The tournament began in 1955 after Gabriel Hanot the editor and sports journalist for the French paper at L'Équipe, suggested that there should be a competition for winners of the European national football leagues under the name of the European Cup,
To fend of a movement for a European super league UEFA changed the format of the European Cup and made it into a European Super League! so since the 1992–1993 season the competing teams have been the top-ranked teams of Europe and the tournament has been renamed the UEFA Champions League, there is no longer a requirement for a team to be champions in their respective countries.
Real Madrid stand out as the team who have won more than any other with a total 9 wins, While we don't deal in might have beens had English teams not been barred from Europe for so long Liverpool would have undoubtably gone on to win more than the 5 titles they have won.