In the sphere of the continental competitions of Europe, success isn’t just measured by goals scored or trophies won, but also quantified through a system known as the UEFA coefficient.
The UEFA coefficient is a known points-based system that evaluates team, or their association’s performances in UEFA competitions over a rolling five-year period.
These competitions primarily include the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League, with points awarded for wins, draws, and progression to various stages of the tournaments.
This intricate formula determines the ranking of clubs and national teams across the continent, influencing everything from tournament seeding to qualification chances.
However, what exactly goes into calculating this all-important coefficient?
UEFA Coefficient Calculations
Questions are being asked of the ways of UEFA in calculating the coefficient that makes one club, or league ranks higher in the pecking order, when compared to another.
This questions came to light as a result of the eligibility for the four added slot for the new UEFA Champions League format, which is expected to be inaugurated in the next season.
What is the new UEFA Champions League format ?
Introducing the ‘Swiss Model’
The new UEFA Champions League format has been confirmed to take off next season, and one of the goal is to upgrade the number of participants in the competition.
Rather than being drawn into eight groups of four each, as is the case currently, all the participating clubs are placed into one giant table based on points, and then goal difference.
As opposed to the 32-team group phase tournament, the number of participants has been upgraded to 36, and each side will play eight different opponents in one-legged ties.
This system is understood to be the ‘Swiss Model‘ employed in chess tournaments, whereby each team does not play all of the others.
However, the only difference is that in chess, the format decides a team’s next opponents after each set of games, whereas in the Champions League all group stage fixtures will be known at the start of the competition.
Four of the games for each team will be played at home and another four away, in other to balance the advantage for the entrants.
Qualifications and knockouts
The top eight teams on the log will secure automatic progression into the round of 16, while teams placed ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff round, before winners will join the aforementioned eight.
The 16 clubs will then continue with the tournament. The losers of the two-legged play-off and teams placed 25th to 36th on the all be eliminated from the competition.
Consequences of the new UEFA Champions League format
One of the most important detail of the new UEFA Champions League format is that the number of matches rise from 125 to 189 and since more games means more money, it is good news for every party involved.
Maybe it is not the case for the players as it will depend on their agreement with their respective clubs at the signing of their contracts.
The league round will also be concluded at the end of the first month of the year, January, as opposed to the one in operation, which ends in December.
Which leagues have secured more UEFA Champions slots ?
Current UEFA Club ranking
| No. | Club | Points |
| 1. | Manchester City England |
148.000 |
| 2. | Bayern Munchen Germany |
144.000 |
| 3. | Real Madrid Spain |
133.000 |
| 4. | PSG Paris Saint-German Francs |
116.000 |
| 5. | Liverpool England |
114.000 |
| 6. | Inter Milan Italy |
101.000 |
| 7. | AS Roma Italy |
100.000 |
| 8. | RB Leipzig Germany |
97.000 |
| 9. | Chelsea England |
96.000 |
| 10. | Borussia Dortmund Germany |
94.000 |
| 11. | Manchester United England |
92.000 |
| 12. | Barcelona Spain |
91.000 |
| 13. | Atletico Madrid Spain |
89.000 |
| 14. | Bayer Leverkusen Germany |
88.000 |
| 15. | Sevilla Spain |
84.000 |
| 16. | Villarreal Spain |
82.000 |
| 17. | Napoli Italy |
80.000 |
| 18. | Juventus Italy |
80.000 |
| 19. | Benfica Portugal |
79.000 |
| 20. | FC Porto Portugal |
77.000 |
| 21. | Atalanta Italy |
76.000 |
| 22. | Arsenal England |
72.000 |
| 23. | West Ham United England |
69.000 |
| 24. | Ajax Amsterdam Netherlands |
67.000 |
| 25. | Club Brugge Belgium |
63.000 |
| 26. | Glasgow Rangers Scotland |
63.000 |
| 27. | Shakhtar Donesk Ukraine |
63.000 |
| 28. | Eintracht Frankfurt Germany |
60.000 |
| 29. | Milan Italy |
59.000 |
| 30. | Feyenoord Rotterdam Netherlands |
57.000 |
Has the English Premier League earned a fifth UEFA Champions League spot ?
Despite being recognized as the most prophesied league in the world, the English top-flight league has not earned a fifth UEFA Champions League slot.
Unfortunately, following the elimination of Arsenal and Manchester City in the quarter finals this year, they failed to secure additional points for their association.
Has LALIGA earned a fifth UEFA Champions League spot ?
No. No extra slot for the UEFA Champions League has been won by Laliga. Even so as Real Madrid, the only club from the association left in any of UEFA competition, has won the league.
Which leagues have secured a fifth UEFA Champions League slots ?
Bundesliga and the Serie A have both secured extra slots in the UEFA Champions League for next season, hence, will have at least five representatives, each.
The two leagues topples have the best collective performance by their clubs in the previous five seasons in the competition so they beat other leagues to the spot.
The Serie A could also have more than five representatives and set a new record of six. This will happen should either of Roma or Atalanta, win the UEFA Europa League, and finish out of the top five in the league.
For Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are the only three representatives left in UEFA competitions and all have already secured places in Europe’s premier competition ahead of next season. Hence, no additional sixth slot.
| Season | Leagues |
| 2022-23 | England and Italy |
| 2021-22 | England and the Netherlands |
| 2020-21 | Spain and England |
| 2019-20 | Germany and England |
| 2018-19 | Spain and England |
| 2017-18 | England and Spain |
| 2016-17 | Spain and England |
How will the other two spots be allocated ?
