Euro Disappointment: Exploring How the EPL Missed Out on a Fifth UCL Spot

The upcoming season's Champions League will undergo expansion, resulting in an increase in both teams and matches. Specifically, the group stage will see the addition of four more clubs, raising the total participation from 32 to 36 teams.

One of these extra slots will be allocated to the team finishing third in the domestic league of the fifth-ranked nation in UEFA's coefficient rankings (in this instance, France's Ligue 1), which are determined based on performance over the previous five seasons until the culmination of the 2022-23 season. Additionally, another spot will be reserved for a domestic champion, leading to an increase in the number of teams qualifying via the 'champions path' from four to five.

However, the introduction of new 'European Performance Spots' will be based on the performance of leagues in the previous season's UEFA club competitions. Leagues will be awarded two coefficient points for every win and one for a draw.

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While the current season's tournaments are still ongoing, it's already evident that Italy and Germany will each have five teams participating in next season's Champions League, while England will be notably represented by fewer teams due to the underwhelming performance of its top clubs...

10. Eredivisie (Netherlands): 10.000 pts. avg. (0/5 teams left)

It was a disappointing campaign for Eredivisie clubs in European competitions this season. Despite PSV's commendable journey to the last 16 of the Champions League, their hopes were dashed by Borussia Dortmund, with a missed opportunity by Luuk de Jong proving costly in the second leg.

Feyenoord initially showed promise in their group but faltered to finish third, subsequently suffering a quick exit from the Europa League at the hands of Roma.

In the Conference League, AZ failed to progress beyond the group stage, while Twente faced an early elimination, succumbing to Fenerbahce in the play-off round.

Ajax, after a disappointing Europa League group stage, moved to the Conference League, where they overcame Bodo/Glimt in the knockout round play-offs. However, their European campaign came to an abrupt end in February as they were convincingly defeated by Aston Villa, marking the conclusion of Eredivisie representation in European competitions for the season.

9. Primeira Liga (Portugal): 11.000 (0/6)

It was a disappointing outcome for Portuguese clubs in European competitions this season, with no additional Champions League spot secured for the country.

The early exits of Arouca and Vitoria de Guimaraes in the Conference League qualifying rounds dealt a significant blow, as did Braga's defeat to Qarabag in the Europa League knockout round play-offs.

Porto showcased their strength in the Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal but were unfortunate to be eliminated on penalties.

In the Europa League, Sporting CP experienced frustration after taking the lead in both legs of their last-16 clash with Atalanta but ultimately succumbing to a 3-2 aggregate defeat. Benfica progressed to the quarter-finals but suffered a heartbreakingly loss on penalties to Marseille at the Velodrome, resulting in no Portuguese clubs reaching the semi-finals across UEFA's three cup competitions.

8. Super Lig (Turkey): 12.000 (0/4)

Turkey endured a dismal European campaign this season, with three out of their four representatives bowing out before March.

Galatasaray fell short of securing the second spot in their Champions League group, conceding it to Copenhagen. They suffered a heavy defeat to Sparta Prague in the second leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off.

Adana's journey in the Conference League ended in disappointment as they were eliminated in the play-off round by Genk, losing on penalties. Besiktas had a dismal performance in the group stage, managing to gather only four points.

Despite Fenerbahce's commendable efforts, their quarter-final dreams were shattered as they suffered a heartbreaking defeat on penalties against Olympiacos in front of their home crowd in Istanbul.

7. Czech First League (Czech Republic): 13.500 (0/4)

The Czech teams faced a rocky start to their European campaign this season, with Bohemians suffering a heavy defeat against Bodo/Glimt in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, and Sparta Prague failing to secure a spot in the Champions League group stages.

However, Sparta Prague managed to clinch the second spot in their Europa League group, edging out Real Betis. They then stunned Galatasaray to advance to the last-16 stage, where they faced Liverpool. Although the tie didn't end in their favor, Brian Priske's side showcased commendable performances throughout the tournament.

Similarly, Slavia Prague faced tough opposition in AC Milan after topping their group that included Roma. However, they faced setbacks with red cards in both legs against AC Milan, which hindered their progress.

On the other hand, Viktoria Plzen had an impressive run, winning all six of their group games and advancing to the quarter-finals. Despite putting up a fight against Fiorentina in the second leg, they ultimately succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in extra time. Nonetheless, their remarkable journey significantly boosted the overall country coefficient for the Czech Republic.

6. Belgian Pro League (Belgium): 14.400 (0/5)

The Belgian teams experienced a mixed bag of results in European competitions.

Genk faced disappointment as they were eliminated in the qualifying rounds of both the Champions League and the Europa League. Similarly, Antwerp struggled in the UCL Group stage, finishing at the bottom.

Gent encountered a setback in the Conference League knockout play-off round, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Despite Union Saint-Gilloise's surprising advancement to the last 16 after stunning Eintracht Frankfurt, they were ultimately eliminated by Fenerbahce.

Club Brugge emerged as the standout performer, bouncing back from an initial defeat in Norway to secure progression to the Conference League quarter-finals by defeating Molde. Subsequently, they overcame PAOK in both legs to secure a spot in the last four.

However, despite their remarkable efforts, Brugge faced disappointment with a heartbreaking 4-3 aggregate loss to Fiorentina, conceding late goals in both legs. Nonetheless, their performance was commendable, reflecting positively on Belgian football.

