The 2023-24 season is drawing to a close and the battles for the major honours, relegation and promotion are starting to become clearer.
Here’s a quick roundup of what has been decided, and what’s still at stake, in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.
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Pep Guardiola’s side were crowned champions for a record-setting fourth consecutive season.
1. Manchester City
CONFIRMED
1. Man City (38 games, 91 points)
2. Arsenal (38, 89)
3. Liverpool (38, 82)
4. Aston Villa (38, 68)
As it stands, only fifth gets a Europa League place with the other slot, by right, going to the FA Cup winners.
Man United take on Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only). If Erik ten Hag’s team lift the trophy then they will be in the Europa League (UEL). If Man City win the cup, then the UEL position transfers to Chelsea.
CONFIRMED
5. Tottenham Hotspur (38, 66)
WAITING ON THE FA CUP FINAL
6. Chelsea (38, 63)
Man United, who have finished eighth, can now only qualify for Europe by winning the FA Cup.
WAITING ON THE FA CUP FINAL
6. Chelsea (38, 63)
7. Newcastle United (38, 60)
The UECL place will drop to seventh if Man City win the FA Cup.
If Man United win the FA Cup and finish seventh or eighth, the UECL place goes to sixth.
RELEGATED
18. Luton Town (38, 26)
19. Burnley (38, 24)
20. Sheffield United (38, 16)
Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been automatically promoted to the Premier League. Leeds United and Southampton will contest the Championship playoff final on May 26.
Real Madrid have been crowned champions.
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All four places have now been sealed.
CONFIRMED
1. Real Madrid (37, 94)
2. Barcelona (37, 82)
3. Girona (37, 78)
4. Atlético Madrid (37, 73)
Athletic won the Copa del Rey and will be in the Europa League. Real Sociedad won at Real Betis on Sunday to claim the league position in sixth.
CONFIRMED
5. Athletic Club (37, 65)
6. Real Sociedad (37, 60)
Real Betis cannot be overtaken for the final European place.
CONFIRMED
7. Real Betis (37, 56)
The final place was confirmed when Cádiz failed to win at home to Las Palmas and Mallorca took a point from their game against Almería.
It means there’s absolutely nothing to be decided on the final day in Spain.
CONFIRMED
18. Cádiz (37, 33)
19. Granada (37, 21)
20. Almería (37, 18)
There are sill two full rounds to be played in LaLiga 2, and no team has yet secured promotion.
Bayer Leverkusen won the first championship in their history with a remarkable unbeaten record.
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The Bundesliga has sealed an extra place through the European Performance Spot, which sends the team in fifth to the UCL too.
CONFIRMED
1. Bayer Leverkusen (34, 90)
2. VfB Stuttgart (34, 73)
3. Bayern Munich (34, 72)
4. RB Leipzig (34, 65)
5. Borussia Dortmund (34, 63)
WAITING ON DORTMUND
6. Eintracht Frankfurt (34, 47)
If Dortmund win the UCL final they will take the place reserved for the titleholders, and the European Performance Spot will pass down to sixth — so the Bundesliga would have six teams in the UCL.
It means that while Eintracht Frankfurt have a place in the UEL right now, they would be promoted to the UCL if Dortmund beat Real Madrid in the final on June 1.
There’s another complicating factor to the UEL places, which right now go to sixth in the league (Frankfurt) and the winners of the DFB Pokal.
The final of the DFB Pokal on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees Leverkusen take on Kaiserslautern who, incredibly, could win the cup despite almost being relegated to the third division, as they sit four points above the 2. Bundesliga relegation zone with one game to be played. If Kaiserslautern pull off an almighty shock and do what no other team has done all season (beat Leverkusen), the league slots will be unaltered: sixth into the UEL and seventh into the UECL. If Leverkusen win the final, sixth and seventh will get a place in the UEL.
CONFIRMED (SUBJECT TO UCL FINAL)
6. Eintracht Frankfurt (34, 47)
WAITING ON DFB POKAL FINAL
7. TSG Hoffenheim (34, 46)
If Leverkusen win the DFB Pokal, Hoffenheim will be promoted to the UEL. Right now they hold the UECL spot.
If Dortmund win the UCL, Germany would surrender the place in the UEL earned by Dortmund in the league. So, Dortmund would qualify as UCL titleholders in fifth, with sixth getting the European Performance position. The only way seventh can get a UEL place is if Leverkusen win the cup.
WAITING ON DFB POKAL FINAL
7. TSG Hoffenheim (34, 46)
8. Heidenheim (34, 42)
If Leverkusen win the DFB Pokal, Heidenheim will get a place in the UECL in their first-ever season in the Bundesliga.
Two teams are relegated automatically, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2. Bundesliga.
RELEGATION PLAYOFF
16. VfL Bochum (34, 33)
Bochum lost 4-1 to Werder Bremen on the final day, dropping from 14th to 16th due to victories for Union Berlin and Mainz.
Bochum will now meet Fortuna Düsseldorf for the right to play in the Bundesliga next season. The first leg takes place on Thursday, with the return on Monday, May 27.
RELEGATED
17. FC Cologne (34, 27)
18. SV Darmstadt 98 (34, 17)
St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel have been automatically promoted into the Bundesliga.
Internazionale have wrapped up the Scudetto as runaway champions.
Like Germany, Italy has secured an extra place in next year’s competition through its clubs’ performance in Europe this season, meaning at least five clubs will qualify.
The places have already been sealed as Atalanta hold the head to head over Roma.
