English/European Soccer Fans - A Question

[pittpanther]

I've noticed a slight increase in the amount of televised soccer in the US recently. And now I'm confused, because it seems like there is soccer happening year-round.

- When is the actual season for the English Premier League? I mean when does a season start and finish? Is it for example, April through November?

- When is the UEFA Champions League season? It appears that UEFA and EPL happen at the same time? Is that "fair" to the EPL teams that have to travel for UEFA games, while still playing EPL games?

- When are the World Cup qualifiers, with respect to EPL and UEFA? How do they guarantee that a player can attend a qualifier, if he has EPL and/or UEFA responsibilities as well? Which takes precedent?

- What about Olympic qualifiers? Every country in the world cannot make it to the Olympics, so they must have qualifiers like they do for the World Cup. When do they happen? Are they separate from World Cup qualifiers, or do World Cup points "count" for the Olympics?

Thanks, from a soccer novice!

[Chilli Dipper]

European club football seasons last from early autumn to late spring. National club competitions (like the Premier League) are conducted in a home-away round robin format, and teams play one match per week, usually on weekends.

The UEFA Champions League and Europa League continental club competitions run concurrently with national leagues, but their matches are played on weekdays (Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the Champions League, Thursdays for the Europa League). Only a small percentage of clubs compete in continental competitions in a given year, and matches in these tournaments are held less frequently, the "fairness" issue does not come up much.

It does come up during World Cup qualifiers, though. World Cup qualifying begins nearly two years before the event, and matches often conflict with national or continental league matches. Clubs are increasingly wary of permitting their star players to play in World Cup qualifiers, citing the risk of injury. Every continental federation has its own method to determine its region's World Cup representatives: UEFA divides all of its member nations into nine round-robin groups, the winners of which automatically qualify for the Cup and the top eight runners-up advance to a knockout round where the four survivors also qualify.

The Olympic soccer tournament is limited to players under 23 years of age, as not to compete directly with the World Cup. The continental federations of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and North America organize qualifying tournaments for eligible squads in the year leading up to the games, while the European and South American under-21 championships double as Olympic qualifiers in those regions.