Unveiling the Pathway: Unlocking the 5th Dimension for Premier League Teams to Reign in Champions League

Roll up, roll up! The Grand Show on Earth has returned, and after an exhilarating first weekend of the new Premier League season, fans are still adjusting to the changes in this campaign. Players, managers, and supporters are acquainting themselves with the revised rules regarding time-wasting, dissent, and the stricter standards for VAR utilization. Additionally, the upcoming 2024/25 season could potentially witness a historic moment.

For the first time ever, there is a possibility of five Premier League teams qualifying for the Champions League based on their league position. Previously, only four clubs managed to secure their spots through their league performance.

This season marks the conclusion of the current format, where 32 teams participate in the group stage. They are divided into eight groups consisting of four teams each, and the top two teams from each group advance.

The competition will undergo a change, with 36 teams participating in a 'Swiss league' style format. This modification will grant an extra spot to the two countries whose clubs exhibit the best performance across all UEFA competitions. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin emphasizes that the revised structure will continue to uphold the aspirations of every team in Europe.

The end of the coefficient system

According to Ceferin, the foundation of our model lies in sporting merit. In our perspective, the value of merit is immeasurable. It cannot be demanded nor purchased, but rather, it is something that must be earned consistently over time, both on and off the field. This continent emphatically rejects the notion of cartels. Our stance on this matter has been unequivocal, and we stand together in upholding these principles.

From 32 to 36 - who gets the additional places?

In relation to the final bullet point, the club that achieves the highest ranking in the domestic league, after the positions allocated to the UEFA Champions League, will earn one place for each of the two associations.

To illustrate, taking into account the overall performance of their clubs in the previous season, both England and Italy would have qualified for an extra spot in the Champions League. This means that Liverpool and Atalanta, who finished in fifth place in their respective leagues, would have been able to participate in the competition.

Manchester City emerged victorious in the Champions League by defeating Inter Milan, while West Ham secured a win against Fiorentina to clinch the Europa Conference League. In order for this scenario to materialize in the 2024/25 season, the English clubs for this year must produce one of the top two performances in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.

Has the Premier League had five CL participants before?

In 2005, Liverpool emerged victorious in the Champions League, however, they were unable to secure a position within the top four of the Premier League. Consequently, the Premier League was allocated five potential Champions League berths, albeit with the requirement of navigating through qualifiers.

Spain made history in the 2015/16 season by becoming the first association to have five teams in the group stage of the Champions League. This was achieved when Sevilla, despite not finishing in the top four of La Liga the previous campaign, won the Europa League and Valencia successfully passed the play-off round.

The Premier League has confirmed that in five out of the last six seasons, and in seven out of the past 11, the performance of English clubs in Europe deserved an extra spot.

There is a slight possibility that up to seven Premier League clubs could participate in the Champions League next season, thanks to the revised rules. This would only occur if the winners of both the Champions League and Europa League were from the Premier League, and if both teams finished outside the top five positions.

When will we know if fifth place qualifies for the Champions League?

The exact timing of the fifth spot's relevance in the Champions League will become clear towards the conclusion of the season, once we have information on the distribution of participating clubs across different regions in the latter stages of UEFA competitions.

How does the new Champions League format work?

Expanding the number of teams competing in the Champions League from 32 to 36 will bring about a significant modification in the tournament structure. The foremost alteration involves replacing the conventional group stage with a unified league phase that incorporates all participating teams.

Each club will now have the assurance of playing a minimum of eight league stage games against eight distinct opponents (four games at home and four away). This is an improvement from the previous format which consisted of six matches against three teams, played both at home and away.

The top eight teams in the league will gain direct entry to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, the teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will engage in a two-legged play-off to secure their spot in the last 16 of the competition.

How could this impact the domestic leagues?

As the Champions League expands, growing from 125 games to 225 games, it is evident that additional matchdays will be necessary to accommodate the influx of extra games. This expansion, however, poses challenges for domestic leagues, as they will have fewer available dates to schedule all their fixtures.

How does this affect the other UEFA competitions?

Qualification procedures for the other two UEFA competitions, namely the Europa League and Europa Conference League, will remain the same as previous years. However, if the team securing the fifth spot qualifies for the Champions League, the sixth-placed team will secure the Europa League spot.

The Europa League will also undergo format changes with eight matches in the league stage, while the Europa Conference League will have six matches in the league stage. Additionally, both leagues will feature 36 teams in the league phase.