CONFIRMED
1. Internazionale (37, 93)
2. AC Milan (37, 74)
3. Bologna (37, 68)
4. Juventus (37, 68)
5. Atalanta (36, 66)
WAITING ON ATALANTA
6. AS Roma (37, 63)
Atalanta are guaranteed a place in the UCL as they hold the head to head over AS Roma.
But AS Roma, who will definitely finish in sixth as they have the head to head against seventh-placed Lazio, could get into the UCL through the back door too.
If Atalanta win the UEL (they face Leverkusen in the final on Wednesday) then Italy will have the top six clubs in the UCL — the top four, Atalanta as UEL titleholders and the European Performance Spot will pass to Roma.
Roma will very much be cheering on Atalanta against Leverkusen.
Juventus won the Coppa Italia, so sixth and seventh will qualify for the UEL by right.
IN CONTENTION / WAITING ON ATALANTA
6. AS Roma (37, 63)
7. Lazio (37, 60)
8. Fiorentina (36, 54)
Roma are guaranteed a UEL place if Atalanta do not win the UEL.
Lazio are in the box seat for the second UEL place, with Fiorentina the outsiders.
However, Fiorentina’s goal difference is better than Lazio’s, if they can catch them. Fiorentina play at Cagliari on the final weekend, but they do have an extra game to come. That extra match is against Atalanta and as both teams are in European finals; the only possible date to play the game is Sunday, June 2 — a week after the final round of Serie A matches is played. Fiorentina will therefore go into the “extra” game in full knowledge of what a result will earn.
If Atalanta win the UEL to qualify for the UCL, Italy will surrender the place for the league in the UEL which Atalanta would have earned (complicated, but technically the European Performance Spot goes to sixth). So, only seventh would be in the UEL.
IN CONTENTION / WAITING ON FIORENTINA
7. Lazio (37, 60)
8. Fiorentina (36, 54)
9. Torino (37, 53)
10. Napoli (37, 52)
Eighth place will enter the UECL, which is currently held by Fiorentina who are favourites with that game in hand. Lazio could drop into it, but realistically it’s a battle between Fiorentina, Napoli and Torino.
Fiorentina will be sure of the UECL position if they win at Cagliari on Sunday.
Torino go to Atalanta and must win and, because inferior head-to-head record, hope Fiorentina pick up no more than one point from their last two fixtures.
Napoli must win at home to Lazio and, because of inferior head-to-head record, hope Fiorentina lose both of their games, and Torino draw/lose.
However, if Fiorentina win the UECL and finish eighth or lower, they will be play in the UEL and ninth will be in the UECL. There has been a great deal of confusion over this, and it doesn’t appear to follow the regular logic. If a country has a European titleholder who finishes outside the European places domestically before the EPS place is applied, then that’s a +1 regardless. Essentially, it says Fiorentina haven’t qualified for Europe by right without the EPS effect.
If Fiorentina win the UECL and finish in the top seven, Italy would have eight teams in Europe. But if they finished eighth or lower they will have nine. No other team is in contention for ninth.
RELEGATED
19. Sassuolo (37, 29)
20. Salernitana (37, 16)
IN CONTENTION
16. Frosinone (37, 35)
17. Udinese (37, 34)
18. Empoli (37, 33)
One place is to be decided, with three clubs in contention.
On the final day, third-bottom Empoli host Roma and they are guaranteed to be safe with a win — because Frosinone are at home to Udinese. If Empoli draw and Udinese lose, the two teams will be level on points and play a relegation playoff.
Udinese are safe with a win at Frosinone, or if they match Empoli’s result with a draw or loss.
The only way Frosinone can be relegated is if they lose and Empoli win.
Parma and Cesc Fàbregas’ Como have been promoted to Serie A. Venezia. Cremonese, Catanzaro and Palermo the remaining teams in the promotion playoffs.
Paris Saint-Germain secured the title with ease.
France gets three automatic places, with fourth place entering the UCL in the third qualifying round.
Remarkably Brest were in fourth when the games on the final day entered the 90th minute. Brest scored to go level with Lille on points and goal difference, but Lille stayed third on head to head. Then Lille conceded at home in the fourth minute of added time, sending Brest directly into the Champions League group stage.
CONFIRMED
1. Paris Saint-Germain (34, 76)
2. AS Monaco (34, 67)
3. Brest (34, 61)
4. Lille (34, 59)
The UEL places go to fifth and the winners of the Coupe de France — PSG take on Lyon on May 25, and if PSG win it the place transfers to sixth in the league. As Lyon managed to finish sixth they are guaranteed a place in the UEL.
Lyon beat Strasbourg on the final day, while Lens only drew. It means that Lyon, who at one stage were in a relegation battle, will be in the UEL even though they have a goal difference of minus-6.
CONFIRMED
5. Nice (34, 55)
6. Lyon (34, 53)
CONFIRMED
7. Lens (34, 51)
Two teams are relegated, with third-bottom facing a playoff with a team from the second division to remain in Ligue 1.
Metz will play one of Paris FC, Rodez and Saint-Étienne to fight to stay in the top flight.
RELEGATION PLAYOFF
16. Metz (34, 29)
Lorient needed an eight-goal swing on Metz to stay up on the final day, they only managed seven so — even though they scored more goals in the GD calculation — are relegated on head-to-head away goals.
RELEGATED
17. Lorient (34, 29)
18. Clermont Foot (34, 25)
AJ Auxerre and Angers have been automatically promoted to Ligue 1. will take part in the playoffs.
