Ten Hag insists Man Utd have plenty to play for after European exit
Manchester United and Tottenham could be rescued by a new Champions League rule that may see five Premier League teams qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Red Devils were dumped out of this season’s Champions League when they lost to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, while Spurs didn’t even qualify for any European competition this time around after finishing eighth in the Premier League last season.
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United are sixth in the Premier League table at the moment and have already been cut six points adrift of the top four after losing seven top-flight matches. Spurs, meanwhile, are one place above the Red Devils but still find themselves three points behind fourth-place Manchester City as the halfway point of the season approaches.
Under the current rules, only the top four teams from the Premier League qualify for the Champions League. But the European competition is set to change its format next season, with 36 teams competing instead of 32.
Two of the extra places will be handed to the leagues that have the best coefficients. The coefficients are calculated by the performances of clubs in European competitions this time around.
Erik ten Hag (left) and Ange Postecoglou
Manchester United and Tottenham are desperate to qualify for next season’s Champions League
If the Premier League makes it into the top two, the team who finish fifth in England’s top division this season will take their place in the Champions League during the next campaign. In six of the last seven seasons, the Premier League made it into the top two. So it is likely England will have five teams competing in the Champions League next season if the Premier League clubs currently playing in Europe perform on a similar level on average to the teams that went before them.
