Newcastle United are fighting to return to the Champions League fold next season, and could be given a boost in doing so depending on results over the next couple of weeks.
The Magpies currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table, only behind fifth placed Manchester City on goal difference. If they manage to jump up just one position, then they could potentially qualify for Champions League football next season.
That’s because UEFA award two leagues with an extra place in the European elite competition based on performance in Europe over the current campaign. Last season saw the Bundesliga and Serie A benefit, with Borussia Dortmund and Bologna earning their place.
It works through an overall collective performance of all teams from each country who participate in all of the European competitions. The best two average coefficient scores are given an extra spot in the Champions League.
Every win in Europe in worth two coefficient points, a draw is worth one, while a defeat earns you nothing. At the end of the competition the points are added together and then divided by the number of clubs each country has in Europe over the season to give a coefficient average.
There are also bonus points on offer that are weighted towards the Champions League. There are also bonus points for reaching the knockout stages of Europe, which is again weighted towards the Champions League.
As of December 19, England did sit top of the Coefficient table, with Italy in second and Portugal in third. If that’s to remain the same at the end of the season, the England and Italy would be awarded the extra two Champions League positions.
That therefore means that fifth place will be enough to qualify for the tournament. The situation means that Newcastle fans are likely to be cheering on the other English teams in Europe between now and the end of the season.
