Premier League Inches Closer to Earning Fifth Champions League Spot Following Surprising Result
The Premier League is edging closer to gaining an additional Champions League spot following recent developments in Belgium. Currently, the English top flight has four teams competing in Europe’s premier club competition, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle knowing their group stage opponents. However, the race for the top four could soon expand to a race for the top five due to Club Brugge defeating Osasuna 4-3 on aggregate in a UEFA Conference League play-off.
Osasuna, a La Liga team, faced expulsion from the competition due to match-fixing charges in two matches from a decade ago. Although their punishment was later reduced to a hefty fine, their return to European competition after 17 years proved premature. This situation is expected to benefit English clubs significantly.
Starting from the 2024/25 season, an additional four teams will be included in the revamped Champions League, which will adopt a league format. Two of these spots will be allocated to countries leading the “country coefficient” chart each season. England is in a favorable position to secure one of these spots, thanks to the achievements of City and West Ham in the previous season. The country coefficients are determined based on performances in all three European club tournaments, with bonus points considered. Over the last seven seasons, England would have earned an extra spot in six of them, indicating a positive outlook.
Due to Osasuna’s early exit, Spain’s chances of gaining an extra spot are now minimal. Journalist Leonardo Bertozzi of ESPN suggests that the competition for the additional spot should primarily be between Italy and Germany, as they vie with England. The current season’s Champions League will follow the traditional format, with the final taking place at Wembley Stadium. However, starting from the next season, teams will play eight games against seeded opponents in the initial phase over ten matchweeks. The top eight teams in the final table will progress to the knockout stages, while teams from ninth to 24th place will participate in a play-off, with the winners advancing.
Premier League Inches Closer to Earning Fifth Champions League Spot Following Surprising Result
