Serie A’s strong performance across the three European competitions this season played a key role in earning the extra place. While no Italian team reached the Champions League quarterfinals, AS Roma and Atalanta progressed to the semifinals of the Europa League, and Fiorentina reached the last four of the Europa Conference League.
This impressive run has propelled Italy’s Serie A to the top of the European Performance Spots standings, guaranteeing the league cannot finish outside the top two. England’s Premier League, which initially seemed likely to take the second place, faltered as Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and West Ham United were all eliminated at the quarterfinal stage. Only Aston Villa remains active in the Europa Conference League.
The Bundesliga stands to benefit from England’s misfortune, with Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen defeating English clubs and Borussia Dortmund advancing in the Champions League. Ligue 1 also remains in contention with two French clubs still in the mix.
Currently, Roma holds fifth place in Serie A, while Atalanta sits in sixth. If either of these clubs wins the Europa League and finishes outside the top four, Italy could have six teams in the Champions League next season: the top four from the league, the Europa League titleholder, and the European Performance Spot. This same scenario applies to Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s Bundesliga.
Serie A’s strong showing this season signals a resurgence in Italian football on the European stage, setting the stage for an exciting season in the Champions League.
