FC Utrecht and AZ are starting their European adventure tonight. PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord, and Go Ahead Eagles will follow later. Important years are coming up, as a decline in the UEFA coefficient ranking is looming. How long will the Netherlands keep its two direct Champions League tickets?
The Netherlands starts the 2025/2026 season in a neat sixth place in the coefficient ranking, which it has held for three years. There is a good chance that the Netherlands will still be number six in Europe at the end of May, after the Champions League final in Budapest. But there is just as much chance that the Netherlands will immediately have to mark time afterwards.
Because after the current season, the points from the top season 2021/2022, in which Feyenoord reached the Conference League final, will expire. The Netherlands was even the second-best scoring country in Europe at the time, because Ajax, PSV, AZ, and Vitesse also scored many points.
How does the coefficient ranking work?
Clubs earn points for their country for good results in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. These points are divided by the number of participating clubs per country. In the case of the Netherlands, this is divided by six.
The Dutch coefficient follows from this calculation. The coefficient ranking is made up of the coefficients of the five most recent seasons. Currently, it concerns the seasons 2021/2022 to 2025/2026.
Partly because of this, the Netherlands conquered sixth place in the coefficient ranking a few years ago. As a result, numbers one and two of the Eredivisie still go directly to the Champions League, while number three goes to the preliminary rounds.
The numbers one and two of the Eredivisie season 2026/2027 will most likely also be able to skip the preliminary rounds. But then the Netherlands must retain sixth place in the coming months.
The lead over number seven Portugal and number eight Belgium is comfortable. But where the Netherlands has six clubs active in Europe, Portugal and Belgium have five. That is beneficial for both countries, because the points their clubs score are worth more this season. As a result, Portugal and Belgium can catch up with the Netherlands.
The current coefficient ranking (2021-2026)
The Netherlands will lose a lot in a year
And next season? The collected points on the coefficient ranking remain valid for five years, so the Netherlands will lose a lot. If the points from 2021/2022 are lost, the Eredivisie risks losing its second direct Champions League ticket.
On the virtual ranking for next season, without the points from 2021/2022, the Netherlands drops from sixth to eighth place. Portugal and Belgium lose far fewer points, which would cause them to jump over the Netherlands.
The virtual coefficient ranking (2022-2027)
What does that mean specifically? If the Netherlands does indeed fall outside the top six in Europe after the 2026/2027 season, the Eredivisie will lose one direct Champions League ticket. Then number two of the Eredivisie season 2027/2028 will have to play preliminary rounds again. Moreover, the Netherlands then risks going from six to five European participants again.
Meanwhile, there is a chance that the Netherlands will compete in the Champions League with three clubs for the first time in 23 years. PSV and Ajax have already qualified, Feyenoord can enter through the preliminary rounds. It would be a great milestone, but as it looks now, this will be one of the last opportunities for the time being.