Ten Hag insists Man Utd have plenty to play for after European exit
Manchester United and Tottenham could be rescued by a new Champions League rule that may see five Premier League teams qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Red Devils were dumped out of this season’s Champions League when they lost to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, while Spurs didn’t even qualify for any European competition this time around after finishing eighth in the Premier League last season.
United are sixth in the Premier League table at the moment and have already been cut six points adrift of the top four after losing seven top-flight matches. Spurs, meanwhile, are one place above the Red Devils but still find themselves three points behind fourth-place Manchester City as the halfway point of the season approaches.
Under the current rules, only the top four teams from the Premier League qualify for the Champions League. But the European competition is set to change its format next season, with 36 teams competing instead of 32.
Two of the extra places will be handed to the leagues that have the best coefficients. The coefficients are calculated by the performances of clubs in European competitions this time around.
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If the Premier League makes it into the top two, the team who finish fifth in England’s top division this season will take their place in the Champions League during the next campaign. In six of the last seven seasons, the Premier League made it into the top two. So it is likely England will have five teams competing in the Champions League next season if the Premier League clubs currently playing in Europe perform on a similar level on average to the teams that went before them.
In some seasons, it may be obvious by the early spring which leagues will have the best coefficients due to the line-up of the quarter-finals in the three European competitions. In other seasons, it has gone down to the wire, with the Bundesliga only leapfrogging the Premier League into second place in 2020 after Bayern Munich had defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
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Either way, United and Tottenham will be desperately hoping the Premier League trump their rival leagues by the time this campaign comes to an end.
The Red Devils look unlikely to break into the top four due to their inconsistent form and face a battle just to finish fifth. Tottenham, meanwhile, have been exposed for their all-out attacking strategy under Ange Postecoglou in recent weeks and may not have the stability to ultimately finish in the top four either.
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