We are into the home stretch of the season across the major soccer leagues in Europe and some champions have already been crowned with other titles imminent. On top of those celebrations, the first UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League berths are being distributed although some of the teams occupying the UEL and UECL spots are expected to upgrade to the UCL by the end of this campaign. With just over one month until the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium closes the domestic club term with a bang, we take a look at who has secured what across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 so far.
Champions League
- EPL: Arsenal.
- La Liga: Real Madrid.
- Serie A: Inter (as champions).
- Bundesliga: Leverkusen (as champions) and Bayern.
- Ligue 1: PSG (at least second place).
First and foremost, there are UCL positions being sewn up already with Italian champions Inter taking the first of Serie A’s five Champions League places after an additional one was earned via the UEFA coefficient. Bayer Leverkusen have already been crowned German champions and Xabi Alonso’s men could even help to open up an additional spot in the Bundesliga via their Europa League semifinals progress along with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the UCL. BVB’s opponents starting this week will be Paris Saint-Germain and the French giants are almost Ligue 1 champions after a point at home to Le Havre AC for Luis Enrique’s side. Bayern’s opponents Real Madrid are currently the only Spanish side to be guaranteed their Champions League place before they even know how this year’s edition will work out.
Europa League
- EPL: Liverpool, City and Aston Villa (all at least UEL).
- La Liga: Barca, Girona and Athletic Club (all at least UEL).
- Serie A: Milan (at least UEL).
- Bundesliga: Stuttgart, Leipzig and Dortmund (all at least UEL).
The competition with the most places assigned so far is the Europa League with most teams currently occupying spots likely to upgrade to the Champions League by the end of the season. The EPL has three clubs currently in there with Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa while La Liga already has Barcelona guaranteed a worst-case scenario spot and Athletic Club who recently won the Copa del Rey. Girona have fallen away and out of contention for the title in La Liga but are on course to secure a UCL berth and right now have a 13-point cushion on Athletic Bilbao who have already secured Europa League soccer despite sitting in the first UEL spot in the table. In Italy, Milan are sure to have at least a UEL berth but will fancy themselves to snag a UCL upgrade while the Bundesliga currently has VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig although both could end up — along with Dortmund — getting into the Champions League should Germany earn the second additional berth.
Europa Conference League
- Serie A: Juventus (at least UECL).
- Ligue 1: AS Monaco (at least UECL).
For now, one team apiece from most of the major leagues has at least Europa Conference League participation secured although current semifinalists Villa have now upgraded to the Europa League while battling Tottenham Hotspur for a Champions League spot in the Premier League. Juventus are currently Serie A’s UECL lock but their form is such that it should be at least a UEL place if not UCL given their 10-point lead over the first Europa League spot while AS Monaco have joined PSG in having a European spot wrapped up but a 10-point advantage on the UEL candidates OGC Nice suggests that Les Monegasques will end up in the Champions League and possibly as the capital club’s runners-up.
Relegated
- EPL: Sheffield United.
- La Liga: Almeria.
- Serie A: Salernitana.
We now have our first relegations from the European topflights with Sheffield United, Almeria and Salernitana dropping down into their respective second tiers. Although more will join them in the coming days and weeks, it could take until the final round of games for all of these places to be confirmed.
Promoted
- EPL: Leicester (automatically but not yet Championship winners), Leeds, Ipswich (both could still get an automatic spot as champions) and Southampton (at least playoffs).
- Serie A: Parma, Como, Venezia, Cremonese and Catanzaro (all at least Serie B playoffs).
- Ligue 1: Auxerre (at least Ligue 1-Ligue 2 promotion/relegation playoffs).
Teams across the five major leagues have started to be relegated and Leicester City are now 100% certain of promotion back to the Premier League. Nobody else in the second tiers is confirmed to go up just yet, though, with a handful of clubs sure of at least a playoff spot including the Championship’s Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Southampton, Serie B’s Parma, Como, Venezia, Cremonese and Catanzaro as well as AJ Auxerre of Ligue 2. Expect more names to join these ones in the coming days and weeks.
KVSP