Qualification For European Competitions
See also: English clubs in European footballClubs who do well in either the Premier League, FA Cup or League Cup can qualify to compete in various UEFA-organised Europe-wide competitions in the following season. The number of English clubs playing in Europe in any one season can range from seven to nine, depending on the qualification scenarios. Currently, England is awarded the following places in European competitions:
| Competition | Who Qualifies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | Club finishing 1st in the Premier League | |
| Club finishing 2nd in the Premier League | ||
| Club finishing 3rd in the Premier League | ||
| UEFA Champions League Playoff-Round for Non-Champions | Club finishing 4th in the Premier League. | If the title holder has not already qualified for the Champions League, they will take the spot and the club finishing 4th in the table will enter the UEFA Europa League. Seedings will be adjusted, as the title holder enters at the group stage. |
| UEFA Europa League | Any English club that wins the UEFA Europa League and has not already qualified for a European competition | By the UEFA Europa League regulations (Regulation 1.06), this club's entry into the UEFA Europa League will not be at the expense of any other entries to which its national federation is entitled. |
| UEFA Europa League Play-Off Round | Club finishing 5th in the Premier League | If the fifth-placed club has already qualified for Europe through the FA Cup, then the next-highest Premier League finishers get this place |
| FA Cup winners | If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League, by Regulation 1.04), the runners-up qualify for the spot; if they have also qualified for the Champions League, the next highest league finisher not already qualified for Europe takes the place. In either of these cases, if the new club has a lower league finish than a club starting in an earlier round, the clubs will swap their starting rounds. | |
| UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round | League Cup winners | If the League Cup winners have already qualified for Europe by a high Premier League finish, then the next highest-finishing Premier League club gets this place |
| UEFA Europa League First Qualifying Round | FA Premier League club with the best UEFA Fair Play ranking that has not already qualified for Europe, but only if England has one of the top three positions and has a fair play score of above 8. |
In addition, once in a European competition, it becomes possible to qualify for others:
- All the winners of the Champions League Play-Off Round go forward to the Champions League
- All the losers of the Champions League Play-Off Round go forward to the UEFA Europa League
- All the winners of the UEFA Europa League Play-Off Round go forward to the UEFA Europa League
- Any clubs playing in the Champions League that finish third in the group stage go into the UEFA Europa League Round of 32
Read more about this topic: Football In England
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