UEFA index: France behind Poland, Cyprus and Denmark!

10/25/2024. A year ago, almost to the day, France was already 6th in the index ranking, ahead of Spain and trailing Germany by a few thousandths of a point thanks to the performances of Brest, Monaco and Lille who had a string of successes in the Champions League. A year later, the results are more mixed. Certainly PSG and OL carry France at arm's length in the UEFA index, but the other clubs are in more difficulty.

Luis Enrique's gang has scored a third success in as many matches and has just blown away a Bayer team which had never suffered such a defeat at home (2-7). As for Lyon, the record is more than flattering with three victories in as many matches in the Europa League. Despite numerous departures and a qualitatively fairer workforce, the collective strength of Rhone is working wonders on the continental scene and it was FC Basel who paid the price this Thursday by losing 2-0 at Groupama Stadium.

For the rest, it's more complicated… If OM have been playing rather well since their return to the Champions League, there are only three points on the clock. This time, the Marseille club scuttled in Lisbon (2-1) after having had a high-flying first period until the stupid expulsion of Emerson which ultimately precipitated Marseille towards a second defeat in three matches. As for AS Monaco, still not the slightest victory on the clock, but a new draw, frustrating this time against a pale Tottenham team (0-0), which only owed its salvation to an impressive match from its goalkeeper Vicario.

Nice and Monaco top France's UEFA index

Strasbourg, irresistible in Ligue 1 and which had managed to get by since the start of the season in the European Cup, recorded its first poor performance in the Conference League against the modest Polish team Jagiellonia Bialystok, snatching a 1-1 draw thanks to the inevitable Joaquin Panichelli, author of an acrobatic return. Usually so consistent, LOSC sank for 45 minutes against PAOK Salonika before waking up too late and losing 3-4 at home. Finally, new match and new defeat for Nice, which bit the dust against Celta Vigo (1-2), modest 17th in Liga. The Riviera club has definitely not helped France in the UEFA index for 18 months, to say the least.

And this has an impact since it is now utopian to hope to return to Germany, although far from being imperial like the routs of Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. But worse, with the disappointing results of the week, France, which had great ambitions from the start of the season, is struggling to exist in the top 10 and still finds itself far behind Poland, Cyprus and Denmark… A ranking that is difficult, especially when we count in its ranks the winner of the Champions League and the European Super Cup…