After Borussia Dortmund defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, it was confirmed that the Bundesliga, not the Premier League, would receive an additional spot in the Champions League.
With the Champions League structure set to change next season, two extra spots will be allocated to the top countries in the UEFA coefficient rankings, determined by results across this season’s three European competitions.
Before this week’s results, it was already apparent that Italy would claim one of the extra spots, but the Premier League still had a chance at securing the other if outcomes in all three competitions went in its favor.
Spurs Must Secure Top-Four Finish for Champions League
However, Bayern Munich’s 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the first leg of their semifinal on Tuesday, followed by Borussia Dortmund’s victory over PSG the next day, effectively eliminated any chance of the Premier League surpassing the Bundesliga in UEFA coefficient points.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Germany will receive the additional Champions League spot for next season, while England will continue to have four.
This outcome implies that Tottenham Hotspur must surpass Aston Villa for fourth place in the Premier League to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.
I’m starting to think that it might not be the end of the world if Spurs end up in the Europa League for a season. Not only would they have a greater chance of winning the competition, but they could also afford to rotate the squad during the group stage, a flexibility not typically available in the Champions League.
