HOW PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMS QUALIFY FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND EUROPA COMPETITIONS FOR 24/25

It kept being forgotten as we always write and talk about the battle for a top-four place but the new format of the Champions League – which changes to a ‘Swiss model’ next season – meant that there was a good chance of five clubs from England being in the Champions League.

There will be 36 clubs competing in next season’s Champions League instead of 32 and two of those extra four places will come from the best-performing nations in 23/24,

In five of the last six seasons, the Premier League would have been allocated an extra place – which would go to the team in fifth. But basically Premier League teams have f***ed it this season and the extra places will now go to Italy and Germany.

The top four teams in the Premier League will thus qualify for the Champions League group stage. They will not play in qualifying. Nothing to see here.

So what about the other European competitions?

Europa League

There are two Europa League places up for grabs. One belongs to the highest-placed finisher not in the Champions League. Of course, a league finish that appeared set to earn a Champions League place but now won’t can only be occupied by Tottenham and that is currently very correctly the case.

The other Europa spot goes to the winners of the FA Cup. If that’s Manchester City, then that spot instead goes to whoever is sixth in the league. If Man United win the cup, it’s slightly messier but they would take the second Europa League spot regardless of their final league position. Were they to finish outside the top six and win the cup, then sixth place would mean a spot in the…

Europa Conference League

As well as all the fizzy pop they can drink, the Carabao Cup winners also receive a place in the play-off stages for the Europa Conference League. Liverpool are in the Champions League and thus will not need the spot they secured after beating Chelsea, so it will revert to the highest-placed finisher not otherwise in Europe. 

Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa have now guaranteed their Champions League spots.

MORE NEXT SEASON’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FORMAT

UEFA Champions League reforms: everything you need to know

 Champions League reforms signal end of meritocracy

European qualifiers for 2024/25 from Premier League

Champions League: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa (all confirmed)

Europa League: Tottenham and Chelsea (as it stands, assuming Manchester City win the FA Cup)

Conference League: Newcastle

2023-11-08T12:03:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd