The Premier League is almost certain to miss out on an extra Champions League place after Manchester City and Arsenal lost their quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
The English duo exited the competition to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively in hugely damaging results to the country’s coefficient.
This season an extra place in next season’s Champions League will be awarded to the two countries with the highest coefficient.
Italy are well clear with Atalanta, AC Milan, Roma and Fiorentina all still in European competitions this season and, with Bayern and Borussia Dortmund both qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals, it means Germany has now taken a potentially decisive lead over England in the race for the other spot.
That would mean Aston Villa and Tottenham are now in a head-to-head race for the Premier League’s fourth and final spot in next season’s competition, rather than both being in with a chance of qualifying due to the extra place that could have been awarded to the English top flight.
Italy’s Serie A has 18.428 points, with Germany second on 17.642. The Premier League is well adrift on 16.875 points.
All European competitions are awarded the same points for wins, meaning performances in the Europa and Conference League are just as valuable as the Champions League.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
