The outcome of a number of national championships, as well as the lineup of participants in the final of the Conference League this season, may radically change the starting position of Donetsk’s «Shakhtar» in the Europa League next season, where it entered as the holder of the Cup of Ukraine and should start from the 1st qualifying round.
The fact is that there is a vacant spot in the main stage of the Europa League. It was supposed to be taken by the winner of the Conference League this season, but both finalists of this tournament — the Spanish «Betis» and the English «Chelsea» — entered the main grid of European cups next season through their national championships: the team from Seville will play in the main stage of the Europa League, while the Londoners have advanced to the main stage of the Champions League.
In such situations, according to the regulations, the freed-up place in the main Europa League is taken by the club among the participants in the qualifying rounds of this tournament that has the highest UEFA club coefficient. At the moment, this club is indeed Donetsk’s «Shakhtar» (52.000), but this can only be said tentatively, since the outcome of the final of the Croatian Cup, where «Rijeka» and «Slaven Belupo» are playing, may influence the situation.
The point is that «Rijeka» has become the champion of Croatia and will accordingly play in the Champions League qualifying rounds. If this team also becomes the holder of the Croatian Cup, then the «cup» ticket to the Europa League qualifying rounds will go to the silver medalist of the country — Zagreb’s «Dinamo», whose UEFA club coefficient (56.000) is higher than that of «Shakhtar», and then this Croatian club will receive the freed-up place in the main stage of the Europa League.
Thus, if «Rijeka» becomes the holder of the Croatian Cup, then the «miners», as initially expected, will start from the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League in the next season; if, however, «Slaven Belupo» wins the Croatian Cup, then «Shakhtar» will receive a direct ticket to the main stage of the Europa League.
Additionally, the first match of the Croatian Cup final between «Rijeka» and «Slaven Belupo» ended in a draw, 1:1. The return match will take place next Thursday, May 29, in Rijeka.
