The Czech coefficient is not as bad as it seems! Why?

The European Cups are not going too well for Czech teams. Sparta is in the group stage of the Europa League, but after that only Pilsen was pleasantly surprised, while much more was expected from Slavia or Jablonec. But we are not in such a bad position!

In total, the Czech clubs have won six out of fourteen matches so far, thus adding six points to the international coefficient. These points are then divided by the number of teams that went to the preliminary rounds in a given year.

An extra six points with five teams is a low number; by comparison, Sweden has collected 13.5 points while sending only four teams to the preliminary rounds. Poland and Croatia (both 12) are also doing well, as is Slovakia (10).

That six points before the start of the last preliminary round is not enough is confirmed by the fact that only two countries from twelfth to twenty-first place in the coefficient ranking are worse off, namely Cyprus (5) and Belgium (4.5).

Despite the poor results so far, the Czech coefficient may not be that bad. It is helped a lot by the neighbouring countries. From fourteenth to nineteenth place, all countries except the Czech Republic have only two clubs in the group.

Switzerland and Croatia have one representative each in the Champions League and the European Conference League, Cyprus and Greece have one team in the European League and one in the European Conference League (as well as 12th-placed Serbia), and the Norwegian teams even have two double matches for the European Conference League.

The Czech Republic can have four teams in the European Cup if they are lucky. Slavia and Sparta are already assured of the group stage, while Jablonec, and especially Plzen, certainly have the skills to get past their opponents (Zilina and CSKA Sofia).

But we also need to look beyond ourselves, where Sweden, Denmark and especially Turkey are doing dangerously well. Malmö are close to qualifying for the Champions League group stage, with two other Swedish clubs playing for the ECL.

Brondby are still in the Champions League, Midtjylland and Randers are waiting for the Europa League play-offs, Copenhagen will play for the Conference League. Turkey has a chance to have all five clubs in the groups before the last round of preliminary rounds.

Source: Football coefficient