Premier League confirms that FIVE English clubs can qualify for the Champions League next season

History could be made during the 2023-2024 season as five Premier League teams were able to qualify for the Champions League via league position for the first time.

A format change for the 2024-25 campaign sees 36 teams taking part in the competition in a ‘Swiss League’ style, allowing an additional place to be allocated to the two countries whose clubs perform best in all UEFA competitions. competitions.

For this to happen, this year’s campaign would require England’s clubs to have one of the top two performances in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

A statement from the Premier League said: “We will probably only know when that fifth spot will come into play for UCL towards the end of the season, when the geographical spread of participating clubs in the latter stages of the UEFA competition competitions is known.’

Traditionally, only four clubs have qualified for the Champions League through their position in the league.

However, on one occasion five Premier League teams qualified for Europe’s elite competition when Liverpool lifted the trophy during the 2005 season, but finished outside the top four.

Last season, Manchester City won the Champions League against Inter Milan, while West Ham defeated Fiorentina to claim the Europa Conference League. A European achievement that would be enough to qualify a fifth team had the new rules been implemented for the upcoming campaign.

The Premier League has confirmed that in five of the past six seasons and seven of the past 11 seasons, the performance of English clubs in Europe would have earned the extra spot.

The rule change would effectively allow up to seven clubs to qualify, although that would require both Champions League and Europa League winners to come from the Premier League and both teams to finish outside the top five.