The new UEFA ranking is ready and it will be implemented starting next season. This is regarding the ranking which will be used for the Champions League drawings according to the new formula for 2018-2019. This will be in effect for the first time whereby four teams from the top four ranking countries will direct qualify to the group stage of the most important international competition for clubs.
As the European Federation has announced, there are two new regulations that will be put in place.
Firstly, the teams will only collect the points they earn on the pitch, plus the bonuses (4 qualifying points for the Champions and 4 for the qualification to the last sixteen). The national coefficient (the 20% of the points made by the teams of a certain country who were going to raise the rankings of each team), will not be taken into consideration anymore. The coefficient will only be used for newly admitted teams, i.e those that have not played in Europe for the past 5 years.
For instance, Atalanta, who reached the qualification to the Europa League for the first time, will start from the 105th place, or 12,049 points, representing 20% of the Italian points in the last period considered. The same calculation is applied for Sampdoria, Sassuolo, and Udinese because they have participated in recent years without reaching at least 12,049 points.
In front of the Italians, of course, there are all English clubs (99th position with 12,363 points) and Germans teams (87th position with 12,656 points) while the Spanish clubs start from the 67th position having collected 17,799.
Let’s check the situation of the top European clubs.
Real Madrid, which is ranked first, collected 134 points, a numerical value that is given by all the accumulated results over the last 4 years (35 points + 29, 33, 33 + bonus (4 points for the participation to the Champions League.))
Below is the new 2018 ranking (in parentheses the increase or decrease in rankings from the previous calculation).
- Real Madrid 134 (=)
- Atletico Madrid 116 (+2)
- Barcelona 111 (=)
- Bayern Munich 110 (-2)
- Juventus 107 (=)
- PSG 94 (=)
- Sevilla FC 94 (+1)
- Borussia Dortmund 83 (-1)
- Manchester City 82 (+3)
- Benfica 80 (-1)
Let’s now focus on the Italian clubs.
Juventus remains fifth in the ranking, a position that however does not affect the drawings since the first or second band is assigned based on whether a team wins their championship or not.
Napoli goes up and sits in the 13th place. The Partenopei advanced 4 positions having made 70 points. This is a remarkable result because Chelsea and Manchester United are relegated behind.
Fiorentina has confirmed as the third Italian force in Europe It is in 22nd position with 54 points (2 positions ahead from the previous calculation).
Roma is in 30th place (currently in the 37th position until the end of the 2016/2017 period). 43 points collected by Pallotta’s club.
Lazio loses 26 points and sits in the 49th position (previously at the 33rd place). Although in 2012-2013 Lazio collected 20.8 points those are now being discarded due to the new regulation that only takes into account the last five seasons.
In the next Europa League Milan will be sitting in the 41st position, but as of next year, it will start from the 70th place with 17 points. Not having played in Europe over the last three seasons compromised the overall situation of the Rossoneri.
Inter is following Milan’s fate but its ranking is even worse (75th position with 17 points). Its exclusion from the European League could create a further downturn. Teams such as Marseille, Malmoe, Everton, and Austria Vienna can gain ground during this season. An eventual qualification to the 2018/19 Champions League would make Inter restart from the fourth band.
