Premier League arrogance gets deserved European ‘reward’ – Champions League 5th spot? | OneFootball

So here we are then, the home stretch for that Champions League possibility of a fifth spot next season for the Premier League.

On this Friday morning, how’s it going after the quarter-finals of the three European competitions?

Well, on Wednesday we saw both Arsenal and Man City exit this season’s Champions League.

Then on Thursday night both West Ham and Liverpool have exited the Europa League. Only Aston Villa remain in the Europa Conference Checkatrade / Dial a Pizza League.

This is the line-up for the semi-finals.

Champions League

Borussia Dortmund v PSG

Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

Europa League

Marseille v Atalanta

Roma v Bayer Leverkusen

Europa Conference League

Aston Villa v Olympiakos

Fiorentina v Club Brugge

As we all know by now, the two European leagues who collectively have the best performing clubs in Europe this season, will get an extra place in next season’s Champions League.

When it came to getting one of the two extra Champions League places for next season, this is how the coefficients of the top five countries looked at the start of this week, before the quarter-finals of the three European competitions:

1. Italy, 18.428 2. Germany, 16.785 3. England, 16.750 4. Spain, 15.062 5. France, 14.750

Then this is how the coefficients of the top five countries look now on Friday morning after Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night’s European quarter-final matches:

1. Italy, 19.428 2. Germany, 17.928 3. England, 17.375 4. France, 16.083 5. Spain, 15.312

On Thursday we saw the latest example of pure greed and arrogance from the Premier League, when massive changes were announced to the FA Cup BUT they (the Premier League) had agreed this a small number of people at The FA, without even consulting any of the clubs outside the top tier!

The arrogance simply breathtaking.

So it is quite fitting really, that yesterday also saw Premier League hopes of that fifth Champions League spot next season, effectively end.

The Premier League needing a miracle.

Serie A have already crossed the winning line and the Bundesliga are just about to do the same.

BBC Sport report the position for the extra Champions League spot as:

‘Italy has sealed one and Germany is likely to get the other. England’s only hope is for Aston Villa to win both legs of their semi-final, plus the final, and for Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen all to lose both legs of their semis.’

Whilst ESPN report this other explanation of what the reality is:

‘To hold off England, Germany need 0.322 coefficient points: that’s a win and a draw from the six semi-final fixtures.’

It is ironic / hilarious, that six of the last seven seasons the Premier League would have got the extra Champions League spot, yet now when it really matters, the richest league in the world fails miserably.

‘For only the third time in the 21st century, England has no teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League or Europa League – so what has gone wrong?

‘Only the fourth time in the past 20 seasons that the Premier League will not have a finalist in either competition.’

‘Thirteen of the top 20 teams with the highest net spend (transfer money spent minus transfer money received) over the past decade are English, with teams like Crystal Palace and Bournemouth outspending Champions League semi-finalists Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.’

‘One argument is that profit and sustainability rules are holding back English sides.

At present, clubs cannot report losses of more than £105m over a three-year period – meaning clubs such as Newcastle, who were in the Champions League this season, cannot spend the money they have.

Speaking after Wednesday’s Champions League games, BBC football correspondent John Murray said: “They [Premier League teams] have become the traditional powerbase so this is a shock to the system.

“We’ve been hearing for years that part of the reason we have profit and sustainability and financial fair play is because of the power of so many Premier League teams. They have attempted to clip their wings. Has that played a part this season and meaning they’re not as strong as they might have been? Probably.”

Whilst there is a very longshot that a club such as Newcastle United, Man U or Chelsea could make a late run and grab fifth, the reality is that either Aston Villa, or more likely Tottenham it would appear now, are going to be the ones to suffer, in terms of finishing fifth BUT no Champions League next season.