The Premier League is expected to pick up a fifth Champions League spot, as West Ham’s 5-1 aggregate win over Bundesliga side Freiburg has given England an edge in the race for the fifth spot next season.
Traditionally, there have been only four clubs who have qualified through their league standing and this will be the final season of the existing format which involves 32 teams in the group stage, splitting into eight groups of four and the top two teams progressing.
But next year there will be 36 clubs competing in what is known as the ‘Swiss’ format, allowing an additional place to the top two countries whose clubs performed the best in the UEFA competitions.
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How will the extra places be decided?
The UEFA Champions League will witness four extra spots because of the new format. Two places will be given to clubs from countries that have performed the best over the previous season and will be measured by the coefficient rankings.
The additional two spots will be given to clubs from Germany, Italy, Spain and England. So realistically, the squad that finishes fifth in the Premier League automatically this season would automatically qualify for the Champions League.
Current coefficient rankings:
1. Italy, 17.714
2. Germany, 16.357
3. England, 16.250
4. France, 14.750
5. Spain, 14.187
Arsenal and Manchester City have already secured their place in the next phase of the Champions League. West Ham’s emphatic win over Freiburg might be decisive in tipping the scale in England’s favour.
England are currently behind Germany in the coefficient rankings and have five teams left in Europe compared to Germany’s three. Manchester United are currently sixth in the Premier League standings and could manage to find a backdoor route in the Champions League next season.
The margin between both England and Germany reduced after Thursday’s Europa League results and England are almost certain to overtake the Germans and take that extra Champions League spot.