The Premier League season is edging toward its climax, with a host of clubs battling to secure places in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL) and UEFA Conference League (UCoL).
Yet there are a whole host of clauses and considerations that could affect where the places go.
First of all, the Premier League will have five teams in the UCL next season after it secured one of the extra places for performance by clubs across the three competitions.
But what happens to the places reserved for the domestic cups?
And what does it mean if any English clubs lift a European trophy?
Here’s your guide to European qualification in the Premier League.
This article will be updated through to the end of the season as more details emerge.
Manchester City could still qualify for Europe via the Premier League or the FA Cup. Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty ImagesWhat’s the usual allocation for the Premier League?
At the start of every season, the Premier League’s European allocation is:
Champions League: Places 1-4
Europa League: 5, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
But now there’s an extra place in the Champions League?
The two leagues with the best set of collective results in European competition get a fifth team in the Champions League through the European Performance Spots (EPS).
It was confirmed on April 8 — through Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid — that the Premier League will get one of the two EPS.
LaLiga is likely to get the second spot, though there’s a small chance that Serie A could take it.
The extra place goes to fifth in the league.
For the final positions in the 2024-25 season, to qualify for Europe the positions are now:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
What does Newcastle winning the Carabao Cup mean?
Newcastle United are guaranteed a place in the Conference League after they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final on March 16.
So that makes the allocation:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
However, where Newcastle finish in the table could impact the allocation. If the Magpies qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League, the Conference League place transfers to the Premier League.
So if Newcastle (who are fourth with one game in hand, which is being played on Wednesday) finish in the top six, as it stands the Conference League place passes to seventh:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: 7
The above scenarios can also be affected by the FA Cup, pushing it down a place.
Newcastle United are guaranteed a place in the Conference League but could finish in the top five. Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty ImagesHow about the FA Cup?
There are four teams left in the FA Cup: Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest. (Stream the semifinals on April 26-27 on ESPN+)
The winners of the competition qualify for the Europa League.
If the FA Cup winners finish in the top six, the place for the FA Cup transfers to the league. This is likely if Forest (third), Man City (fifth) or Aston Villa (seventh) lift the trophy.
That would mean seventh place plays in the Europa League by league performance.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Palace (12th) win the FA Cup, then it’s pretty certain the league places will be unaltered:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, Crystal Palace
Conference League: Newcastle United
But if both Newcastle and the winners of the FA Cup finish inside the top seven, a Europa League place goes to seventh and the allocation for the Conference League drops down another place to seventh:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: 8
What happens to the EPS if a Premier League team wins a European competition?
The EPS is applied after all the usual rebalancing related to the winners of domestic competitions and the three European competitions.
In all circumstances, the EPS provides a plus-1 to a league’s allocation — so the Premier League will have eight teams minimum. But it could be up to 11. But how?
What if a Premier League team wins the Champions League?
If Arsenal (second) win the Champions League and finish inside the top four (the latter of which is almost certain), the places are unaltered. The spot in the Champions League group stage reserved for the holders, which Arsenal would not need, goes to the highest-ranked team in the playoff round.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Aston Villa win the Champions League, it could look a little different. If Villa (seventh) finish fifth, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League (the top four, the EPS and Villa) and it would surrender the place in the Europa League designated for Aston Villa by league position. Only the FA Cup winners would play in the UEL.
Champions League: 1-6
Europa League: FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Aston Villa finish sixth, the Premier League would have a ninth team in Europe, as they would not — as it stands — be in a domestic European place. Once the EPS is applied the Europa League place passes over Villa to seventh.
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa as UCL winners
Europa League: 7, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
Yet this can all be complicated by the final position of Newcastle and/or the FA Cup, which would push qualification down a place or two.
For instance, if Newcastle United finish inside the top five, plus Aston Villa finish sixth and win the UCL. Villa would now be in the Conference League place, which is surrendered. However, once the EPS is applied this sends the Europa League spot to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa (7)
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: —
But if the FA Cup winners also finish inside the top six and Villa finish fifth or sixth, it’s a place in the Europa League which is surrendered. Yet the EPS still pushes one Europa League place to seventh, and the Conference League to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa as UCL winners
Europa League: 7
Conference League: 8
If Aston Villa win the Champions League it may well mean there are five Premier League teams in the competition. Julian Finney/Getty ImagesWhat if a Premier League team wins the Europa League?
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, with the winners earning a place in the Champions League for next season.
Neither team will finish in a European position domestically, with Man United in 13th, 15 points off sixth with six games to play. Spurs are a further two places and another point further back.
Therefore, either team winning the UEL would provide a ninth team in Europe.
Champions League: 1-5, Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Aston Villa also were to win the UCL and finish outside the top four, this would mean seven Premier League teams in the Champions League.
