Champions League, Europa League, Europa qualification explained: Who will be playing in Europe next season?

The European Super League has been put aside but the race to qualify for the Champions League, Europa League, or the new Europa Conference League is still on.

Here’s how qualification works ..

Champions League qualification

The top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

Winning the Champions League or Europa League also guarantees a place in the group stages. Up to five English teams can qualify for the Champions League through these two methods. UEFA regulations were updated in 2013 to state that no more than five teams from the same league can compete in Europe’s premier competition. And in this scenario preference would be given to the winners of the major competitions rather than the fourth placed team, who would then qualify for the Europa League instead.

Arsenal will continue their Premier League campaign at home as they welcome Everton on Friday evening.

There are two Europa League spots available to English clubs. One goes to the team which finishes fifth in the Premier League, the second goes to the side which wins the FA Cup.

The winner of the Carabao Cup will qualify for the Europa Conference League play-off round.

Chelsea face Leicester in the FA Cup final and both of those sides are currently in the top four in the Premier League. If they stay there, they’ll qualify for the Champions League, meaning the Europa League qualifying spot for winning the FA Cup will be passed on to the next highest-ranked Premier League side which hasn’t qualified for a UEFA competition.

If the winner of the Carabao Cup – Manchester City or Tottenham – qualifies for either the Champions League or Europa League, their place in the Europa Conference League is passed on to the next highest-ranked Premier League side which hasn’t qualified for a UEFA competition.

That could be sixth or seventh, depending on where Chelsea and Leicester finish in the Premier League, or if Chelsea win the Champions League.

If Tottenham win the Carabao Cup and then fail to finish in a European qualifying spot in the Premier League, they will be able to take up that Europa Conference League qualifying place.

If Chelsea finish outside the top four and win the Champions League and Arsenal finish outside the top four and win the Europa League.

Champions League qualification

The top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

Winning the Champions League or Europa League also guarantees a place in the group stages. Up to five English teams can qualify for the Champions League through these two methods.

It would occur if Chelsea finish outside the top four and win the Champions League and Arsenal finish outside the top four and win the Europa League.

Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, and two other Premier League sides are said to be involved in plans for a European Super League; Premier League and UEFA robustly condemn the proposals; a number of top Italian and Spanish clubs are believed to also be involved in the plans.