Is a Change in the Air? UEFA Amends European Competition Coefficient Rules, Enhances Champions League Knockout Stage Points Bonus

After studying UEFA’s latest documents, French media outlet ouest-france has outlined changes to the UEFA European competition coefficient rules for the next three seasons.

Starting from this season, with an expansion of the UEFA Champions League and corresponding changes to the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, the calculation rules for the UEFA coefficient, one of UEFA’s most important indicators, will also undergo modifications.

The previous rules (for the 2021-22 to 2023-24 seasons) were: each team qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League added four points to their respective league’s total. Winning or finishing second in the group stage (i.e., advancing) earned five points; the Europa League earned one point, while the Europa Conference League did not earn any points. However, the top team in the Europa League group stage received an additional four points, and the second-placed team received two points; the top team in the Europa Conference League group stage received two points, and the second-placed team got one point. There were no points awarded for group ranking in the Champions League. From the quarterfinals onward, every progression by a Champions League or Europa League team would earn one point for their respective league. In addition, match points were two points for a win and one point for a draw, with no points for a loss.

The new rules (for the 2024-25 to 2026-27 seasons) retain some aspects unchanged (such as two points for a win and one point for a draw). The significant changes are as follows: Firstly, the 36 teams participating in the Champions League will directly receive six points, while there are no points for the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Secondly, starting from the round of 16 in all three competitions, the points awarded for each progression have changed: 1.5 points for each step in the Champions League, one point in the Europa League, and 0.5 points in the Europa Conference League.

The French media believes that after these rule changes, the current European competition coefficient standings for UEFA’s major leagues could undergo significant shifts.