After more than 100 days, European club football woke up this week from a deep hibernation. The months of truth have arrived for Dutch football, which is competing for two Champions League tickets. Just a quick refresher: this is how we rank in the coefficient ranking.
How was New Year’s Eve?
With four clubs that forced an extended stay in Europe, the Netherlands can once again have an excellent six months. Feyenoord and AZ even became group winners, which was rewarded with bonus points. Ajax fell after a mediocre group stage in the Champions League, but, like PSV, can try to force a place in the Europa League in an intermediate round. In total, the Netherlands took 10,300 points before the World Cup break, narrowly strengthening sixth place.
The coefficient ranking
1. England 103,141 points
2. Spain 88,855
3. Germany 79,606
4. Italy 71,783
5. France 59,497
6. Netherlands 56,700
7. Portugal 54,049
8. Belgium 38,600
9. Scotland 36,400
10. Austria 33,600
Struggle with Portugal
The Netherlands already virtually passed Portugal last season and in the first half of this European campaign even slightly overtook the Southern Europeans, who took 10,000 points. The difference between the numbers six and seven in the ranking is therefore now 2,984 points. Portugal seems to need a miracle to make up for that difference in the coming period. The main competitor of the Netherlands still has four trump cards: Benfica and FC Porto play in the Champions League, Sporting CP ‘relegated’ to the Europa League and SC Braga hopes to qualify for the knockout phase of the Conference League via the intermediate round. .
The Netherlands already virtually passed Portugal last season and in the first half of this European campaign even slightly overtook the Southern Europeans, who took 10,000 points. Last night, thanks to Benfica’s victory over Club Brugge (0-2), another 0.333 point was added. The difference between the numbers six and seven in the ranking is therefore now 2,651 points. Portugal seems to need a miracle to make up for that difference in the coming period. The main competitor of the Netherlands still has four trump cards: Benfica and FC Porto play in the Champions League, Sporting Portugal ‘relegated’ to the Europa League and SC Braga hopes to qualify for the knockout phase of the Conference League via the intermediate round. .
What’s at stake?
Simple: for the Netherlands it will be about defending the current sixth place in the coming months. In that case, the premier league would be allowed to send no less than six clubs to the European tournaments from the 2024/25 season. The numbers one and two go to the group stage of the Champions League, while a qualifying ticket for the billion dollar ball is also ready. One club qualifies directly for the Europa League, while two teams can enter the preliminary round of the Conference League.
The Netherlands currently has five tickets: one for the group stage of the Champions League, a qualifying ticket for the Champions League, one spot in the preliminary rounds of the Europa League and two in the Conference League qualifying stage.
What can be earned specifically this week?
The results in the intermediate round of the Europa League and Conference League are also rewarded with coefficient points. Ajax and PSV are active in this on Thursday evening. Victories yield two coefficient points, which must always be divided by the number of participants who started (five in the case of the Netherlands) for the ranking. A win by one of the two Dutch teams therefore earns 0.400 points, a draw brings in 0.200 points.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.