Cold shower for Italian football. After the 2023/2024 season, which had brought back enthusiasm and delivered a historic fifth team in the Champions League – Bologna – the present tells a very different story.
Italy has slipped to fifth place in the seasonal UEFA ranking, overtaken even by Portugal. A major shake-up that carries weight, especially in the race for the extra spot in next season’s Champions League.
📉 Italy down, Portugal ahead
The current situation is clear and worrying. Portugal has pulled ahead, climbing to fourth place with 18.900 points, while Italy is stuck on 18.714. A minimal gap, but enough to completely change the European picture.
Advertisement
England, Spain and Germany remain out of reach, at least for now. Behind them, France is chasing, ready to take advantage of any further slip-ups by the Italian teams.
The most alarming figure also concerns the number of teams still in the running: Italy has only two clubs still active out of the initial seven, a collapse that is heavily affecting the overall score.
🧮 How the UEFA ranking works
The system is as simple as it is ruthless. Every win in European competitions is worth 2 points, every draw 1. On top of that, there are bonus points for the knockout rounds.
The total collected by a nation’s teams is then divided by the number of initial participants. In Italy’s case, seven clubs. This means that early eliminations count double, drastically lowering the average.
Advertisement
At the end of the season, only the top two federations in the ranking earn an extra Champions League spot. A privilege that last year went to England and Spain, allowing Serie A to qualify five teams. This year, however, the picture is decidedly more complicated.
🏆 The race for the fifth Champions spot
England is already certain of the extra spot, backed by a huge advantage and consistent performances. That leaves only one slot available, and the battle is wide open.
The problem for Italy is twofold: not only is it outside the top 2, but it has also been overtaken by Portugal, which, despite having fewer teams at the start, is getting better results proportionally.
Advertisement
The consequence is clear: without a comeback in the final stages of the cups, Serie A risks being left with only four teams in next season’s Champions League.
📊 Updated UEFA ranking
The current standings paint a complicated picture for Italian clubs:
At the top is England with 24.791 points (5 teams still in the running out of 9), followed by Spain with 20.281 (6/8) and Germany with 19.714 (3/7).
In fourth place is Portugal with 18.900 (3/5), just ahead of Italy in fifth with 18.714 (2/7).
They are followed by France, Poland, Greece, Denmark and Cyprus, further behind.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