Champions League: 1-5 or 6, Aston Villa as UCL winners, Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners
What if Chelsea win the Conference League?
Chelsea sit in sixth place in the Premier League, though they are only six points ahead of eighth-placed Fulham.
By rights, the winners of the Conference League get a place in the Europa League. If Chelsea lift the trophy and finish inside the top five, there will be no change to the allocation.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Chelsea win the Conference League and finish sixth, the Premier League gets an extra team in the Europa League, and nine in Europe. Once the EPS is applied, the Europa League place for fifth goes to the team in seventh.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 7, FA Cup winners, Chelsea as UCoL winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
However, if Newcastle finish inside the top five, thus passing the Conference League place to sixth and Chelsea finish in that place, the Premier League surrenders the berth in the Conference League and Chelsea play in the Europa League. Again, the UEL place makes a jump and goes to seventh. The Premier League would have three teams in the UEL and eight in Europe.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 7, FA Cup winners, Chelsea as UCoL winners
Conference League: —
Now let’s add to the last scenario the FA Cup winners finishing inside the top six. There is no change to the Europa League allocation, as Chelsea in sixth have finished in a domestic UEL qualifying position. The EPS still sends a Europa League place to seventh, and the Conference League place to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: 8
What if multiple teams win European trophies?
This all depends on where the clubs finish in the league, of course, but each European titleholder is guaranteed a place in Europe. As above, if any team finishes in a European place domestically, there is no additional place. However, a team does not qualify from domestic competition, it’s an extra place for the titleholders on top of the league allocation — even if all three were to do so.
So that means it’s possible, though improbable, for the Premier League to have 11 teams in Europe. It would require Aston Villa to win the UCL, Man United or Tottenham to win the UEL, and Chelsea the Conference League and all three finish outside the top six:
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa as UCL winners, Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners, as Chelsea as UCoL winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Newcastle were to finish in the top six, or the FA Cup winners do so, that shifts the places down by one or two and makes it even more unlikely.
Chelsea are favorites to win the Conference League. Getty ImagesWhat’s the maximum number of teams in the Champions League?
Seven as shown in the last section: the top four spots, the extra place for the EPS plus the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League if they finish outside the domestic places and qualify as titleholders.
And what’s the maximum number of teams in Europe?
Eleven, but only if Premier League clubs win all three European competitions and finish outside the domestic places.
This is again illustrated in the “multiple teams” section.
How ninth, 10th or 11th in the Premier League could qualify for Europe
This is very unlikely, but it’s worth explaining.
For this, we need to assume Newcastle United and the FA Cup winners have finished inside the top six.
This is the allocation before the EPS:
Champions League: 1-4
Europa League: 5, 6
Conference League: 7
Let’s say Aston Villa (though it can be any of the teams in Europe) win the Champions League and finish in eighth place — one below the Conference League spot. Aston Villa play in the Champions League as titleholders, and the Premier League has eight teams in Europe.
Champions League: 1-4, Aston Villa as UCL winners (8)
Europa League: 5, 6
Conference League: 7
Now the EPS is applied with fifth in the UCL, and this creates the plus-1 in all scenarios. The European places drop down one, but as Aston Villa already have a place in the Champions League, the Conference League spot jumps over them and goes to ninth.
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa as UCL winners (8)
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: 9
The same logic can be applied to only Man United/Tottenham or Chelsea winning a European title. If they finish eighth, it creates the same “jump.” For instance, if Chelsea finish eighth and the Premier League gets the EPS.
If multiple European titleholders are in consecutive places outside the domestic spots, this can create multiple “jumps.” This is the effect of two teams winning European titles and finish eighth and ninth — 10th gets the Conference League spot after the EPS is applied. Let’s take Chelsea and Aston Villa:
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa as UCL winners (9)
Europa League: 6, 7, Chelsea as UCoL winners (8)
Conference League: 10
And if you add Man United or Tottenham lifting the UEL and finishing 10th, that pushes the place in the Conference League down to 11th after the EPS.
Champions League: 1-5, Aston Villa as UCL winners (9), Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners (10)
Europa League: 6, 7, Chelsea as UCoL winners (8)
Conference League: 11
Eighth, ninth or 10th could also qualify for the Europa League by league position
This is like the previous scenario, the difference being the first European titleholder finishes in the Conference League position, which is surrendered.
When the EPS is applied, it’s the Europa League place which makes the “jump,” rather than the Conference League place.
Let’s say Chelsea win the Conference League and finish seventh, with all European places going to the league. Chelsea would play in the Europa League, and the Premier League would give Chelsea’s place in the Conference League. Add the EPS, and the Europa League place for 6th position jumps over Chelsea and is given to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, Chelsea as UCoL winners (7), 8
Conference League: –
Again, the Europa League place could technically drop to ninth or tenth if European title winners finish in consecutive positions.