Will we qualify for the CL?

[Chris Harte]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9vl1y7g1mjo

Arsenal's win tonight has guaranteed 5th place qualifies for the Champions League.

It's up to us, now.

[cdbearsfan]

BBC article seems to confirm that sixth place qualifies, too, if the fifth place team wins Champions League/Europa League. Not if a top four team does so, though. So, theoretically possible we qualify in sixth if Liverpool win the Champions League, but not if Arsenal do.

[eye digress]

BBC article seems to confirm that sixth place qualifies, too, if the fifth place team wins Champions League/Europa League. Not if a top four team does so, though. So, theoretically possible we qualify in sixth if Liverpool win the Champions League, but not if Arsenal do.

I’d assumed that was a mistake, and they intended to say that 6 teams qualify if a cup winning qualifier (CL or EL) finishes outside the top 5 (rather than the top 4)?

[cdbearsfan]

I don't think so. If your league finishes in the top two in the yearly rankings you have to get an "extra" Champions League place. If the team finishing fifth wins Champions League/Europa League then the league would ordinarily have five places, so to ensure that they get an extra place, sixth spot qualifies, too.

Theoretically, seventh could qualify, though that wouldn't benefit us as it would only happen if we had qualified anyway by winning the Europa, and finished 5th/6th while Liverpool took the other 5th/6th spot and won the Champions League.

[Brazilian Villain]

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I've been checking out the hotel options in Madrid for early June 2027.

[PeterWithesShin]

It's such a done deal i'm going to start a Champions League 2026-27 thread later.

[RamboandBruno]

I don't think so. If your league finishes in the top two in the yearly rankings you have to get an "extra" Champions League place. If the team finishing fifth wins Champions League/Europa League then the league would ordinarily have five places, so to ensure that they get an extra place, sixth spot qualifies, too.

Theoretically, seventh could qualify, though that wouldn't benefit us as it would only happen if we had qualified anyway by winning the Europa, and finished 5th/6th while Liverpool took the other 5th/6th spot and won the Champions League.

Gambling isn’t one of my vices, but I would place a bet if needed that this Liverpool team are not winning anything this season.

[Demitri_C]

BBC article seems to confirm that sixth place qualifies, too, if the fifth place team wins Champions League/Europa League. Not if a top four team does so, though. So, theoretically possible we qualify in sixth if Liverpool win the Champions League, but not if Arsenal do.

I know it benefits us but it just don't seem right or fair that any country can have SIX teams in CL. Even 7 is absolutely  outrageous

[cdbearsfan]

Not really a fan of the extra places for best leagues, even if they benefit us. However, Champions League and Europa League winners should always qualify, IMO, and doesn't seem fair that a fourth placed team could have their place snatched away from them after the season has finished.

[Demitri_C]

Not really a fan of the extra places for best leagues, even if they benefit us. However, Champions League and Europa League winners should always qualify, IMO, and doesn't seem fair that a fourth placed team could have their place snatched away from them after the season has finished.

Yeah i agree with that CD. It helps makibg the europa more exciting and beneficial

[eye digress]

I don't think so. If your league finishes in the top two in the yearly rankings you have to get an "extra" Champions League place. If the team finishing fifth wins Champions League/Europa League then the league would ordinarily have five places, so to ensure that they get an extra place, sixth spot qualifies, too.

Theoretically, seventh could qualify, though that wouldn't benefit us as it would only happen if we had qualified anyway by winning the Europa, and finished 5th/6th while Liverpool took the other 5th/6th spot and won the Champions League.

I must have it the wrong way around, then. I had understood that the only way the cup winner CL places “added” to the overall number of CL places for a given federation was if they were won by clubs not otherwise qualifying for the CL via their league position.

For example, if Arsenal won the PL and the CL, that would not “create” an additional 6th spot. If Liverpool won the CL and finished outside the qualifying league placings (i.e., 1-5), whether that be 6th or 10th, then they would effectively “create” that extra place. However, if Liverpool won the CL and finished 5th, with us in 6th, we would not qualify (unless we won the EL).

[Meanwood Villa]

I don't think so. If your league finishes in the top two in the yearly rankings you have to get an "extra" Champions League place. If the team finishing fifth wins Champions League/Europa League then the league would ordinarily have five places, so to ensure that they get an extra place, sixth spot qualifies, too.

Theoretically, seventh could qualify, though that wouldn't benefit us as it would only happen if we had qualified anyway by winning the Europa, and finished 5th/6th while Liverpool took the other 5th/6th spot and won the Champions League.

I don't think this is right. 5th place becomes equivalent to 4th place where we get an extra spot so if you finish 5th and also qualify by winning CL or EL there is no transfer of the league placing.

[Meanwood Villa]

I don't think so. If your league finishes in the top two in the yearly rankings you have to get an "extra" Champions League place. If the team finishing fifth wins Champions League/Europa League then the league would ordinarily have five places, so to ensure that they get an extra place, sixth spot qualifies, too.

Theoretically, seventh could qualify, though that wouldn't benefit us as it would only happen if we had qualified anyway by winning the Europa, and finished 5th/6th while Liverpool took the other 5th/6th spot and won the Champions League.

I must have it the wrong way around, then. I had understood that the only way the cup winner CL places “added” to the overall number of CL places for a given federation was if they were won by clubs not otherwise qualifying for the CL via their league position.

For example, if Arsenal won the PL and the CL, that would not “create” an additional 6th spot. If Liverpool won the CL and finished outside the qualifying league placings (i.e., 1-5), whether that be 6th or 10th, then they would effectively “create” that extra place. However, if Liverpool won the CL and finished 5th, with us in 6th, we would not qualify (unless we won the EL).

This is the correct explanation

[Somniloquism]

Nope, the bonus position doesn't count until all other qualifcation rules have been filled. So if England have qualification via four league spots, then the CL/EL winners are also both English and finished 5th and 6th, the next spot gets the bonus position.

Finally, the two associations whose affiliated clubs achieved the best collective performance in the previous season of the UEFA men’s club competitions (i.e. best season club association coefficient), in accordance with the season coefficient principles (see Annex D.3), are each entitled to an additional place in the league phase, known as a European performance spot (EPS). The EPS is allocated to the club that finishes the relevant association's domestic championship in the highest position of all those that do not qualify for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League (after any vacancies have been filled in accordance with Paragraph 3.04 to Paragraph 3.06). The two associations' overall quota of clubs qualifying to UEFA club competitions are each increased by one club.

https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-Champions-League-2025/26/Article-3-Entries-for-the-competition-Online

[cdbearsfan]

Further confirmed here. Villa or Liverpool finish fifth and win Champions/Europa League, sixth gets Champions League.  Villa and Liverpool finish fifth and sixth (in either order) and both win their respective continental competitions, seventh gets Champions League.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c8r40164ne4o

I'm sure I was saying this about six months ago and NOBODY BELIEVED ME. I'm not even going to pretend not to be hurt.