According to UEFA, one slot will be given to the third-placed team in the league ranked fifth in the UEFA coefficient. The French Ligue 1 is most likely to take this spot.
Lille and Brest are in good position to claim this spot as of now, but there are two more Gameweeks or thereabouts before the end of the league season.
The one remaining slot will go to the qualifying path, increasing the number of beneficiary to five from four.
Will the changes affect other UEFA competitions ?
All the changes and ammendments to the UEFA Champions League will also take effect in the other UEFA competitions.The UEFA Europa League will also feature 36 teams and take the same format as the Champions League, from eight group games to the same number qualifiers.
The change will also be applicable to the third-tier of UEFA club competition, which will take the name UEFA Conference League starting next season.
However, for the Conference League, each team will only prlay six games, three at home and three away. Other than the number of games, every other thing follows the process of her sister competitions.
Will clubs still relegate from one competition to another ?
No. Unlike in previous seasons when a third placed team in a top-tier relegates to another for the play-offs, it will no longer be the case.
Once a team is eliminated from any of the competitions, they will no longer play in Europe for that season.
UEFA Coefficient Calculation method
Performances whilst competing in UEFA club competitions in the five previous seasons are determinants of UEFA’s coefficients calculations.
Seeding of clubs during competition draws are dependent on their performances in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the recently added UEFA Europe Conference League.
The club’s coefficients are a continously changing digits, as they are updated at the end of each round of UEFA competitions, because results of each team affects their points on the UEFA coefficient calculation.
Points earned by clubs in the previous five years in UEFA competitions are calculated by adding the total number of points won in a given season in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League across those years.
A club’s five-season coefficient is the cumulative total of the previous five seasons’ coefficients, or 20% of its association’s five-season association coefficient, whichever is higher.
Given the decision to allocate the two slot UEFA Champions League slots to Bundesliga and Serie A, it shows that their points have been worth more than the other top five leagues in last season.
The UEFA coefficient serves a lot of purpose in the the activities of the organization when it comes to decision making for eligibility in her competitions.
It determines the seedings, which places teams in their pots when draw for a tournament is made. Teams with higher coefficient are places in the higher pots, making them the favourite in a potential group.
Calculated UEFA coefficient for a league determines the number of representatives the league has in competitions like the Champions League, Europa League and the Conference League.
Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga are currently the top four leagues in Europe and they are assured at least four UEFA Champions League spots, while the fifth league is Ligue 1, assured of two with one more qualifier slot (third placed club).
Nevertheless, the new UEFA Champions League format will see them increase to three slots and one extra for the fourth place team to participate in the group qualifiers.
Current League ranking under UEFA coefficient
| No | Country | Points | Clubs |
| 1. | England | 104.303 | 1/8 |
| 2. | Italy | 89.141 | 3/7 |
| 3. | Spain | 88.864 | 1/8 |
| 4 | Germany | 85.910 | 3/7 |
| 5. | France | 66.831 | 2/6 |
| 6. | Netherlands | 61.300 | 0/5 |
| 7. | Portugal | 57.316 | 0/6 |
| 8. | Belgium | 48.600 | 1/5 |
| 9. | Turkiye | 38.600 | 0/4 |
| 10. | Czechia | 36.050 | 0/4 |
| 11. | Scotland | 36.050 | 0/5 |
| 12. | Switzerland | 32.975 | 0/5 |
| 13. | Austria | 32.600 | 0/5 |
How does games won affect UEFA Coefficient Calculation ?
UEFA Champions League points
| Point (s) | Basis |
| 2 | All wins from group stage onwards |
| 1 | All draws from group stage onwards |
| 4 | Group stage participation bonus |
| 4 | Round of 16 participation bonus |
| 1 | Bonus for each round from round 16 |
It is imperative to note that points are not awarded for elimination in qualifying, since those clubs move to the UEFA Europa League and may be awarded points for participation in that competition or the UEFA Conference League.
UEFA Europa League points
| Points | Basis |
| 2 | All wins from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs) |
| 1 | All draws from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs) |
| 4 | Group winners |
| 2 | Runners-ups |
| 1 | Each round reached from round 16 |
In addition, all participants in the UEFA Europa League group stage are guaranteed a minimum 3 points, which does not include points actually obtained by playing the games.
Just like the UEFA Champions League, points are not awarded for elimination in qualifying, since those clubs move to the UEFA Europa Conference League and may be awarded points for participation in that competition.
UEFA Conference League points
| Points | Basis |
| 1 | Elimination in the first qualifying round |
| 1.5 | Elimination in the second qualifying round |
| 2 | Elimination in the third qualifying round |
| 2.5 | Elimination in the playoffs |
| 2 | All wins from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs) |
| 1 | All draws from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs) |
| 2 | Group winners |
| 1 | Runner-ups |
| 1 | Each round reached from semi-finals |
Important note
Points do not count for Penalty shoot-outs.For matches originally foreseen to be two legs (home and away) but reduced to a single leg just like the 2019-20 season, the calculation of coefficient points per match will be adapted as follows:Three points for a win (in regular time or extra time), two points to each team for a draw (after extra time) and one point for a loss (in regular time or extra time).
