Top six in UEFA association club rankings confirmed
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
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Spain, Germany, England and Italy are confirmed as the top four associations in the UEFA club rankings after this season, with France and Russia in fifth and sixth respectively ahead of Portugal.
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The confirmation of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League quarter-finals means the crucial top six positions in the UEFA association club coefficient rankings cannot change before the end of the season.
The associations' positions in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League access list are determined on the basis of the associations' coefficients established at the finish of the 2016/17 campaign, on the basis of the associations' coefficients from seasons 2012/13 to 2016/17.
Under the revised access lists for the revamped European club competitions from 2018, the top four nations in the association rankings will each receive four guaranteed places in the UEFA Champions League group stage while those countries ranked fifth and six gain two group berths plus a qualifying spot for the club finishing third.
Spain, Germany, England and Italy are confirmed as the top four associations regardless of what happens in the quarter-finals and beyond of the two club competitions. And despite ending last season in fifth place, Portugal have fallen outside the top six and with all their clubs now out of Europe will not be able to overtake France or Russia (in the top six for the first time since 2010).
The nations from seventh to tenth will all receive one automatic group berth and one qualifying spot, and Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium and Turkey currently hold those posititions. The Czech Republic and Switzerland, currently in 11th and 12th, would see their champions enter the play-offs and also join the top ten in being assured of at least one UEFA Europa League group slot.
In the club rankings, the calculations for which will change in 2018 but for determining next season's seedings remain the same, Real Madrid retain a comfortable lead at the top over Bayern München of more than ten points, with Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Juventus also in the top five. Notable rises include Monaco up to 32nd (from 58th at the end of last season) and Leicester City effectively a new entry in 56th.
FOR REFERENCE: the access list that will be used for allocation to the 2017/18 club competitions is based on the association club coefficient rankings at the end of 2015/16 (also taking into account the season's 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15). The rankings including 2016/17 results will be used to decide allocations in 2018/19.
Seedings for UEFA national team competitions are decided by the UEFA National Team Coefficient Ranking: the latest version was released on 14 November and will next be used to seed the UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying draw.
