Qualifying for the Champions League remains the priority for a whole host of European giants at the beginning of each season, but things may have been made slightly easier this year.
With Europe’s premier competition changing its format and expanding from 32 teams, there are two extra qualifying spots to play for in some of the top divisions on the continent. Which leagues will be handed those places depends on the respective UEFA coefficient rankings of various nations.
Those coefficient rankings relate to the performances of clubs in UEFA competitions this season, with only the two countries with the highest coefficients earning the extra qualifying spots.
Let’s take a closer look at next season’s Champions League format, as well as the current UEFA coefficient rankings.
With the Champions League’s format change comes an expansion of the tournament, with 36 teams participating in the competition from the 2024/25 season onwards – four more than the current number of participants.
Despite their being four extra clubs in next season’s competition, only two extra spots will be handed out to European leagues based on their coefficient.
For example, if England finishes with one of the best two overall coefficient rankings for the 2023/24 season, five teams will qualify for next year’s Champions League from the Premier League – instead of the current four.
A country’s coefficient depends on the performances of that nation’s participants in UEFA competitions. Ideally, countries want their clubs in European tournaments for as long as possible as it gives them a better chance of climbing the coefficient table.
|
Ranking |
Country |
Coefficient |
|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Italy |
18.428 |
|
2. |
Germany |
17.214 |
|
3. |
England |
16.750 |
|
4. |
France |
15.250 |
|
5. |
Spain |
15.062 |
Serie A is almost certain of an extra Champions League spot next season due to their coefficient total, while the Bundesliga will be given another European place as things stand. Borussia Dortmund’s qualification for the final four of the Champions League certainly boosted their coefficient.
Unfortunately for the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United, the Premier League currently sits third in the coefficient rankings. There is still plenty of time for that to change, although Liverpool’s 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League didn’t help.
Both France and Spain look unlikely to secure an extra space, but they are not out of the running completely.
As previously stated, the 2024/25 Champions League will see 36 teams compete, but that’s not the only change. The group stage has been done away with and replaced by a single league table, with teams in the competition playing eight times during the league phase.
Half of those games will be home and the other half away, with fixtures determined by clubs being seeded in four different pots. Each team will play two sides from each pot, with one home and away fixture against a club from each pot.
The teams that finish in the top eight in the league phase automatically qualify for the last 16, while teams from ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout playoff. Teams from ninth to 16th will face sides from 17th to 24th in this play-off.
From the round of 16 onwards, the competition will be unchanged from its current format.
The short answer is yes, If a team from one of the nations with one of the top two coefficients were to win the Europa League but fail to qualify for the Champions League domestically, then their respective league could have six teams represented next season.
For example, if Roma were to win this season’s Europa League and finish outside the top five in Serie A, then they would join the Italian teams that qualified for the Champions League domestically in next season’s competition – providing Italy have one of the two highest coefficients.
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