There is no longer any doubt about who can gain an advantage by taking the 9th spot in the table.

The CL and EL are finished for 2025  we’re now looking at the table of UEFA coefficients — or rather, the table of this season’s rankings. In the 2024 season, the best performing were the English and Spanish clubs — allowing both Newcastle (EPL) and Villarreal (La Liga) to get their teams into the CL starting in the 5th spot of the EPL and La Liga tables respectively.
English teams have taken the lead once again in the 2025 season — just as they did in the 2024 season — and also had another successful week in Europe: 7 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss — giving them 13.166 points (already more than half the number of points English teams accumulated during the entire 2024 season — 23.892).

Manchester City – lbc.co.uk

Germany is next with huge problems for France and the top-7 ranks as follows:


1. 13.166 – England (9/9)


2. 11.660 – Germany (7/7)


3. 11.071 – Italy (7/7)


4. 10.609 – Spain (8/8)


5. 10.600 – Portugal (4/5)


6. 10.406 – Poland (4/4)


7. 10.214 – France (7/7).
 It was a guarantee for England to receive a bonus entry to the CL on April 9 (with the first games of the 1/4 finals) last time. Everything indicates that the same situation will develop similarly this time. A larger issue of interest is the identity of the other countries besides England that will finish in the top-2 positions at the end of the season. Now, however, the critical factor is the number of teams from each country that will be eliminated at the end of the group stage. As yet, the top leagues have not lost any of their teams (there were opportunities only for teams from the Conference League).
At present, the highest ranked position of all 9 English teams in the top-24 is Chelsea — ranked #13. Similarly, all Italian teams are progressing to the playoffs — Napoli is at worst 23rd. For Germany, however, Eintracht is outside the top-24 (ranked 30th) and must win against Qarabag and Tottenham in the CL. Nice does not have a single point (ranked 36th) and therefore does not mathematically have the ability to reach the top-24 in the EL for France either. Also, Spain is experiencing problems as well — two of its teams — Villarreal (#35) and Athletic (#28) — are below the playoff level.


Antonio Conte – tntsports.co.uk

Finally, let us examine the problem of bonus points. Bonus points are awarded differently depending upon the place in the top-24 of the CL, EL, and ECL. However, the most bonus points are awarded by the top European Cup competition. The winner of the top European Cup receives an extra six points — the second team — 5.75, the third team — 5.50, and so forth with a decrease of a quarter point per position until reaching 24th position. On the other hand, from a standpoint of obtaining points in the ranking, it would appear better to be in a slightly lower position in the table — say, 10th — and proceed to the 1/8 finals of the competition via the playoffs. However, such a position would increase the risk of elimination sooner.