Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League exit has serious consequences for LaLiga’s future in Europe

Borussia Dortmund’s shocking exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Serie A side Atalanta (4-1, 4-3 agg.) has huge repercussions for LaLiga’s future in Europe’s elite competition.

The somewhat surprising exit of 2022’s finalists at the playoff stage means that the UEFA coefficient - the points system by which UEFA measures each club in each league - does not benefit a team from Germany’s Bundesliga and instead goes to Real Madrid, if they can beat Benfica at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Champions League places in each of Europe’s leagues are determined by the coefficient points system, which plays out as a league in itself: at present, all of Spain, Italy, and Germany are fighting for second spot behind England, who are way out in front and will continue to have 5 qualification places for the time being with no threat.

Points are gained based on performances in tournaments, which is why Dortmund’s exit coupled with Madrid’s potential passage through has such immediate and serious consequences - the German side cannot gain those points back and Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, who got past Olympiacos last night, would be the league’s only representatives in the elite competition this year.

Spain, on the other hand, would have a total of three teams: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid.

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