France’s UEFA ranking in the hands of West Ham ahead of semi-final against AZ Alkmaar | OneFootball

After a strong start in their respective first legs, Nantes, Rennes, and Monaco all crashed out of the Europa League last month, leaving Ligue 1’s hopes to Nice. Les Aiglons, though, fell to a late Basel heartbreaking goal in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals last night. This loss has bigger implications that threaten France’s fifth-place spot in the UEFA rankings, as pointed out by RMC.

Now, with Nice’s loss and AZ Alkmaar getting past Anderlecht into the semi-finals, the Netherlands is inching closer to overtaking France in UEFA coefficient points. Currently, France remains in fifth place with 61,164 points, while the Dutch trail with 59,900 points. To overtake France, Alkmaar must win their last three matches and be crowned champions to earn 1.4 points, allowing the Netherlands to surpass France.

However, if AZ win the title without three victories – two across both legs of the semi-finals, and in the final – they will only earn 1.2 points, which will not be enough. Additionally, the UEFA ranking is crucial for the new format of the Champions League which will take effect in 2024-2025, where the fifth-ranked European coefficient will receive four places, including one in the preliminary round. On the other hand, the sixth European coefficient will have three places, including two direct one. Many French fans may, for the first time, find themselves rooting for West Ham in the semi-finals in order to secure their 5th-place position.

GFFN | Tony DesRois