The place in Pot 1 for the next edition of the Champions League is in danger for Barça, as Leverkusen can surpass the Blaugrana’s coefficient if they win in the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals or in a hypothetical final. Likewise, Roma, the Germans’ rival in the second European competition, can also leave FC Barcelona out of the main pot.
The 2024-2025 Champions League has its new format, so the selection of the seeded teams will be different from that of previous years, where Pot 1 included the champions of the five major leagues, the winner of the Champions League and the Europa League winner.
However, with the change in format, the nine seeds will be chosen according to the coefficient they have accumulated in the last five years in European competitions. Currently there are already eight teams with a fixed place in pot 1: Manchester City, Bayern, Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Inter, Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund.
The remaining place is disputed by Rome, with 100,000 coefficient points, Barça, with 91,000, and Leverkusen, with 88,000. UEFA awards two points for a victory, one for a draw and another for advancing to the next phase. If the German team wins a match, either in the second leg of the semi-finals or in a hypothetical final, they would tie with FC Barcelona. However, Xabi Alonso’s men would occupy pot 1 because the body chaired by Aleksander Ceferin gives priority to the league champion in the event of a tie in the coefficient.
Even so, Barça has another rival that can also take away its place in the main pot, Roma. The Italian team keeps two bullets in the chamber. The first, and most complex, is to win the Europa League, but to do so they will have to perform a miracle: beat Leverkusen, something unprecedented this season.
Likewise, De Rossi’s team, who came to office after Mourinho’s dismissal, would also leave Barça out of pot 1 if they manage to qualify for the Champions League through Serie A. They currently occupy fifth place, which gives access to the Champions League because Italy has five places for the next edition. However, Atalanta, sixth, has two points less but has a game in hand.
The new edition of the Champions League, in which 36 teams will participate, is already spreading excitement with four months left until the groups are drawn. Barça, Roma and Leverkusen will play for the last available place in pot 1, while the other two will end up in pot 2.