Losing the Europa League final on Wednesday, Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible 51-game undefeated record came tumbling to an end. This loss, witnessed by Barcelona’s sporting director Deco, carries significant implications for the Blaugrana’s Champions League seeding next season.
Although it has been a turbulent season, Barcelona qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the 2024-25 season. Since Girona are mathematically unable to overtake them, they will finish the season in La Liga’s runner-up position, behind Real Madrid.
As a temporary fix, however, Xavi Hernandez’s choice to remain manager had brought some stability. But the situation quickly deteriorated, and the Spaniard is once again the target of heated criticism. To make matters worse, Barcelona may not enter next season’s Champions League in Pot 1.
Barcelona benefited from Bayern Leverkusen’s loss, says Football Rankings on X. Die Schwarzroten, now under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, enjoyed a historic season, winning their first-ever Bundesliga championship. However, their performance in the Europa League final remained a critical factor for Barcelona.
If the Germans had won their match against Atalanta, the LaLiga giants would have been seeded lower in next season’s Champions League draw. Their previous UEFA coefficient of 88,000 points was close to Barcelona’s 91,000. Should Leverkusen have won it, they could have surpassed Xavi’s team, jeopardizing the latter’s spot in Pot 1.
So far, Barcelona’s prospects of making it to Pot 1 have grown, but they are far from certain. If Atalanta finishes fifth in Serie A, Roma will be the one to qualify for the Champions League. Their coefficient is greater than Barca’s, thus sending the Spanish side to Pot 2.
With a current UEFA coefficient of 100,000, the Giallorossi’s success in the 2021-22 Conference League and their Europa League participation over the last two years make it a strong candidate for Pot 1. So, Daniele De Rossi and his players will be hoping Atalanta finishes in a strong position in Serie A, thus displacing the Catalans.
The 2024-25 season introduces a revamped seeding system in Europe’s most elite competition. Previously, Pot 1 included the winners of the top European leagues along with the Champions League and Europa League winners. However, the new method will rank the 36 clubs based on their cumulative UEFA coefficient over the past five seasons.
This change guarantees a Pot 1 spot for eight clubs: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Inter, Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund. Naturally, the Camp Nou outfit are keen to secure their place among these elite teams.
As the final matches of the European season approach, the stakes are high for the Spanish heavyweights. The outcome of these games will determine their seeding in the Champions League draw, and thus the difficulty of the opponents in next season’s competition.
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