brazil)
• Entrants to replace ownerless teams: Alderwood Chiefs (Canada), KAE (Greece)

Champions League resources

• Hattrick Simulated Champions League website
• Champions League Season 1 results are in the Global (English) conference in thread 3211866.1
• Champions League Season 2 results are in the Global (English) conference in thread 3819873.1
• Champions League Season 3 results are in the Global (English) conference in thread 4676400.1
• The Champions League federation is Alliance ID: 26751