The fate of the cups did not play into the hands of the Czech coefficient. Keeping the TOP 15 will be more at the expense of Ukraine

Czech football took a big blow with the end of three clubs in the European Cup groups, but it is still in the coefficient top 15. Monday’s draw for the first spring round of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League does not bode well for the prospects.

The Czechs are in 14th place after the group stage and must stay in the Top 15 if they want to see five teams qualify for the cups in the 2024/25 season.

If they do that, the champion and runner-up will go to the Champions League preliminary rounds, the cup winner to the Europa League and the third and fourth-placed teams to the second round of the Conference League. There are three, or rather two, competitors.

Norway

The closest to the Czech Republic are the 15th-ranked Norwegians. They lose 0.3 points and divide their gain by four. Bodo Glimt and Molde managed to make it into the groups, only the former will play cups in the spring, specifically the European Conference League.

Fate has assigned it to Lech Poznan, which can be described as a cup greenhorn at least in recent years. Glimt already has a name in Europe, and all he needs to do to ensure the Norwegians leapfrog the Czech Republic is to win at least once. And he can do that, especially in a freezing home environment.

Ukraine

The Ukrainians are 0.55 points adrift of 16th place, which on a division of five means the Ukrainians only need to win once and draw. They had three teams in the group, with Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk left in the mix after Dynamo Kyiv’s exit.

Both teams are facing average opponents considering the possibilities. Shakhtar will play Rennes, who play cups year after year. Dnipropetrovsk will play Larnaca in Cyprus. Ukrainian clubs can easily both drop out, on the other hand there are two to win and draw.

Denmark

The Danes should not be a real threat. They would have to win four times, with only Midtjylland’s sole representative, upstart Sporting Lisbon, waiting in the Europa League first round. And the Portuguese vice-champion will be the favourite.

Source: UEFA