If a season is abandoned, UEFA is considering using the five-year coefficient as a basis for qualifying for the Champions League and the Europa League. With far-reaching consequences.
An idea within the European Football Union could lead to a storm of indignation!
For those national leagues that cannot complete their seasons because of the corona crisis, the five-year coefficient from the European competitions could be used as a qualification criterion for the coming season of the Champions and Europa League. Such a proposal was part of a videoconference with the general secretaries of the 55 member associations, reports Sun in England.
As we learned from UEFA circles, this scenario – among others – is indeed being considered. It is one with considerable explosive power.
Is Gladbach looking in the tube?
The Bundesliga is still hoping to finish the season and is currently heading for a restart on 9 May. But if they fail to do so, the UEFA simulation matches would also have an impact on the qualification of German clubs.
The current fifth and sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04 would be the beneficiaries, who would be sure of a place in the Champions League alongside FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. RB Leipzig and Borussia Moenchengladbach would then be off the grid.
The decision for Gladbach would be particularly bitter. Coach Marco Rose’s team would not even have a secure qualification for the Europa League. The two fixed places would be taken by Leipzig and Wolfsburg.
“From our point of view, that would really be absurd and would contradict the idea of fair sporting competition,” Gladbach’s media director Markus Aretz told us.
Leicester and Chelsea as victims in England
There would also be victims in the English Premier League. The current surprise third Leicester City, like Chelsea FC, would have to make do with participating in the Europa League. FC Arsenal, on the other hand, would be assured of a place in the Champions League, although the “Gunners” are currently only ninth in the standings.
According to information from the Sun, UEFA president Alexander Ceferin is not a friend of the proposal. He had already pointed out after the Belgian league was broken up that there could be problems with the naming of the European Cup participants for the coming season. Since in several countries, including the Netherlands, similar developments to those in Belgium are emerging, new solutions could soon be necessary.
In a short statement on its own homepage, UEFA merely announced that there had been a recommendation to bring the national competitions to an end. For “special cases” in which this was not possible, the association was currently drawing up guidelines for the national associations. These are ultimately responsible for how the starting positions are filled.
According to information, however, there will not be a wildcard rule – that clubs get a starting place purely on the basis of their illustrious name -.
It is possible that a decision will already be made on Thursday. Then the UEFA Executive Committee will meet for its next meeting.