Man United could get extra Champions League spot as draw repercussions clear
Need to know
Some six Premier League teams have reached the Champions League last 16, but tough draws could impact the coefficient
Michael Carrick’s Manchester United are pushing for Champions League qualification(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Here’s everything you need to know about how Manchester United could qualify for the Champions League even if they finish fifth:
- European Performance Spots: UEFA now allocates two additional Champions League places each season to the nations whose clubs have stood out in Europe during the previous campaign. These are referred to as European Performance Spots and see teams go directly into the league phase
- How the additional spot is determined: Every European league has its success measured with a ‘coefficient score,’ a points-based mechanism that tracks every result. Each win and draw for a Premier League club in Europe benefits the entire league, whether that is in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League.
- How the calculation works: Total points accumulated by all participating clubs from a nation are divided by the number of teams that nation fielded in Europe. This ensures that leagues with the most teams aren’t given an unfair advantage over those with fewer, high-performing representatives.
- Who claims the additional spot: For the Premier League to secure that fifth spot, England must finish in the top two of the seasonal coefficient rankings. This occurred last season, when England produced both Europa League finalists as well as Conference League winners Chelsea.
- Current situation: England occupy top position following the knockout play-off round, sitting well clear of Germany in second place. Teams earn bonus points for progressing through the rounds, but several eliminations in the round of 16 could make England’s place less secure.
- How England could drop out: For England to drop out of the top two, two of the chasing pack would have to overtake them, with Germany, Spain and Italy close together in second, third and fourth respectively. This would essentially require most English clubs to be eliminated in the very next round, a rival nation to have multiple finalists/winners who win every single game on their way to the trophies and England to stop winning entirely in the Europa and Conference Leagues.
- How the draw is shaping up: Chelsea will meet holders Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, while Liverpool face Galatasaray and the winners of those games would face off in the quarter-finals. The other ties involving English clubs are Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Newcastle vs Barcelona, Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid and Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen.
- Impact on English clubs: When an additional spot is confirmed, it is awarded to the highest-ranked side in the domestic table that hasn’t already secured Champions League qualification. The Premier League already has four guaranteed spots so this would add a fifth, with Newcastle United reaping the rewards of this arrangement last term.
- How United could benefit: Michael Carrick’s United sit fourth at the time of writing but they’re just three points ahead of Chelsea in fifth and Liverpool in sixth. Any of the three could easily finish in fifth spot and require assistance from their competitors.
- Alternative qualification routes for English teams: Clubs can also qualify for the Champions League by winning this season’s Champions League or Europa League while finishing lower down the league table, and this wouldn’t stop a fifth place team qualifying via the European Performance Spots. United themselves could have qualified this way last season when they reached the Europa League final while finishing 15th in the league, only to lose to Spurs in Bilbao.
- READ MORE ABOUT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Latest Champions League odds as Man City and five other Premier League teams await round of 16 opposition