LDC, one less place for France

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By: Manu Tournoux

Yes, French football can be delighted with its full box in the Champions League. The LOSC finished 7th in the first phase and qualified directly for the round of 16, while PSG, AS Monaco and the Brestois stadium, respectively 15th, 17th and 18th, participate in the dams of the final phase. The Parisians will challenge the Brestois, with a first leg in Roudourou on February 11, and a return round at the Park des Princes the week after. There will therefore be at least two clubs from France in 8th, the Monegasques being opposed to Benfica.

However, the Franco-French confrontation puts almost the hopes of Ligue 1 to obtain an additional fifth ticket for the Champions League. The hexagonal championship is not already the best off on the old continent with its “3+1”, namely three direct tickets for the LDC and another accessit for the 3rd qualifying round (the Lille had to cross two laps before before the league phase). UEFA offers an additional place in the Champions League for the two best European nations, according to the results of all the clubs concerned in the three competitions. This may have escaped you: this season, Germany and Italy were represented by five clubs in the Champions League.

France behind Portugal …

On the German side, Leverkusen (6th), Dortmund, Bayern are still in the LDC race, while Stuttgart and Leipzig are eliminated. Among the Italians, Inter ended in the Top 8, Atalanta, Milan and Juventus accessed the dams but not Bologna. Serie A is again in good position to obtain a 5th sesame for the C1 with the Premier League, especially since Lazio ended at the top of the Europa League. There are three English clubs downright in the top 8 of the Champions (Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa 8th). Manchester City torn off its passage for the dams and, in the other two competitions, Man United, Tottenham and Chelsea unrolled.

In the Europa League, OL finished 6th in the first phase to rise directly in 8th, but the OGC Nice made a scandalous course to the penultimate place in the ranking. The RC Lens did not play the conference league after its elimination in dams by Panathinaikos (2-1, 0-2). Under these conditions, France was already unlikely to obtain a 5th place for the LDC. Spain (with Barça, Atlético, Real, Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Betis) and even Portugal (with Benfica, Sporting, Porto, Guimaraes) are now more likely than France to offer itself this extra spotaccording to the calculations of Football Rankings on X.