Champions League
Sixth starting position? Chances for Bundesliga decreased
May 1, 2026 – 9:30 a.mReading time: 1 min.
The gap to the decisive second place in the UEFA rankings has increased due to the defeat of Bayern and Freiburg in the European Cup. Now Spain’s teams would have to make a mistake.
The fight for a maximum of six possible starting places in the Champions League for Germany in the coming season will be a big game in the decisive phase. After the first leg defeats of FC Bayern in the Champions League against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and SC Freiburg in the Europa League in Braga, the gap to Spain, who occupy second place in the UEFA ranking, has increased again.
The Spaniards have 21,781 points, Germany 21,214. The undisputed leader is England with 27,125 points. The nations in the first two places will receive an additional starting place in the Champions League next season. If Freiburg were to win the Europa League, Breisgauer would also be a possible sixth team from the Bundesliga in the premier class.
The English Premier League is still represented by four clubs in the semi-finals of the European Cup competitions: Arsenal FC in the Champions League, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest (in a direct duel) in the Europa League and Crystal Palace in the Conference League.
From Spain, Atlético Madrid (Champions League) and Rayo Vallecano (Conference League) are also there, both of which scored points for the UEFA ranking. Atlético played 1-1 against Arsenal, Vallecano beat Mainz conquerors Racing Strasbourg 1-0.
