…if the plans were due to take effect next season.
Despite finishing their 2021/22 Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park — United secured a place in next season’s Europa League on the final day of the Premier League campaign.
However, Manchester United would have been given a place in next season’s Champions League group stage, despite completing the 2021/22 Premier League campaign outside of the top four in England
UEFA has withdrawn its controversial plan to deliver Champions League qualification to teams based on their historical success via club coefficient points.
European soccer’s governing body had formerly indicated that it would reserve two places in the UCL group phase from 2024 for high-ranking teams who had failed to qualify due to their domestic league position.
Using this Premier League season as an example – although the plans were not due to take effect until 2024 – Manchester United would have been given a place in next season’s Champions League group stage, despite finishing outside of the top four in England.
United are currently 10th on UEFA’s Europe-wide list of clubs based on coefficient points.
UEFA also went on to declare openly that, instead of two places going to clubs based on their historical success, two extra spots will instead be given each year to the two nations whose clubs performed best in the previous campaign.
In this season, clubs from England have won more points than those from any other nation.
Therefore, England (the PL) would have received an extra place, given to the team who finished fifth in the Premier League.