Both leagues will receive an additional berth into next season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) based on their performance in Europe this season.
Last season, German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and Italian Serie A side Bologna were the lucky winners, with clubs from Germany and Italy outperforming clubs from England, France and Spain.
Now that the UEFA Conference League (UCoL) league phase has been completed, with the first clubs eliminated and key bonus points awarded, we can get our first snapshot of the standings.
But there’s still a long way to go before we find out who will take the two places, and the next big moments are when the first stage of the UEFA Europa League (UEL) concludes on January 23 and the UCL concludes on January 29.
How does it work?
It contains the comprehensive performance of teams from each country participating in Europe this season. The two leagues with the highest average coefficient scores get an additional spot.
Regardless of the competition, each win earns you 2 counting points, a draw earns you 1 point, and a loss earns you nothing.
If a match goes into overtime, scores from after 120 minutes will be used. Penalty kicks are used to decide ties and not individual matches, so they are not taken into account if the game is drawn.
The points earned by all clubs are added up and that total is divided by the number of clubs from the country in Europe that season. This gives the coefficient average. For example, if a country has a coefficient score of 60 and there are 7 teams in Europe, the score in the table is 8.571 (60/7).
Additional positions go to the first team in the league table outside the UCL standings. That puts them in 5th place in the Premier League. These are places above the regular allocation, so if a league normally has seven places in Europe, there will be eight next season.
So isn’t victory worth more in the Champions League?
no. The coefficient system is essentially designed to evaluate the overall strength of a league. Winning is the same in all competitions. Otherwise, it would be impossible for leagues with no or few teams in the UCL group stage to improve their coefficient rankings.
What about the new bonus points system?
This is where things have changed and UCL’s performance, like UEL’s, has become much more important than UCoL’s.
Under the old system, the maximum bonus points for a UCL club was 12, but now it is 18 (+6). In UEL increased from 8 to 10 (+2). In UCoL, it increased from 4 to 6 (+2).
Additionally, every club participating in the UCL receives at least 6 bonus points just for participating (maximum of 4). In UEL you must complete them first to get 6 bonus points. In UCoL, Chelsea are first and have four points. Outside the top 24 there is no bonus to UEL or UCoL.
There are then bonus points for reaching each knockout round, again weighted based on competition.
In addition to the higher bonus points for rankings, the teams that finish in the top eight in each league are guaranteed an extra 1.5 points to advance to the round of 16.
There are no bonus points for participating in the February Knockout Playoffs in any competition, but you will earn points based on the results of each leg, with no points awarded for finishing in the top eight. Knockout play-off results are included in the league’s overall coefficient, but not in the club’s coefficient.
So what are the advantages of a league with five UCL teams?
Yes and no.
Serie A and the Bundesliga have five teams in the Champions League, while Europe has eight.
All wins and bonus points are worth less on average than in other leagues. And if a few teams struggle, there is no chance of the top two teams challenging.
Italian clubs are holding up well, but German teams are struggling. VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig are outside the UCL top 24, while TSG Hoffenheim is 26th in the UEL.
Wouldn’t this turn out to be an additional venue for two top leagues?
The new bonus points system provides a greater advantage to leagues with more teams in the UCL.
Looking back over the last six seasons, England and Spain took seven of the 12 slots, followed by Italy and Germany two each. In 2021-22 alone, one of the countries with less than four teams participating in the Champions League (Netherlands) is in the top two for average coefficient.
History already tells us that two of the top leagues have a very good chance of securing five places in the Champions League. Now it has been strengthened.
2023-24: Italy and Germany
2022-23: UK and Italy
2021-22: UK and Netherlands
2020-21: UK and Spain
2019-20: Spain and Germany
2018-19: UK and Spain
How did the conference league go?
Lens failed to qualify for the league, which ended Ligue 1’s hopes of challenging for a further UCL place.
Teams from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga are still active.
Chelsea finished first after winning all six of their matches, which gave them maximum points on Premier League points. Fiorentina joined Chelsea and advanced directly to the round of 16.
Portugal’s Guimaraes finished second, helping them compete in the Primeira Liga. Belgium have advanced past two teams, with Cercle Brugge automatically advancing to the round of 16 and Gent advancing to the play-off rounds.
There is a possibility that Chelsea and playoff knockout teams Real Betis (La Liga) or 1. FC Heidenheim (Bundesliga) will face off in the round of 16, competing not only for points but also for points. UCoL.
What will the coefficient table look like this season?
Top 10 as of December 19th.
1. United Kingdom, 14.035
2. Italy, 12.562
3. Portugal, 12.450
4. Belgium, 11,900
5. Spain, 11,892
6. Germany, 10.640
7. France, 9.928
8. Sweden, 9.375
9. Czech Republic, 8,700
10. Cyprus, 8.687
As of now, the top six countries still all have full teams.
England are in a very healthy position, but that could change quickly as there are plenty of bonus points to be had in the UCL and UEL.
Portugal and Belgium have had the best performances in the league, but it has been difficult to carry them through to the knockout rounds. There were several clubs taking part in the tournament as the Netherlands finished in the top two in 2021-22.
When will I usually find out who has gotten an extra spot?
In many seasons, this becomes clear in March when we know which league has multiple teams all the way to the quarter-finals of the three European competitions. However, it is likely that there will be a delay until final confirmation is made.
Last season, Serie A confirmed additional promotion on April 18, and Bundesliga confirmed promotion on May 1.
It looked like they would get close, but the English club had a terrible result in the quarter-finals, losing four of the five remaining teams, effectively handing second place to Germany.
But the 2019-20 season shows that that may be in jeopardy. Germany had not overtaken the Premier League for second place until Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League final. If this happens again this season, it will not be known which league will get the second extra spot until the UCL final on May 31.
This left the two clubs in the domestic league praying for the right result in the final. In 2019-20, Bayer Leverkusen and Leicester City finished fifth in Germany and England respectively. Leverkusen needed Bayern to win the UCL final, while Leicester needed Bayern to lose the game.
What is the maximum number of places at UCL and Europe?
Under the existing system, a maximum of five clubs from one association could qualify for the Champions League. This means that if a team from the same league wins the Champions League and Europa League, but both teams fall outside the domestic UCL standings, the fourth-placed team will have to give up their place and advance to the UEL.
However, the cap was removed, allowing seven teams to qualify for the UCL. That means it includes the top four European teams, the top five teams, and the UCL and UEL winners.
Although highly unlikely, it would also be technically possible to have 11 teams in Europe. Typically seven teams are allocated and include additional Champions League qualifications and title holders from all three European competitions.
How do additional rankings affect other league rankings?
Assuming the extra places go to one of the top leagues, that means fifth place will qualify for the Champions League and there will be eight places in Europe instead of seven. Other European anchorages fall into one location.
No matter which season the Premier League chooses, you’ll have access to:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winner
Conference League: Carabao Cup winner
If LaLiga, Bundesliga or Serie A acquire it, access will be:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, Cup Winner
Conference League: 7
In all cases, if a team wins the domestic cup and finishes in the league in a European position, they move down one place in the rankings.
If a team wins the UEL or UCL but fails to qualify for their domestic UCL, that league will place them in 6th place in the UCL. That means the top 5 in the league and the UEL or UCL title holders are additionally included. The league will lose any domestic rankings earned by the title holder.
Had Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League last season, Germany would have had six teams in the UCL (top six) but only one in the UEL. That means Dortmund will lose the spot they won.
Which team will benefit right now?
Manchester City currently sits in fifth place in the Premier League, while Lazio holds that spot in Serie A.