How PL clubs qualify for UEFA competitions

We look at how Chelsea’s UEFA Europa League triumph affects how PL clubs are allocated places for next season’s European competitions

Chelsea’s 4-1 victory over Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League final means the Premier League’s places in next season’s UEFA club competitions have been finalised.

We explain how Premier League clubs qualify for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and UEFA Europa League (UEL) in 2019/20.

The system
Ordinarily, Premier League teams placed between first and fourth qualify for the group stage of the UCL, the fifth-placed club go into the group stage of the UEL, the FA Cup winners enter the UEL group stage, while the team winning the EFL Cup enter the UEL at the second qualifying round.

The winners of the two European club competitions are given places in the UCL.

This season’s situation
A maximum of five Premier League teams are eligible for UCL qualification, but because of the UEL triumph for third-placed Chelsea four English sides will play in the 2019/20 UCL.

The top four teams in the 2018/19 table secured their places in the group stage: Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Man City have won both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup, but because they already have a place in the UCL, their spot in the UEL second qualifying round goes to seventh-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Sixth-placed Manchester United will enter the UEL in the group stage.

The UCL final between Liverpool and Spurs will not affect how places are allocated in 2019/20 as both clubs have secured a return to the competition through their league positions.

After finishing fifth, Arsenal start next season in the UEL group stage.

The Gunners would have become the fifth Premier League club to secure a group stage place in the UCL, but defeat means they missed the opportunity.

Permutations for Euro qualifying