Premier League set for extra UCL spot which means 8th likely gets Europe
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Even though our team isn’t playing in European competitions this season, watching from afar still matters a lot and could affect us later on.
The fate of Premier League teams in Europe next season depends on the performance of the 8 teams representing England in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League this year. Right now, the Premier League gets 4 spots in the Champions League, 2 in the Europa League (1 for the FA Cup winners), and 1 in the Europa Conference League (for the Carabao Cup winners).
Next season, the Champions League will have more spots available, which means another Premier League team could join if the league does well this season. The top two performing countries in Europe this season will earn an extra spot for their leagues in the following season. At the moment, Italy and Germany were leading, but with West Ham’s win over Freiburg, the Premier League’s position is looking stronger, especially with English teams in the quarter-finals.
How does it all add up?
The points each league earns until May are averaged out and divided by 8. Since not all English teams are doing well, this average could be dragged down, especially with some teams already out of the competition.
So, how does this affect Chelsea?
With their current position in the Premier League, it’s unlikely they’ll make it to the top 4 or even the top 5. If the Premier League gets an extra Champions League spot, finishing 8th could still mean qualifying for the Europa Conference League, while 7th place might get into the Europa League. But if the league doesn’t get that extra spot, Chelsea would need to finish higher to qualify.
However, there’s still hope for Chelsea fans. Winning the FA Cup could secure them a spot in the Europa League, regardless of the Premier League’s performance.
As the Premier League takes a break, Chelsea still has a lot to fight for when games resume. They’re currently close to 7th and 8th place, with key matches against West Ham and Brighton coming up.
