Explained: How Chelsea Could Help an 8th-Place Team Qualify for Europe — and Why 9 Premier League Clubs Are Already In

The Premier League could send nine teams into European competitions next season — and believe it or not, Chelsea could help the team in 8th place qualify too.

Thanks to some results going in England’s favour and new UEFA rules, the list of teams playing in Europe is growing. Here’s how it all works.

Why 9 Premier League Teams Are Already Going to Europe

Usually, England gets seven spots in Europe:

• Four in the Champions League
• Two in the Europa League
• One in the Conference League

But this season, UEFA added extra Champions League places for the two best-performing countries in Europe — and England is one of them.

Because of that, the team that finishes 5th in the Premier League this season will also go to the Champions League, not the Europa League.

Also, Manchester United and Tottenham are both in the Europa League final. If either of them wins, they get a place in next season’s Champions League — even if they don’t finish in the top five.

So, here’s the list:

• Top 5 teams = Champions League
• Europa League winner (Spurs or Man United) = Champions League
• 6th place = Europa League
• FA Cup winner = Europa League
• Carabao Cup winner (Newcastle) = Conference League

That means nine teams from the Premier League will be playing in Europe next season.

How Chelsea Could Help the Team in 8th Place

Chelsea could make things even better for the team in 8th place. It all depends on how they finish the season.

Chelsea are in the Conference League final. If they win it, they get a spot in next season’s Europa League.

Now, here’s the important part: if Chelsea also finish in the top seven, they’ve already qualified for Europe through the league — so their Conference League win won’t be used by them. Instead, that Europa League place will go to the next best team in the Premier League — which is 8th place.

So yes — if Chelsea win the Conference League and finish 6th or 7th, the 8th-place team goes to Europe.

Three Simple Scenarios

1. Chelsea win the Conference League and finish 5th or higher:
Nothing changes. Chelsea will play in the Champions League, and the 8th-place team gets nothing.

2. Chelsea win the Conference League and finish 6th or 7th:
They already qualified through the league. So, their Europa League spot is passed down. The team in 8th place goes to Europe!

3. The FA Cup winner finishes in the top six too:
If Newcastle or Man City win the FA Cup and are already in the top six, their Europa League place also gets passed down — another way for the 8th-place team to qualify.

If both things happen — Chelsea win the Conference League and the FA Cup winner is already in Europe — then even the 8th-place team could end up in the Europa League, and not just the Conference League.

What If Chelsea Get a Champions League Spot?

UEFA rules say Conference League winners get a place in the Europa League. But if they already have a Champions League spot (by finishing top five), they can ignore the Europa League place and play in the Champions League instead.

So Chelsea would pick the Champions League, and no extra place would be passed down.

So What Does This All Mean?

• 9 Premier League teams will be in Europe next season — that’s confirmed.
• The team in 8th place could qualify too — but it depends on what happens with Chelsea and the FA Cup final.
• Chelsea winning the Conference League AND finishing in the top 7 is key.
• It could be a huge boost for clubs like West Ham, Brighton, or even Wolves, who are fighting for 8th.

Chelsea’s result in the final could be the golden ticket for one more English club to play in Europe.