There aren’t many trophies like it.
As the creator of the redesigned Champions League trophy, Jörg Stadelmann, told UEFA.com, “It may not be an artistic masterpiece, but everybody in football is keen to get their hands on it.”
To be fair to Stadelmann, he was on a tight deadline as he had to finish before he left for his wedding and honeymoon.
“It had to be finished before March 28 (of that year),” Stadelmann told UEFA. “I did the finer work, then it was finished off by the engraver, Fred Bänninger. On time, I am glad to say.”
The new trophy commissioned by UEFA General Secretary Hans Bangerter was designed by the Swiss jeweler in 1967 and stands at 29 inches (73.5 cm) tall and weighs 16.5 pounds (7.5 kg).
Stadelmann told UEFA: “My father Hans and I went along to Herr Bangerter’s office and covered the whole floor with drawings. He made comments like, ‘The Bulgarians would like the bottom of that. The Spaniards would like this but the Italians would prefer that and the Germans would go for this.’ We put the design together like a jigsaw puzzle.”
All-in-all, the trophy officially named the Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens (or the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in English) took 340 hours to make.
The original European Cup, awarded to winners from the inaugural final in 1956 until the redesign in 1967, was smaller with much less prominent handles. The handles of the redesign are oversized and curved, earning the trophy the nickname “Ol’ Big Ears.”
In French, it’s “La Coupe aux Grandes Oreilles” or “the cup with big ears.” In Spanish, it’s known as “La Orejona” or “the big ear,” according to the New York Times.
