The English Football League (EFL) Championship has baffled Ted for three seasons now – and for good reason. Despite its name, the Championship is one tier lower than the Premier League, which Richmond did not win. You see, the Championship was England’s top football league for almost a century, when it was called the Premier League. Things changed in the 90s when the top teams decided they wanted a bigger slice of the pie and split from the English League to form the FA Premier League, which is separate from the EFL and its many levels, but is still connected. that teams can be relegated and promoted from one to another.
As for the name, well, the EFL Championship is still technically the Premier League, but since the Premier League has the “best” teams, it wouldn’t make much sense to be called “first”, would it not ? Also, Championship looks cooler.
What is the Champions League then? Is it between the Championship and the Premier League? Not really. While the Championship and the Premier League are both English competitions reserved for English-speaking teams, the UEFA Champions League, formerly known as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, is a tournament bringing together the champions of several European national leagues. However, this does not include them all, as a few of the leagues enter multiple teams at once (for money reasons), with the Europa League being its second tier competition.
So what does this mean for Richmond? Well, they can always come back and try to win the Premier League next season, although that seems unlikely given Manchester City have won three years in a row. But for now, they will also be able to face the best clubs on the continent, such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and many others.