Eight teams in the European Cup? Additional option for the league – sports

If both Frankfurt and Leipzig reach the final in the Europa League, there will be new opportunities for German football next season – but some things also depend on the cup winner.

A possible German Europa League final between Leipzig and Frankfurt would not only be a historic premiere in this competition since the “small European Cup” ditched the old name Uefa Cup in 2009. This would also result in an attractive additional option for the Bundesliga: Because the winner of the Europa League is definitely entitled to a starting place in the upcoming Champions League. Ideally, there could be five German premier class participants in 2022/23 – and up to eight German clubs in the European Cup.

The latter would probably only be the case if Eintracht Frankfurt won the Europa League in Seville on May 18th. Because the Hessians hardly have any prospects of an international starting place in the Bundesliga, they would then simply buy a fifth Champions League ticket for Germany (in addition to the top four in the Bundesliga). All other rights for Germany remain unaffected, so that there would be eight instead of seven Europe starters.

A Europa League title for Leipzig would have more complicated implications. If RB is already qualified for the Champions League via the league, which would be the case at the moment, then the Europa League title would have no added value for Germany. It would remain with four Champions League starters, two in the Europa League (for the league 5th and 6th or for the 5th and the DFB Cup winner) and one in the Conference League (6th or 7th the league).

Should Leipzig win the Europa League but only finish fifth or sixth in the Bundesliga, the Saxons would be an additional fifth Champions League qualifier from Germany. However, RB’s Europa League place would then expire for the league, because in this case no eighth German team would move up to the Europa or Conference League.

Another variable in the whole construct is the question of whether Leipzig or SC Freiburg will win the DFB Cup on May 21st. Depending on where the cup winner ends up in the league and whether RB also wins the Europa League in the event of a cup win, there may be further shifts in the German European Cup field – but by no means an eighth starting place.

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