UEFA qualification for Premier League clubs in 2022/23 explained - how it will work, teams involved
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Updated 04/05/2022 at 11:38 GMT
There are places up for grabs in next season's UEFA Champions League (UECL), UEFA Europa League (UEL) and UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL). There could end up being nine English teams competing in European competition next season, with five clubs in the UCL, three in the UEL and one in the UECL.
The UEFA Champions League trophy
Image credit: Getty Images
With the Premier League season now reaching its climax, the rather complicated issue of determining which clubs can qualify for UEFA competitions is becoming clearer.
The Premier League have explained which clubs are still in the running to secure the division’s places in next season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL) and UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).
At the start of the season, the league’s European places are designated as follows: the top-four teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup winners enter the UEL, while the EFL Cup winners go into the following season’s UECL.
However, a lot has changed since then.
What happens to the EFL Cup and FA Cup winners’ places?
EFL Cup winners Liverpool are guaranteed a top-four finish, meaning the Reds will qualify for the UCL via their league position.
This means that their UECL place goes to the highest-place club in the Premier League table that has not qualified for Europe.
The Reds are also set to play Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 14, with the winners of that competition normally qualifying for the UEL.
The Blues are not mathematically guaranteed a top-four finish, but in reality, their league position means that they will at least qualify for the UEL in fifth.
This means that the teams which finish sixth and seventh in the Premier League, currently Manchester United and West Ham, would enter the UEL and UECL as things stand.
PL clubs in Europe
Position and UEFA competition
1 UCL
2 UCL
3 UCL
4 UCL
5 UEL
6 UEL*
7 UECL**
*FA Cup winners' place; ** EFL Cup winners' place
What happens if either Man City or Liverpool win the UCL?
In truth, not a lot! The top four teams in the Premier League table will automatically qualify for the UCL group stages. At present, those places are occupied by Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Liverpool are through to this season’s UECL final, while City will be aiming to join them with their semi-final second leg against Real Madrid taking place tonight.
Both teams are guaranteed to finish in the top four, but even if either side wins the competition, their respective qualifications will not be transferred to another team in the league.
What happens if West Ham or Leicester win the UEL or UECL?
This is where it gets interesting, as West Ham and Leicester are in the semi-finals of the UEL and UECL respectively.
If the Hammers win the Europa League, then they will become the fifth English club to qualify for next season’s UCL group stage.
Should they finish fifth or sixth in the Premier League in doing so, then their place would not be transferred to a club below them in the table.
However, if David Moyes’ side win the UEL and finish seventh, the UEL spots would go to the fifth and sixth-place teams, leaving no side in the UECL.
Meanwhile, Leicester are unlikely to finish in the top seven, meaning they would need to win the UECL in order to qualify for the UEL next season.
Could there be nine English teams in Europe?
While unlikely, this is possible. For this to happen, West Ham must win the UEL and finish eighth or lower, while the same applies to Leicester if they were to emerge victorious in the UECL.
This means that five clubs would qualify for the UCL (top four and West Ham), three in the UEL (fifth, sixth and Leicester), while the seventh-place club would enter the UECL.
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