The Champions League will expand in a brand new format next season and there are additional places in next season’s competition up for grabs.
Under the new rules, two leagues will get an extra place in the Champions League based on the performances of their clubs in European competition this season, which are measured by the coefficient rankings.
Italy are the current leaders in the coefficient rankings (17.714) and have four teams remaining in Europe this season. Atalanta, AC Milan and Roma are in the Europa League quarter-finals and Fiorentina in the Conference League’s last eight.
The race for the second coefficient spot is much tighter with England and Germany each on 16.500. Both nations have two teams in the Champions League quarter-finals, and one each in the Europa League quarter-finals. However, the Premier League have Aston Villa still competing in the Conference League.
With France (14.750) and Spain (14.562) lagging a little behind, it looks to be a race between England and Germany for an additional league qualifier. Given Bayern Munich face Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen take on West Ham in European ties, those could be of huge significance.
We’ve decided to look at the clubs that could benefit from an additional coefficient place.
Italy
Italy looks likely to earn an additional place as the current coefficient leaders, expanding Serie A’s entrants into next season’s Champions League to five clubs.
Inter Milan are assured of their place, while AC Milan and Juventus look all but confirmed entrants, with the probability of two places left to decide.
That is good news for Bologna, who are aiming to make history with qualification this season. Thiago Motta’s men are looking to finish in the top four in Serie A for the first time since 1966/67, with I Rossoblù currently fourth, three points ahead of Roma.
An extra place for Serie A sides would provide Bologna with a margin for error across the run-in, having opened up an eight-point lead on sixth-placed Atalanta, albeit having played a game more.
Roma currently occupies the fifth and final spot, following a fine turnaround under Daniele De Rossi. The club great replaced Jose Mourinho in January and has lost just one of his 11 league games in charge, to runaway leaders Inter.
The capital club are five points ahead of Atalanta, though have played a game more. Defending champions Napoli are seven points behind the top five in Serie A, while Lazio – who featured in this season’s Champions League – are nine adrift.
Current Serie A standings 👇
Inter are first with 82 points, followed by AC Milan on 68. Juventus completes the top 3 with 62🇮🇹🏆 pic.twitter.com/thbOoAASfd
— Generation:Football (@generfootball) April 9, 2024
England
The Premier League’s top three have opened up a healthy gap to the chasing pack as Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City compete for the title.
Spurs currently occupy the final guaranteed Champions League position, having capitalised on Aston Villa’s draw with Brentford last weekend to move above Unai Emery’s side. The teams are level on points, though the north Londoners have the better goal difference (+3) and a game in hand.
Manchester United are sixth but the hopes of Erik ten Hag’s team are fading fast. A run of one win in six games has left the Red Devils 11 points behind Spurs and Villa in the table.
Villa can have a huge say on whether England receives a fifth Champions League place. The Villans are into the Europa Conference League quarter-finals and will face Lille over two legs. Villa are favourites for success in the competition as the club looks to emulate West Ham’s success from last season. Victory would represent the club’s first major trophy since lifting the League Cup in 1996.
Germany
Germany’s top five already looks decided, with an 11-point gap between Borussia Dortmund in fifth and Eintracht Frankfurt in sixth. Bayer Leverkusen (76) – unbeaten and one win from a historic first Bundesliga title – are already guaranteed Champions League football for next season.
Bayern Munich (60) and surprise package Stuttgart (60) look in strong positions to secure a place in Europe’s elite, with fourth-placed RB Leipzig (53) and Dortmund (53) level on points behind them.
Should Germany not be allocated an additional spot in next season’s Champions League, the race for fourth between Leipzig and Dortmund will be one of the narratives of the run-in.
Here’s how the @Bundesliga_EN table looks after Matchday 28! 🦅#SGE pic.twitter.com/uPVj73PaP8
— Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_eng) April 8, 2024
