Serie A will have five teams in the Champions League next season after it secured one of the two extra places for performance across the three European competitions this season.
Two leagues will be rewarded with an extra place through the European Performance Spots, which comes as part of the revamp to expand the Champions League to a 36-team competition.
Italy had been out in front for much of the season, and its place in the top two was secured as three of its teams made the semifinals while the Premier League lost four of its five remaining clubs at the quarterfinal stage.
– The race for five places in next season’s Champions League
No Italian team made it to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but with AS Roma and Atalanta reaching the semis of the Europa League, and Fiorentina into the last four of the Europa Conference League, Serie A has the highest coefficient score from all leagues and cannot finish outside the top two.
The Premier League went into the quarterfinals as overwhelming favourites to take the second place behind Italy, but a tough quarterfinal draw saw Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and West Ham United all eliminated. Only Aston Villa remain active in the Europa Conference League.
Romelu Lukaku of AS Roma celebrates reaching the Europa League semifinals with teammate Nicola Zalewski. Tullio Puglia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
England’s pain is set to be Germany’s gain, with the Bundesliga pulling away in second place as Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen both knocked out English clubs and Borussia Dortmund went through in the Champions League.
Ligue 1, which has two teams remaining, is also still in contention, with France capable of a higher total coefficient score than England.
Germany needs 0.488 coefficient points to claim the other (for instance, 2 wins or 1 win 2 draws).
Fifth place in Italy will now qualify for the Champions League, a position currently held by Roma with Atalanta in sixth. If either of those clubs win the Europa League and finish outside the top four then Serie A will have six teams in the Champions League — the top four, the Europa League titleholders and the European Performance Spot. The same applies to Borussia Dortmund, who sit fifth in the Bundesliga.
