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The origins of many of the world's most popular sports today lay in the codification of many traditional games, especially in Britain. The most common sport in Europe is undoubtedly Football (soccer) . European clubs teams are the strongest (and highest paid) in the world, and the UEFA Champions League (the European club championships) is one of the sport's most prestigious tournaments. European national teams compete in the UEFA European Football Championship or Euro, and apart from South American teams, dominate in FIFA World Cup play. The most popular and successful football leagues are the English Premiership and Championship , the French Ligue 1 the German Bundesliga , the Italian Serie A and the Spanish La Liga . In addition to football, other team sports are popular is some regions of the continent. Ice hockey is popular in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe . Rugby League and Rugby Union are popular in the British Isles , France and northern Italy . Cricket is a popular Summer sport in England and Wales , and has been exported to other parts of the former British Empire . Basketball is a commonly participated sport across Europe and is particularly popular in Mediterranean countries, as is Volleyball . Field Hockey is also popular in some European countries. Individual Sport s are also very important. In fact Europe was the birthplace of the Olympic Movement that has become so central to modern individual sport, with Greece being to first country to hold the Olympics. The most prestigious and lucrative Athletics and Aquatics meets are in Europe, as are several major Golf tournaments. Tennis is popular in most of Europe and 2 of the 4 major Grand Slam events are held here, in France and the UK. For those areas with the proper climate, Winter Sports are also an important. In Scandinavian and Alpine countries, various forms of Skiing and Snowboarding are popular. European competitors have traditionally dominated at the Winter Olympics . Other regions have games that are particular to their home, for example Hurling in Ireland, Bandy in Russia or Bullfighting in Spain. Motorsport s such as are popular across nearly all of Europe. Formula One is traditionally dominated by European drivers and teams and many Grand Prix are held in Europe. Motorcycle Speedway is also popular in Poland , Scandinavia , the Czech Republic and Great Britain . Club over franchise Unlike major team sports in the United States, where franchises are awarded to nominated cities, European teams have grown from small clubs formed by groups of individuals before growing rapidly. Churches and work places have often the been the most fertile birth place of many of Europe's major sports clubs, particularly in Britain, which in latter part of the twentieth century led the way in organised sports. Clubs therefore had an equal chance to grow to become among the strongest in their particular sport which has led to a situation where many cities are represented by two or even three top class teams in the same sport. In 2007 London had four teams playing in England's top soccer league while Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham also have double representation. The cities of Nottingham, Bradford and Sheffield have also previously had double representation with the clashes between these sides being considered a major event in the city. SEE ALSO |
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