Will we qualify for the CL?

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm not even sure Liverpool will win against us, nevermind the CL.

[cdbearsfan]

I'm not even sure Liverpool will win against us, nevermind the CL.

What the Hell is happening here? You're the one poster I can usually rely on for no jinxy nonsense.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

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.

I also have always known this was the case. I'm sure I have read it in previous years that if the team who finished 5th won then the place was passed down, but didn't if they were in the top 4. I don't think it's new for this season or anything, unless I'm misremembering.

[cdbearsfan]

It isn't new. It was mentioned at length a few years ago when there was a possibility of Atalanta winning the Europa League and finishing fifth (they eventually won it and finished fourth so the place didn't pass down).

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

It isn't new. It was mentioned at length a few years ago when there was a possibility of Atalanta winning the Europa League and finishing fifth (they eventually won it and finished fourth so the place didn't pass down).

Ahh yes, that's right. I knew there must have been some reason why I was aware of it.

[Meanwood Villa]

I stand corrected. I asked copilot on a busy working afternoon recently. I do hope the superintendent got my report on Maccabi Tel Aviv in all the confusion.

[Somniloquism]

There was also some shenanigans only if Chelsea won the conference but finished a specific place last season but that was Europa moving lower with no Conference or something similar.

[cdbearsfan]

If the Conference League winner also finishes in a Champions League/Europa League spot, they just qualify for the respective competition as normal. If they finish in the Conference League spot, they go into the Europa League and England has no Conference League place next season. However, if Conference League winner finishes outside the European places altogether, then England would have three Europa League places next season. As happened when West Ham won it.

As it stands, all of the top sixteen (plus Southampton) still have a theoretical chance of qualifying for Europe one way or another.

[Percy McCarthy]

I stand corrected. I asked copilot on a busy working afternoon recently. I do hope the superintendent got my report on Maccabi Tel Aviv in all the confusion.

Haha, quality.

[Gareth]

If the Conference League winner also finishes in a Champions League/Europa League spot, they just qualify for the respective competition as normal. If they finish in the Conference League spot, they go into the Europa League and England has no Conference League place next season. However, if Conference League winner finishes outside the European places altogether, then England would have three Europa League places next season. As happened when West Ham won it.

As it stands, all of the top sixteen (plus Southampton) still have a theoretical chance of qualifying for Europe one way or another.

Would imagine there will be some clubs not wanting to get that Conference League position and SCR restrictions

[Garyth]

Would imagine there will be some clubs not wanting to get that Conference League position and SCR restrictions

I imagine if (say) Newcastle qualified it may actually cost them to be involved, considering the lower prize money and travel involved - not to mention the impact of playing midweek games, before even considering the reduction in PL allowable wages under the new system if you're 'in europe'.

It wouldn't surprise me to see teams considering pulling out of the competition.

[cdbearsfan]

They'd be fined massively and banned from future European competitions so that won't happen. 50,000 people a game plus sponsorship and prize money and they would still be far better off in the Conference League than not in Europe at all.

[Meanwood Villa]

The attitude that the Conference League is not worth qualifying for pisses me off but it's understandable given the SCR restrictions. There's something fundamentally wrong with the rules if teams don't want to qualify for a competition that is meant to be a reward for good performance. Is this just an English problem because teams are also trying to keep up in the PL? Part of me thinks that the dominant teams from smaller associations must be stretched pretty thin with wages too, although the UEFA prize money will be more significant to them of course.

[AV82EC]

The issue is how UEFA distribute the money for Euro comps. The CL take I think nearly 70% of all Euro revenues.

[Demitri_C]

The attitude that the Conference League is not worth qualifying for pisses me off but it's understandable given the SCR restrictions. There's something fundamentally wrong with the rules if teams don't want to qualify for a competition that is meant to be a reward for good performance. Is this just an English problem because teams are also trying to keep up in the PL? Part of me thinks that the dominant teams from smaller associations must be stretched pretty thin with wages too, although the UEFA prize money will be more significant to them of course.

I agree. Remember  the celebrations whem we qualified. Its a competition  in europe end of the day

The problem is once you qualify for CL the other two competitions  seem a step down