As widely anticipated, Serie A will have five teams in the Champions League next season. Atalanta and Fiorentina advancing and a few English teams getting eliminated this week sealed the deal. The Italian championship is out of reach for the Premier League. They’ll compete with the Bundesliga for the top spot in the UEFA ranking. Though, it’s not particularly meaningful since the top two countries get an extra spot, SportMediaset informs.
Ligue 1 and La Liga were already too far behind before the most recent round. Aston Villa are the only English outfit currently in Europe. However, winning the European Conference League wouldn’t be enough to close the gap even if Atalanta, Roma, and Fiorentina got all eliminated in the semi-finals. La Dea will face Olympique Marseille, the Giallorossi will take on Bayer Leverkusen, while Fiorentina will square off against Club Brugge.
Serie A could even have a sixth club in the Champions League. It would only happen if Roma or Atalanta won the Europa League and finished outside the top five. They are currently competing with each other.
The Italian league will have eight teams in the cups next season. The two spots for the second-tier continental competition will go to the sixth-placed side and the Coppa Italia winner or the seventh one, depending on who lifts the domestic trophy. Juventus, Lazio, Atalanta, and Fiorentina are vying for it. Not all will finish in the top six. The lone European Conference League berth also hinges on that.
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