Why Liverpool would qualify for the Champions League with a fifth-place finish in light of an impending UEFA rule change

Liverpool can qualify for the Champions League if they finish fifth next season following a major change in UEFA regulations.

The Reds finished last season of the Premier League in fifth place which means they will have to settle for the Europa League next season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side went unbeaten at the end of the league season, winning seven of their last 10 games, but it wasn’t enough to upset Manchester United or Newcastle.

United and Newcastle are two of four Premier League sides – the others being Manchester City and Arsenal – who will participate in the final iteration of the Champions League in its current form before the league undergoes a revamp.

For the 2024/25 season, the number of teams involved will increase from 32 to 36, without a traditional group stage.

The clubs instead play in a single league phase in which they play eight teams – four home games and four away games.

From there, teams that place in the top eight advance to the last 16, with teams finishing between ninth and 16th place qualifying for a playoff round. The rest of the knockout round remains unchanged.

And the new format could have a big impact on Liverpool and other Premier League teams.

Why changing UEFA rules could impact Liverpool and other Premier League clubs

In order to build the four additional squads in the 2024/25 season, UEFA will introduce a rule change that will give teams new qualification opportunities. Automatic qualification will be awarded to the top two European countries from the previous campaign.

This is important for English clubs, as based on their performances in 2022/23, both England and Italy would receive an additional Champions League qualifying place.

Manchester City defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League final, while West Ham defeated Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final. Roma meanwhile qualified for the Europa League final, but lost against Spanish Sevilla.

Even if the change won’t affect Liverpool next season, Klopp’s side could finish fifth next season and still almost certainly guarantee the Champions League, given the recent dominance of English clubs in European football.

Liverpool will be deprived of Champions League football next season for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign.

Manchester United’s 4-1 victory over Chelsea on Thursday night cemented their place in the top four and ensured that Liverpool will play Europa League football next season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are now certain to finish fifth in the Premier League, a huge disappointment given how close they came to an unprecedented four-time victory last season.

The six-time European champions must now prepare for Thursday night’s game and all the complications that will ensue.

Fifth place can be hugely detrimental for clubs at the top tier of English football given that Europa League prize money has plummeted and top players are hard to attract.

But in future seasons, a fifth-place finish may well be enough to secure a Champions League spot for Premier League sides.

Indeed, the format of the competition is set to undergo a major overhaul at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Controversial changes will take the Champions League from 32 to 36 clubs and abandon the traditional group stage.

Instead, each of the 36 qualifying clubs will play eight games each, including four at home and four away.

Teams that finish between first and eighth place in the new league stage automatically qualify for the round of 16 stage.

Meanwhile, the ninth to 24th-placed sides will compete in a two-legged play-off to determine which eight other clubs will be involved in the round of 16.

Changing UEFA rules could benefit Premier League teams

As well as changes to the Champions League format, there are also changes to how clubs qualify for the revamped competition.

Further slots will be awarded to the top two European countries from the previous season, using the UEFA coefficient system, while another slot will be awarded to the fifth country in the UEFA rankings.

If applied to the current season, England and Italy would both receive an extra Champions League place thanks to their clubs’ strong performances in Europe this season.

These extra places are then awarded based on league position, meaning that a fifth-place finish in the Premier League – as Liverpool have done – would be enough to qualify for the Champions League.

Unfortunately for the Reds, these extra qualifying places will only be awarded based on next season’s coefficient standings, in time for the start of the 2024-25 season.

The current Champions League format will be revamped from the 2024/25 season and could have a major impact on Liverpool and other English clubs.
The controversial format will see the competition expand from 32 clubs to 36, doing away with the traditional group stage.

Each of the 36 qualified teams will play eight matches each, with four at home and four away.

Teams that place between first and eighth in the new competitive stage automatically qualify for the last 16 stages. Meanwhile, the ninth to 24th-placed sides will compete in a two-legged play-off to determine which eight other clubs will be involved in the round of 16.