English Football: How to Qualify for Champions League

English football is the widest and the most competitive in the world. Consequently, UEFA offers England 4 Champions League slots the maximum any country can produce.

Champions League qualification in English Football

Fortunately, English teams can qualify for the UEFA champion league through three main ways as explained below.

Similarly, qualifying for UEFA Champions League is quite competitive for teams in playing in Premier League.

Qualification through Premier League position

Only the top four teams qualify for the UEFA champions league based on points. Each team plays 38 games, which is home and away against the other 19 teams participating in the league. Teams accumulate points after each game until the last match.

The first three teams join the Champions League at the group stages that start in mid-September of every year. The fourth team joins the league in the playoff round then later joins the group stages if successful.

<Qualifying through Champions League win

A Champions League win in the previous season guarantees that team a Champions chance in the next season at group stages. It does not matter whether the team finishes among the top four teams in the premier league.

A common misconception among football fans do this method offers an additional premier league slot for England. The answer is Yes and No!

YES, if the Champion League winner is from the premier league but finishes outside the top four. All top four teams and the winner will join Champions League group stages.

NO, if the Champions League winner comes from premier league and finishes among the top four, still only four teams will qualify.

Qualifying through Europa League Win

If a premier league team wins Europa League, it may qualify for champions in two ways. First, qualification in the group stages is guaranteed if the team that won the champions league in the previous season qualifies for Champions through league positions.

A good example is in the 2016/2017 season. Manchester United won the UEFA Europa League but finished sixth in the premier league. Since Real Madrid had won the Champions League and qualified for the 2017/2018 season by finishing first in Spanish La Liga, Manchester qualified for group stages in the next Champions League.

Secondly, qualification to Play-offs stages. This is guaranteed if the team that won the champion league does not qualify for the next Champions through league position.

For example,  Manchester United would have been demoted to Champions League play-off round if Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid in semi-finals.


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