5. La Liga (Spain): 15.812 (1/8)

La Liga faced early disappointments in European competitions, effectively ruling them out for one of the European Performance Spots. Sevilla struggled, finishing bottom of their UCL group without securing a victory. Betis suffered an upset by Dinamo Zagreb in the Conference League knockout play-off round, while Osasuna was eliminated in the qualifiers back in August.

Real Sociedad's journey to the Champions League last 16 ended when they couldn't contain Kylian Mbappe, while Barcelona faced a costly defeat at home against the same opponent in the quarter-finals. Atletico Madrid experienced a similar fate, collapsing against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on the same night as Barcelona.

Villarreal showed resilience but fell short in the Europa League quarter-finals, particularly after a 4-0 loss against Marseille at the Velodrome.

Real Madrid, however, remained as the last Spanish team standing. Carlo Ancelotti's side showcased their resilience with another dramatic comeback in the second leg against Bayern Munich, securing their spot in yet another final. Despite their efforts, even a victory at Wembley on June 1 won't be sufficient to elevate fifth-placed Spain into the top two positions.

4. Ligue 1 (France): 16.250 (0/6)

After some initial setbacks, the French teams made a remarkable recovery in European competitions. Lens, Rennes, and Toulouse's eliminations in the Europa League knockout round play-offs were disheartening, and Lille's quarter-final exit in the Conference League added to the disappointment, especially considering their strong performance against Aston Villa, which was decided on penalties.

However, France still managed to produce two semi-finalists. Marseille's journey to the Europa League last four, where they were ultimately defeated by Atalanta, showcased their resilience, defeating formidable opponents like Benfica, Villarreal, and Shakhtar Donetsk along the way.

Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, faced unexpected disappointment, succumbing to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals. Despite their victory against Barcelona in the quarter-finals, Kylian Mbappe & Co. were unable to maintain their momentum, losing both legs of the semi-final.

Nevertheless, France's clubs had already secured an additional Champions League spot via the country coefficient, ensuring three Ligue 1 clubs in next season's competition. This development is particularly exciting for surprise package Brest, currently positioned third in the table.

3. Premier League (England): 17.375 (0/8)

England's collapse in European competitions came as a shock to many, especially with Newcastle United and Manchester United finishing at the bottom of their Champions League groups, leaving no Europa League consolation for either team.

Brighton, West Ham, and Liverpool were expected to make significant strides in the Europa League, particularly the latter. However, Brighton faced a heavy defeat against Roma in the last 16, while both West Ham and Liverpool were eliminated in the quarter-finals, with Liverpool suffering a notable setback at home against Atalanta.

Surprisingly, no English team progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League either. Arsenal fell short against a struggling Bayern Munich side under Thomas Tuchel, while Manchester City couldn't overcome a Real Madrid team that seemed vulnerable.

As a result, Unai Emery's impressive Aston Villa stood as the sole Premier League representative in the semi-finals, only to be convincingly defeated 6-2 on aggregate by Olympiacos.

Despite their lack of experience and depth, Villa exited the competition with dignity, unlike many of their counterparts. The Premier League's humiliating European campaign marked the first time in nine years that no English team reached the last four of either the Europa League or the Champions League.

2. Bundesliga (Germany): 19.357 (2/7)

Germany entered the quarter-finals of the three UEFA tournaments holding the second spot in the rankings, but it seemed inevitable that they would be surpassed by England. The Bundesliga had already suffered setbacks with Union Berlin failing to secure a single win in the Champions League group stage and Eintracht Frankfurt being eliminated by Union Saint-Gilloise in the Conference knockout round play-offs.

Losing two more teams was the last thing Germany needed, especially with RB Leipzig being knocked out of the Champions League last 16 despite dominating their tie with Real Madrid, and Freiburg falling to West Ham in a crucial Germany versus England clash.

However, Bayer Leverkusen emerged as a bright spot, securing their place in Dublin after maintaining their historic unbeaten record during a 4-2 aggregate win over Roma in the Europa League semi-finals. Although there won't be a repeat of the 2013 Champions League final, with Bayern Munich unluckily eliminated by Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund will face Real Madrid at Wembley after stunning PSG.

While it might be ambitious to expect both Bundesliga sides to triumph, they have already achieved their goal of securing an extra Champions League slot for Germany next season, putting the Premier League in the shade in terms of European success.

1. Serie A (Italy): 20.714 (2/7)

Serie A has had yet another sensational season, despite Italian clubs facing disappointment in the Champions League. AC Milan struggled to advance from the 'group of death', while Napoli, Inter, and Lazio were all eliminated in the round of 16. However, Milan's descent to the Europa League turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Serie A, allowing them to earn crucial points before being eliminated by Roma in the quarter-finals.

Although Roma's hopes of reaching the tournament final were dashed by Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta has reached their first-ever European final after convincingly defeating Marseille in the second leg of their semi-final.

Fiorentina has also kept Italy's hopes alive in the Conference League. After overcoming Club Brugge, they now aim to surpass last season's performance by winning the trophy when they face Olympiacos in Athens on May 29.

Regardless of the outcomes, Italy has secured an extra place in next season's Champions League, with all seven of their representatives remaining in European competitions beyond Christmas.

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