Liverpool could have a big impact on how Manchester United end the season. Ending Jurgen Klopp’s managerial career at Liverpool by winning the Europa League is an achievement Manchester United fans will also be celebrating.
United are set to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League next month and hope to qualify for the competition in Dublin on May 22. This is the only title Klopp has not been in charge of for nearly nine years. It would be a fitting end to Merseyside and its glorious Anfield reign.
More trophies won by the German would be welcomed by United fans, but that may not be the case if Klopp secures Europa League glory. That’s because the team that finished fifth in the Premier League this season could advance to the Champions League next year.
UEFA decided to change the format of Europe’s elite competition from 2024/25, increasing the number of participating teams from 32 to 36 and opening up four additional places. Two of these places belong to the country whose club had the best results in UEFA competitions last season.
If Premier League teams succeed in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season, it will have a positive impact on other clubs in England. Had this rule been in place this season, a fifth-place finish in May would have put the Reds back into the Champions League, with Manchester City winning the Champions League and West Ham United winning the Conference League.
Other teams to feature are Atalanta, who finished fifth in Serie A after Inter Milan reached the Champions League final, while Roma and Fiorentina reached the Europa League and Conference League finals respectively. That’s why United will be paying close attention to Liverpool’s performance in Europe this season.
That’s because relying on other clubs’ performances could be Erik Ten Hag’s side’s most realistic chance of securing Champions League football. The Red Devils are currently sixth and eighth in the Premier League. They are one point behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Italy and Germany are currently the top two countries for extra Champions League space with 14 and 13.64 points respectively, slightly higher than England (13.63 points). That could all change with the play-off rounds of the three UEFA competitions taking place, with extra points awarded based on results.
Each win is worth 2 counting points, a draw gives 1 point and a loss does not affect the total score. Bonus points are awarded for progressing through the various stages of each tournament, with the total points added up and divided by the number of clubs each country has played in Europe this season to get the average.
As a result, Liverpool’s full entry into the Europa League will have the negative effect of boosting United or Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes for 2024/25 Champions League football ahead of the competition’s revamped format next year. The 2024/25 ‘Swiss Model’ would see all 36 teams placed in a single table, following the traditional Champions League group stages.
Each team that makes it past the preliminary round will play 8 matches, split equally between home and away, and the teams in 1st and 8th place will automatically advance to the round of 16. The elimination phase will take place according to the current system. The teams ranked 9th and 24th will play a two-stage playoff, with the eight winners advancing to the round of 16.
Increasing attendance will have a major impact on an already crowded football schedule. From the 2024/25 season, the total of 125 Champions League matches will be 189.
