In the coming season, nine teams from the Bundesliga could play in the European Cup – six of them in the Champions League. But some conditions must be met for this to happen.
The overview:
- In the coming season, a maximum of nine teams from the Bundesliga can play in Europe, including six in the Champions League.
- In addition to the four regular places in the Champions League, the German teams can win another place in the European Cup.
- If SC Freiburg wins the Europa League and finishes worse than fourth place, they would get another place in the Champions League.
- If SC Freiburg wins the Europa League and does not take a European place, up to nine teams from the Bundesliga could even play internationally.
The starting position: Seven teams are definitely there
But how does this come about? In principle, German football also has seven places in the European Cup in the 2026/27 season. Because both participants in the DFB Cup final will definitely end up in the top six, the distribution is:
| placement | Competition |
|---|---|
Place 1 – 4 | Champions League |
Place 5 – 6 | Europa League |
7th place | Conference League (Playoffs) |
Additional places possible when winning titles
The European Cup winners are rewarded by UEFA with an automatic right to start. The places are as follows:
- The winner of the Champions League plays in the Champions League
- The winner of the Europa League also plays in the Champions League
- The winner of the Conference League plays in the Europa League
The important caveat: If the European Cup winners already occupy European Cup places in the Bundesliga, the places achieved twice go back to UEFA, which then distributes them to other countries.
This means at the current status:
- A Champions League win for Bayern would not bring any additional place as Bayern are certain to finish in the top four.
- A Europa League victory for SC Freiburg, on the other hand, would bring an extra place for the Bundesliga in international business – assuming Freiburg ends up behind seventh place in the Bundesliga.
- Should Freiburg, as the Europa League winner, take a place in the Europa League or Conference League, the Bundesliga would lose this place, but Freiburg would get the Champions League place through the Europa League victory.
Fifth place in the Champions League over UEFA season standings inside
In addition, the German teams can still earn a fifth place in the Champions League via the UEFA season rankings. The two countries whose clubs score the most points on average get an additional place in the Champions League.
In contrast to the places of the European Cup winners, this place in the Champions League is really additional for the fifth-placed team and would further postpone all other places in the Europa League and the Conference League.
How the ninth-placed team can play in Europe
If Freiburg wins the Europa League and finishes eighth in the Bundesliga, Freiburg would be part of the Champions League.
If fifth place in the Champions League is added via the UEFA season rankings and Freiburg finishes eighth in the table, ninth in the table would play in Europe.
| Place | Competition |
|---|---|
1 | Champions League |
2 | Champions League |
3 | Champions League |
4 | Champions League |
5 | Champions League |
6 | Europa League |
7 | Europa League |
8 | Champions League* |
9 | Conference League |
10 | – |
*Assuming that the Bundesliga gets a fifth place in the Champions League, Freiburg wins the Europa League and ends up in 8th place in the Bundesliga.
The theoretical maximum case: Eleven Bundesliga teams internationally
The theoretical maximum that cannot be achieved this season would be eleven European Cup participants from Germany:
- four places Champions League Bundesliga table
- one place in the Champions League UEFA season rankings
- a Champions League place for the Champions League winner, who is not allowed to achieve a European place in the Bundesliga
- a Champions League place for the Europa League winner, who is not allowed to achieve a European place in the Bundesliga
- a Europa League place for the Conference League winner, who is not allowed to achieve a European place in the Bundesliga
- a Europa League place for a Bundesliga club
- a Europa League place for the DFB Cup winner (or replacement from the Bundesliga if the DFB Cup winner has already qualified)
- one place in the Playoffs Conference League for a Bundesliga team
Fair play rating no more back door
For many years, UEFA’s Fair Play rating was a way to get a place in the first qualifying round of the Europa League. But UEFA abolished this rule a long time ago; since 2015, the fairest association has received prize money instead of a starting place.
