What is the UEFA coefficient? How does it work, and how it’s calculated

Starting this 2024/25 season, UEFA has made radical changes to the Champions League by expanding the number of teams to 36 and eliminating the group stage. The question immediately arose: How does UEFA determine the additional teams that participate?

The answer is simple: the UEFA coefficient. This number consists of a series of statistics prepared annually by the organization. The value of the coefficient is so important that even winning the Champions League does not guarantee to be number one in the ranking or in pot one. The coefficient brings together the clubs’ results in the last five seasons of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

The combined rankings during said period serve to determine the teams’ positions in the draw pots; the more successful a club is in Europe, the better its position in the ranking will be, and it will avoid facing what may be the most challenging rivals in the initial stages of the competition.

How is the UEFA coefficient calculated?

It’s worth noting that UEFA has two coefficients: one for clubs and another for federations. The club coefficient is calculated by adding up the points a team obtains in any of the three UEFA competitions for the season.

To calculate the coefficient for the five seasons, you only have to add the team’s coefficient during each of those five years. It can also be equal to or 20% of the federation’s five-season coefficient, whichever is the highest.

In the case of the team coefficient, the points are calculated as follows:

UEFA Champions League points

2 - All group stage wins

1 - All ties from the group stage

4 - Participation bonus in the group stage

4 - Participation bonus in the round of 16

1 - Each round that clubs reach from the round of 16

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UEFA Europa League points

2 - All wins from the group stage onwards (except play-off ties)

1 - All ties from the group stage onwards (except play-off ties)

4 - Group winner

2 - Second in group

1 - Each round that the clubs reach from the round of 16 onwards

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UEFA Conference League points

1- Awarded to each club eliminated in the first qualifying round

1.5 - Awarded to each club eliminated in the second qualifying round

2 - Awarded to each club eliminated in the third qualifying round

2.5 - Awarded to each club eliminated in the qualifying play-offs

2 - All wins from the group stage onwards (except play-off ties)

1 - All ties from the group stage onwards (except play-off ties)

2 - Group winner

1 - Second in group

1 - Each round that the clubs reach from the semi-finals

Federations coefficients

In the case of Federations, their coefficient is calculated by adding all the points obtained by the clubs belonging to said federation in any of the three UEFA competitions; the result is then divided by the number of participating teams.

For this reason, the Bundesliga and Serie A will have an additional team in this UEFA Champions League. Both leagues obtained the best federation coefficients last season (Italy obtained 21,000 and Germany 19,357), which allowed the fifth team in the league table to compete in the Champions League.

What’s more, another spot in the Champions League group stage is awarded to the club ranked third in the federation championship and fifth in the ranking, French club Stade Brest came fifth in the five-year average of federations ensuring their qualification.