Definition Of ‘Sporting Merit’ Could Decide Champions League Places

With soccer leagues around Europe having to decide between attempting to finish their seasons or ending them now so as not to impact on the following campaign, the continent’s governing body UEFA last week laid out the terms on which it will accept teams from each of its member states into next season’s European club competitions.

After the UEFA Executive Committee met via a video conference last Thursday, they urged the 55 National Associations to “explore all possible options to play all top domestic competitions giving access to UEFA club competitions to their natural conclusion” but conceded for the first time that this may not be possible in every country. With the preliminary stages of next season’s European club competitions set to begin in the summer, UEFA stated that where the domestic leagues cannot be finished, due to a government edict or insurmountable economic problems, National Associations should “select clubs for the UEFA club competitions 2020/21 based on sporting merit in the 2019/20 domestic competitions”.

What “sporting merit” entails is now a matter of debate across the continent. After the country’s government prohibited all sporting events in the Netherlands until 1 September, the Dutch Eredivisie was compelled to prematurely end their men’s and women’s top flight season, a decision which was officially ratified by their National Association (KNVB) on Friday.

PSV Vrouwen sat top of the women’s league, unbeaten and seven points clear of Ajax in second place and were awarded the Eredivisie title and the corresponding automatic place in next season’s Women’s Champions League, a decision which may seem logical. However, the Dutch league system involves an end-of-season championship play-off round which will now never take place.

“Although we would have liked to have confirmed it in the championship pool, we are proud of the recognition of the KNVB”, said PSV’s head of women’s soccer, Sandra Doreleijers. “We have proven this season that we are the strongest team in the regular season and are worthy of the placement for the UEFA Women’s Champions League”.

Last season however, PSV also led the standings at the end of the regular season but ended up third after the play-off round, with FC Twente securing the lucrative Champions League berth. Friday’s decision by the KNVB denies FC Twente, currently in third position in the league standings, an opportunity to repeat the feat this season.

Second-place Ajax have been awarded the second Champions League spot which places them in next season’s preliminary round. Their coach Danny Schenkel admitted things could have worked out better or worse for his team had the season run its course. “Of course we would much rather have finished the competition. After the winter break, we lost to Twente and just before we had to face the league-leaders PSV, the competition closed. It is a matter of conjecture to see how the season would have ended for us. We could have come closer to PSV, but we also know that Twente was on the ropes”.

In England, three teams are also in contention for two Champions League positions. While the country’s FA remains committed to playing out the season, even if it involves staging matches behind closed doors, it may find its hand being forced if there is no foreseeable end to the current lockdown. A simple freezing of the current league table will not work here as at the point the campaign was postponed, league-leaders Manchester City had played one game more than Chelsea and Arsenal in second and third place. A points-per-game system has been suggested. If employed this would reverse the top two positions with Chelsea ahead of Manchester City by a 0.1 margin with reigning champions, Arsenal, missing out on the Champions League, also by 0.1. Some would argue this is a fair reflection of the season as the top three have already played out all their matches against each other, but Arsenal may point out that four of their remaining seven matches would be at home, while four of Chelsea and Manchester City’s would be away from home.

What is clear is that UEFA will have the final decision on which clubs will be admitted into next season’s European club competitions and has the right to refuse any National Association’s proposal if “the clubs were selected pursuant to a procedure which was not objective, transparent and non-discriminatory” or “there is a public perception of unfairness in the qualification of the club”.

In the event that a domestic competition is to be prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons the relevant National Associations have until 25 May to explain “the special circumstances justifying such premature termination and to select clubs for the UEFA club competitions 2020/21”.