Do UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta automatically qualify for the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League?
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
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Since 2014/15, the UEFA Europa League winners have earned a significant bonus prize: a place in the following season's UEFA Champions League.
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Are the Europa League winners guaranteed a place in the league phase of the 2024/25 Champions League?
Yes, UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta are now assured of a spot in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.
What if the winners also qualify via their domestic league?
Under the 2024-27 club competition format, if the Europa League winners were to qualify directly for the league phase of the Champions League via their domestic league, then the club with the best individual coefficient of all the teams in Champions League qualifying (champions path and league path) goes directly through to the league phase.
However, no leapfrogging is permitted here, meaning a team from the league path could only move up to the league phase provided that this club is the highest ranked domestically of those from its association that have not already qualified for the league phase of the competition directly. If this is not the case, the automatic league phase place would go to the club with the next best coefficient.