Thomas Frank, Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola could all end up in Europe next season (Image: Getty)
teams are scrambling to secure a place in Europe next season without knowing for certain what it will take to make it. Incredibly, there is one specific scenario in which no fewer than 11 English sides would be playing , or football next campaign.
The most secure route into Europe’s top-tier club competition, the Champions League, is to finish in one of the top four positions in the Premier League. , who sit 22 points clear of fifth place, are virtually assured of that, while and are also well positioned.
The scenario in question involves completing the top four, which is perfectly plausible as they currently sit fifth, one point behind . United could also land themselves a Champions League spot if they finish fifth, with UEFA set to award an extra place to the two best-performing leagues in this season’s European competitions. The Magpies are now sixth, one point behind City.
If Brighton jump up one place from their current position and finish sixth, they will secure themselves a place in the Europa League.
Bournemouth would join them if they beat in the FA Cup quarter-finals and go on to lift the cup. The 11-team scenario involves the Cherries finishing seventh – three points ahead of their current standing – and dropping down from fourth to eighth, but qualifying for the Europa League by winning the Conference League.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea would jump up to the Europa League by winning the Conference League (Image: Getty)
The Blues are preparing for a Conference League quarter-final against Legia Warsaw, and they are the red-hot favourites to go all the way.
Aston Villa could finish ninth and still qualify for the Champions League by winning this season’s competition. They will contest a quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain next month and currently sit ninth in the league table.
and are both in the Europa League quarter-finals. And if one of them wins the competition while finishing 10th in the Premier League, they will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
earned themselves a Conference League spot by winning the Carabao Cup on Sunday. But in this specific set of circumstances, neither they nor any other team in the top 10 would be in a position to take it, as they would all have qualified for one of the three European competitions already.
It would therefore go to the team that finishes 11th in the table. As things stand, Brentford are the lucky customers. But Bees boss Thomas Frank may not be holding his breath, given the lengthy sequence of events needed to land them an unlikely call-up.