Sporting CP secure Champions League league phase berth following Aston Villa's Europa League triumph

This season's UEFA Europa League winners, Aston Villa, qualify automatically for the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League thanks to their final triumph – but what happens next, given that Unai Emery's team have also earned a place by finishing in the top four of the Premier League?

Last updated: 09:00 CET on Monday 25 May

One of the main principles of the new European club competition format post-2024 is the important role of club coefficient – namely, the club's performance in European club competitions over the current five-year period.

It is for this reason, under the 2024–27 club competition format, that if the Europa League winners have also qualified for the league phase of the Champions League via their domestic league position, then the club with the best individual coefficient of all the teams in Champions League qualifying (champions path and league path) goes directly to the league phase.

What does this mean in practice? 

The top ten coefficients for the clubs set to be involved in Champions League qualifying (champions path and league path):

Sporting CP (POR) – 84.000 (2nd in domestic league)
Lyon (FRA) – 65.750 (4th)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) – 64.000 (2nd)
Olympiacos (GRE) – 62.250 (2nd)
Fenerbahçe (TUR) – 57.750 (2nd)
Union SG (BEL) – 48.000 (2nd)
Crvena Zvezda (SRB) – 46.500 (champions)
GNK Dinamo (CRO) – 46.500 (champions)
Celtic (SCO) – 44.000 (champions)
Sparta Praha (CZE) – 38.250 (2nd)

Sporting CP qualify

As they have now secured second place in the Portuguese Liga – the champions qualify automatically for the league phase of the Champions League – Sporting CP would initially be destined to go into Champions League qualifying.

However, accounting for their individual coefficient, Sporting CP instead take the additional league phase place vacated by Europa League winners Aston Villa. The access list will subsequently be rebalanced accordingly.

Last season, no rebalancing was required as 2024/25 Europa League winners Tottenham did not qualify for European competition via their domestic league position. This was not the case the previous season, however, when 2023/24 winners Atalanta had already earned a 2024/25 Champions League slot, meaning Benfica were handed the bonus of an automatic league phase berth.