The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League will be the first under the new 36-team league phase format, with two of the additional four places to be filled by the European Performance Spots.
Last updated at 09:00 CET on Monday 4 March.
What are the European Performance Spots?
The European Performance Spots will go to the associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the previous season’s UEFA men’s club competitions (i.e. the association club coefficient of the previous season, which is based on the total number of club coefficient points obtained by each club from an association, divided by the number of clubs from that association, in accordance with Annex D of the competition regulations).
Those two associations will each earn one automatic place in the league phase (‘European Performance Spot’) for the club ranked next-best in their domestic league behind those clubs that have already qualified directly for the league phase.
Which associations would benefit from the European Performance Spots as it stands?
Italy and Germany currently have the highest 2023/24 association club coefficients and would therefore each earn a European Performance Spot.
2023/24 association club coefficients
1. Italy: 109.000 points / seven clubs = 15.571 average
2. Germany: 101.500 / seven = 14.500
3. England: 111.000 / eight = 13.875
4. France: 79.500 / six = 13.250
5. Spain: 105.500 / eight = 13.187
6. Czechia: 51.000 / four = 12.750
7. Belgium: 62.000 / five = 12.400
Which clubs would take the European Performance Spots as it stands?
Roma and Leipzig would currently each claim an automatic league phase place via the European Performance Spots.
Both associations have four automatic league phase spots for the 2024/25 campaign, meaning the teams that finish in the top four of both the Serie A and Bundesliga standings will be assured of a place in the league phase.
Each association’s European Performance Spot would therefore go to the team in fifth spot in their respective league table.
European Performance Spots as it stands
Italy: Roma
Germany: Leipzig
Who else will qualify for the league phase?
The European Performance Spots make up two of the additional four slots for next season’s competition. The other additional places are awarded as follows:
Slot three: This place will go to the club ranked third in the championship of the association in fifth position in the access list (France), which is determined by the five-year UEFA association club coefficient ranking up to the end of the 2022/23 season.
Slot four: This place will be awarded to a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the champions path of the competition’s qualifying process, which will consist of three qualifying rounds and the play-offs.
The 36 spots for the 2024/25 league phase will therefore be determined as follows:
2023/24 UEFA Champions League winner (1)
2023/24 UEFA Europa League winner (1)
England (4)
Spain (4)
Germany (4)
Italy (4)
France (3)
Netherlands (2)
Portugal (1)
Belgium (1)
Scotland (1)
Austria (1)
European Performance Spots (2)
Qualifying rounds – champions path (5)
Qualifying rounds – league path (2)
