Manchester United supporters may still see their team play in the UEFA Champions League next season, despite not finishing in the top four on the Premier League table.
Currently, the Red Devils are playing catch-up to Aston Villa and Tottenham, who currently occupy fourth and fifth place respectively. However, there is still a way for them to qualify for the most lucrative club competition in the world next season.
With the new format of the competition, the Premier League is expected to receive an additional Champions League place, as one of two countries with the best UEFA co-efficient – alongside Italy. This means that the fifth place in the Premier League is set to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, with Tottenham or Aston Villa being the beneficiaries of this new development.
However, there is still a chance for the Red Devils to qualify for the Champions League even if they do not finish in the top five. This will only work if West Ham clinch the fifth spot and win the Europa League. If the Hammers win the Europa League, it will free up a Champions League spot for an English club as the additional place that applies to a team’s domestic league finish. West Ham face high-flying Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-final of the Europa League.
This means that a seventh-place finish in the Premier League could play Champions League football next season, but only if both the winners of the Champions League and Europa League are English clubs that finish outside of the top four in the Premier League.
