Tomorrow, 22 May, the final of the Europa League 2023/24 season will take place in Dublin, with Italian side Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen. The result of this match may affect the number of participants of the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League season-2024/25 on the way of non-champions and, accordingly, the composition of the baskets at the draw of this stage, from which Dynamo Kyiv will start their next European Cup campaign.
We would like to remind you that nominally six clubs - vice-champions of Austria, Serbia, Turkey, Switzerland, Ukraine and Czech Republic - participate in the second qualification of the Champions League on the way of non-champions. We have already told in detail about Dynamo's prospects at the draw of this stage of the tournament. Kyiv have no chances to be among the "seeded".
But at the same time, according to the updated UEFA regulations, the winner of the Europa League now gets a direct ticket to the main stage of the Champions League next season. And in case the triumphant team got there following the results of its national championship (now it is Bayer as the German champion, but Atalanta still has a chance), the format of the Champions League qualification changes significantly. And in this case it will directly affect Dynamo Kyiv.
So, what will happen if the winner of the Europa League will already "have in his pocket" a ticket to the main net of the Champions League next season?
Firstly, the vacant place of the Europa League winner in the Champions League main stage will be taken by the team that has the highest UEFA club coefficient among all the Champions League qualifiers without exception (both Champions and non-champions). In this case, it is Portuguese Benfica (club coefficient 79.000), which nominally has to start from the 3rd qualifying round on the non-champions' path.
Secondly, the "void" that would be created if Benfica were to advance to the Champions League main draw would be filled as follows. The number of participants in the 2nd qualifying round of the non-championship route will be reduced from six to four: the two teams in this stage with the highest club coefficient (in this case it is Czech Slavia and Austrian Salzburg) will automatically advance to the 3rd qualifying round of the non-championship route.
If the above described changes in the composition of the participants of the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League take place, the preliminary composition of the baskets at the draw of this stage will look as follows, and Dynamo Kyiv will be among the "seeded" (the UEFA club coefficient is indicated opposite):
Seeded
"Fenerbahce - 36.000
Dynamo - 26.500
Unseeded
"Partizan - 25.500
Lugano - 8.000.
The picture with the 3rd qualification round will change accordingly, but the number of participants of this stage (8 teams) will not change - the mentioned "Slavia" and "Salzburg", two winners of the second qualification, the fourth team of France ("Lille"), the third team of the Netherlands ("Twente"), as well as the vice-champions of Belgium ("Bruges" / "Anderlecht" / "Union St. Juliaz") and Scotland ("Rangers") will play here.
Assuming that in such circumstances the 2nd qualifying round will be won by the "seeded" and the Belgian league table will not change (there is one round left to play), the preliminary composition of the baskets for the draw of the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League on the way of the non-champions will take the following form:
Seeded
"Rangers" - 63.000
"Slavia" - 53.000
"Salzburg" - 50.000
"Lille" - 47.000
Unseeded
"Fenerbahce" - 36.000
"DINAMO" - 26.500
"Anderlecht" - 14.500
"Twente" - 12.260.
And lastly, what conditions must be fulfilled for the above-mentioned seeding changes in the Champions League qualification on the way of non-champions to take place and Dynamo to be among the "seeded" in the 2nd qualifying round.
One of two things must happen:
1. "Bayer" becomes the winner of the Europa League-2023/24 (the team has already entered the main stage of next season's Champions League as the German champion).
2. "Atalanta" becomes the winner of the Europa League-2023/24 and finishes in the Italian championship above the fifth place, which it currently occupies (this will bring it a direct ticket to the main stage of the Champions League next season).
Standings of the teams in the Italian league by key positions in the round before the end of the championship:
2. "Milan" - 74 points, 37 matches
3. "Bologna" - 68, 37
4. "Juventus" - 68, 37
5. "Atalanta" - 66, 36.
The remaining matches of the contenders for 3-4 places: Genoa vs Bologna, Juventus vs Monza, Atalanta vs Torino, Atalanta vs Fiorentina.
Alexander POPOV