We’d known it was happening for a while, but with UEFA having now rubber-stamped their rule changes for next season’s Champions League , the news is bound to have gone down well at Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham, and still theoretically Chelsea.
The Premier League quartet now know that they will automatically enter next season’s Champions League if they finish fourth this season, avoiding the possibility of a tricky playoff tie.
Liverpool navigated their way past German side Hoffenheim 6-3 on aggregate in August, but not without a few scares in the first leg.
They’ve now made their way to the semi-finals, but under the new rules they would have gone straight into the group stages.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Because 26 teams will automatically qualify for the 2018/19 competition based on the strength of their domestic league, with six others entering from less heralded divisions.
Those 26 are made up of:
- UEFA Champions League holders (1)
- UEFA Europa League holders (1)
- Top four from associations ranked 1st to 4th: Spain, Germany, England, Italy (16)
- Top two from associations ranked 5th and 6th: France, Russia (4)
- Champions of associations ranked 7th to 10th: Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium, Turkey (4)
If, as seems likely, the winners of the Champions League also qualify for it via their domestic league, the qualification place will move down to an association ranked lower in UEFA’s list to the champions of association 11, currently the Czech Republic.
But who is best placed to take advantage of the new rules? Here’s the state of play.
Spain (four places)
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The top four is pretty much done and dusted in La Liga, with fourth-placed Valencia some 13 points ahead of Real Betis in fifth with six games left to play.
Barcelona are set to wrap up the title in the coming weeks, as they sit 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid in second, with Real Madrid third.
Germany (four places)
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The race for fourth spot in Germany looks as though it could go to the wire, with Borussia Dortmund losing ground when they lost 2-0 to rivals Schalke at the weekend.
That win boosted Schalke’s hopes as they went a clear second behind champions Bayern Munich, four points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund.
With four games remaining RB Leipzig sit fifth, four points off the pace, with Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt another point back.
England (four places)
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Manchester City clinched the title on Sunday, and it looks extremely likely that Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham will join them in the Champions League next season.
Spurs sit fourth, seven points ahead of Chelsea and aiming to make that 10 when they go to Brighton on Tuesday.
Italy (four places)
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In Europe’s tightest elite title race, Juventus have pulled six points clear of Napoli at the top with the pair already assured of a Champions League place for next season.
Roma and Lazio sit third and fourth respectively, both on 61 points, but Inter are just one point behind with six games of the season remaining.
AC Milan are some way off the pace, eight points adrift of the top four.
France and Russia (two places each)
(Image: REUTERS)
Monaco are still second in Ligue 1 despite their 7-1 hammering by Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend, a result which won PSG the league.
With five games of the season left, Monaco are being closed down by Lyon and Marseille, both of whom are four points behind them.
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
In Russia, Lokomotiv Moscow are five points clear at the top with a game in hand on second-placed Spartak Moscow, who have four matches remaining and sit on 50 points.
Krasnodar (47), Zenit (45) and CSKA Moscow (45) all still have an outside chance of qualifying.
Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium and Turkey (one place each)
(Image: AFP)
Hector Herrera’s 90th minute winner gave Porto a huge 1-0 victory over Benfica last weekend, seeing them leapfrog their rivals and go two points clear at the top of the Portuguese League with four games remaining.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev are the top two in Ukraine’s Championship playoffs, with both already securing Champions League qualification, although it remains to be seen which one will go through automatically and which one will need the playoffs.
(Image: AFP)
In Belgium they also decide qualification via the end of season playoffs, with Club Brugge currently topping the playoff table ahead of Anderlecht.
There are five matches left in the Turkish Super Lig and it is incredibly close, with Galatasaray (60 points), Besiktas (59), Istanbul Basaksehir (59) and Fenerbahce (57) all fighting it out.
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