Who qualifies for Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference from the Premier League?
Seven teams from the Premier League will compete in European football again in 2022/23, across the three competitions once more on the Uefa calendar.
While the Champions League is the main event, top-flight sides from England also reached the semi-finals of both the Europa League and the Europa Conference League this season - but who will be involved next term?
Here’s a breakdown of the sides you’ll be watching and which competition they’ll be in.
How many teams go into each competition?
In principle there are four Premier League sides in the Champions League, two in the Europa League and one in the Conference. Those numbers can, in theory, increase if a side qualifies as a holder of one of the competitions but doesn’t otherwise reach a European spot by domestic performance.
However, only Leicester City and West Ham can now add to the number this term in that way.
How do teams qualify for each competition?
The Premier League’s top four go into the Champions League, then fifth is for the Europa. The winners of the FA Cup get a Europa spot too, with the League Cup winners earning a Conference place. If a winner of the cup qualifies for a European place through league position, that cup place goes to the next team down in the league table - so Liverpool’s Wembley win in the Carabao Cup, plus the fact they play Chelsea in the FA Cup final, means sixth this year is also good for the Europa League and seventh is now the Europa Conference League, starting from the final qualifying round. All six teams in the other two competitions go straight to the group stage.
Which teams are in the Champions League?
Manchester City and Liverpool have already guaranteed themselves a top-four finish. Third is currently Chelsea and they need eight points from the last four games to confirm their own top-four place.
The much-coveted final berth is between Arsenal and Tottenham. Man United can technically still finish fourth but it’s now extremely improbable. The north London derby on 12 May could prove crucial to whether Mikel Arteta or Antonio Conte’s side reach the Champions League next term.
Which teams are in the Europa League?
Whichever team out of Spurs and Arsenal fail to finish fourth will almost certainly take fifth. Man United need four points from their last two games to confirm sixth place.
Which teams are in the Europa Conference League?
Whoever finishes seventh in the Premier League will claim this spot. That’s currently West Ham, but Wolves are also in the hunt.
Anything else?
If Leicester win the Europa Conference League or West Ham win the Europa League and finish below seventh, they will add to the number of Premier League clubs in continental competitions for 22/23.
If the Hammers are successful but finish sixth or seventh, there is no extra spot - they’ll go into the Champions League and the English place for the competition they would have been in through league table placing is removed. Similarly, if Leicester celebrate European glory this term they will go straight into the 22/23 Europa League and nobody will lose their place, making an extra English side in Europe - unless they somehow climb from 11th to the top seven in the final weeks.
There’s no extra Champions League spot for fifth in the Premier League if Liverpool or Man City win the competition in Paris at the end of the month.
