Premier League misses fifth Champions League spot
- Published
The Premier League has missed out on a fifth Champions League spot next season.
Borussia Dortmund’s victory over PSG on Wednesday, coupled with Bayern Munich’s draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday, takes the German total in the European Performance Spots table to 18.356.
Even if Aston Villa were to win both legs of their Europa Conference League semi-final with Olympiakos and go on to lift the trophy, England can only reach 18.25.
Germany will now join Italy in getting a fifth automatic spot in next season’s tournament.
Both countries could have six representatives, if Dortmund win the Champions League and finish outside the top four in the Bundesliga and either Atalanta or Roma win the Europa League.
The winners of both tournaments qualify automatically for the following season’s Champions League.
The additional places are added no matter how many clubs enter the tournament by the usual method.
Ironically, even if they do not win the tournament, Dortmund will be the beneficiaries as they are almost certain to finish fifth in the Bundesliga.
How the co-efficient rankings stand
Italy. Points: 19.428. Clubs left in Europe: Atalanta, Roma, Fiorentina
Germany. Points: 18.357. Clubs left in Europe: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund
England. Points: 17.375. Clubs left in Europe: Aston Villa
France. Points:16.083. Clubs left in Europe: PSG
Spain. Points: 15.437. Clubs left in Europe: Real Madrid
How are the extra places decided?
Two extra places will go to the best performing leagues in Europe every season under the new, expanded format which starts from 2024-25.
England getting one of those places would have meant the team finishing fifth in the Premier League - currently Tottenham - qualified automatically for the Champions League.
Uefa's association coefficient rankings are based on the results of all European clubs across the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Every win by a club from a nation is worth two points and a draw one.
Bonus points are then accrued by progressing through various stages of each competition.
All points earned by clubs from each country are added up before being divided by the number of teams from that nation in Europe at the start of the campaign - eight in the Premier League's case.
In six of the past seven seasons, England would have qualified for that extra 'most successful' spot but the Champions League group-stage exits of Newcastle and Manchester United in December left the Premier League playing catch-up to Germany and Italy.