The Champions League format will change from next season, and two of Europe’s strongest leagues will be handed five places instead of the maximum of four, as has become customary. See the latest UEFA coefficients to see which countries will be handed extra European places at the time of writing.
2024/25 Champions League Format Explained
The Champions League will look a little different from next season.
Not only will Europe’s elite club competition be expanded from 32 to 36 teams, thus guaranteeing a minimum of eight matches for each competitor.
Groups tables have also been scrapped in favour of one large league table, with the top eight going directly to the round of 16. Those who finish between ninth and 24th will enter a playoff to determine the rest of the eight teams in the first knockout phase.
The rest are eliminated from European competition, with no drop down of teams from the Champions League to the Europa League.
With the new Champions League format expanding the tournament by four teams, you may be wondering where the extra qualifiers come from, and how they can secure their spot.
You can find a full explanation of how UEFA Coefficents work and how the ranking have a bearing on who will qualify next season by clicking the link.
For this article however, we take a look at which of Europe’s domestic leagues will benefit from an extra place in the Champions League in 2024/25.
Which Leagues Will Get Extra Champions League Places in 2024/25?
The UEFA Coefficients ranking as of March 11th is as follows:
1. Italy, 16.571
2. Germany, 15.500
3. England, 14.625
4. France, 14.416
5. Spain, 13.437
6. Czechia, 13.000
7. Belgium, 12.400
8. Turkey, 11.500
9. Portugal, 10.166
10. Netherlands, 10.000
Italy strengthened its position at the top with victories for Roma, AC Milan, and Fiorentina on Thursday.
Across the three UEFA competitions, there are still six Italian teams remaining: Inter Milan and Napoli in the Champions League, Atalanta and AC Milan in the Europa League, and Roma and Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League.
There are six English teams in contention across all UEFA competitions. Notably, Manchester City has emerged as the first team to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals, securing a convincing 6-2 aggregate win against Copenhagen.
Arsenal has the opportunity to advance to the quarter-finals, potentially joining the current titleholders. Meanwhile, Liverpool, West Ham, and Brighton are actively participating in the Europa League, and Aston Villa is still in contention for glory in the Europa Conference League.
However, Thursday results were not good for England, as they have lost ground on Germany. This is especially noticeable after Bundesliga side Freiburg secured a win against West Ham in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, and Brighton faced a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Italian side Roma.
As of Germany, they have four teams remaining in UEFA competitions: Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the Europa League.
The Percentage Of Each Country’s Chances Of Getting Extra European Place
The countries ranked first and second in the annual UEFA coefficients will be rewarded with an additional Champions League group stage spot for the 2024/2025 season.
According to Opta Analyst, the percentage chances of an extra spot in the Champions League for the top four countries as of March 11th is as follows:
- Italy – 96.7%
- England – 64.9%
- Germany – 29.5%
- France – 8.8%
Who Gets The Extra European Places?
One spot in the UEFA Champions League will be allocated to the team positioned third in the league standings of the association ranked fifth in the UEFA national association ranking.
An additional spot will be granted to a domestic champion by expanding the number of clubs qualifying through the ‘Champions Path’ from four to five.
The last two spots will be allocated to the associations with the most impressive overall performance by their clubs in the previous season, determined by the total number of points earned divided by the number of participating clubs.
For example, based on the performances from last season, Both England and Italy would have secured an extra spot in the Champions League. Resulting in teams like Liverpool and Atalanta, both finishing fifth in their respective leagues, gaining entry to the competition.
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