UEFA member associations (hereinafter associations) may enter a certain number of clubs for the competition through their top domestic championship, in accordance with the association coefficient rankings, drawn up in accordance with Annex D. No more than four clubs may qualify for the competition through each domestic championship. These rankings also determine the associations’ positions in the access list (Annex A), which in turn determines the stage at which each club enters the competition. Only one single team per club may be entered.
Associations are represented on the following basis (see Annex A):
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one representative: winner of the top domestic championship;
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two representatives: winner and runner-up of the top domestic championship;
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three representatives: winner, runner-up and third-placed club in the top domestic championship;
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four representatives: winner, runner-up, third- and fourth-placed clubs in the top domestic championship.
The UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League titleholders are guaranteed a place in the group stage even if they do not qualify for the competition through their domestic championships. If the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Europa Conference League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Europa Conference League is decreased by one.
If the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the group stage of the competition through its domestic championship the vacancy created in the group stage is filled as follows (see Annex A):
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A vacancy created by the UEFA Champions League titleholder is filled by the domestic champion of the association ranked 11th in the access list and the champions path is rebalanced accordingly with priority given to the club of the best ranked association of the relevant round in the access list.
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A vacancy created by the UEFA Europa League titleholder is filled by the third-placed club of the association ranked fifth in the access list and the league path is rebalanced accordingly with priority given to the club of the best ranked association of the relevant round in the access list.
If the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the qualifying phase or play-offs of the competition, the respective qualifying rounds or play-offs are rebalanced accordingly with priority given to the club of the best ranked association of the relevant round in the access list (see Annex A) and in accordance with Paragraph 3.04.
Exceptionally, an association may be represented by five clubs in the competition if the UEFA Champions League and/or UEFA Europa League titleholder does not also qualify through its domestic championship.
If the UEFA Champions League titleholder and the UEFA Europa League titleholder come from the same association and do not qualify for the competition through their domestic championship, one of the following scenarios applies (in accordance with Annex A):
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If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and both titleholders qualify for the UEFA Europa League through their domestic competitions, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage where a vacancy is created). In this case, the titleholders’ association is entitled to the following number of places in the UEFA club competitions: five in the UEFA Champions League group stage; one in the UEFA Europa League group stage; one in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-offs.
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If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League and one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League through its domestic competitions, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage, where a vacancy is created). In this case, the titleholders’ association is entitled to the following number of places in the UEFA club competitions: five in the UEFA Champions League group stage; two in the UEFA Europa League group stage; none in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
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If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and only one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic competitions, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage, where a vacancy is created). In this case, the titleholders’ association is entitled to the following number of places in the UEFA club competitions: five in the UEFA Champions League group stage; two in the UEFA Europa League group stage; one in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-offs.
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If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and only one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League through its domestic competitions, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage) and, unless there is a vacancy to be filled in the UEFA Europa League group stage, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Europa League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa Conference League (into the group stage). The access list will be rebalanced accordingly in the UEFA Europa Conference League. In this case, the titleholders’ association is entitled to the following number of places in the UEFA club competitions: five in the UEFA Champions League group stage; two (three) in the UEFA Europa League group stage; one (none) in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.
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If the association is entitled to four places in the competition and neither titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Europa Conference League through its domestic competitions, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the UEFA Europa League group stage) and, unless there is a vacancy to be filled in the UEFA Europa League group stage, the lowest-placed of the association’s UEFA Europa League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa Conference League (into the group stage). The access list will be rebalanced accordingly in the UEFA Europa Conference League. In this case, the titleholders’ association is entitled to the following number of places in the UEFA club competitions: five in the UEFA Champions League group stage; two (three) in the UEFA Europa League group stage; one (none) in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage; one in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-offs.
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If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and both titleholders qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference League through their domestic competitions, they are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number of places to which the association of the titleholders is entitled in the three competitions does not change.
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If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and one titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference League through its domestic competitions, both titleholders are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number of places to which the association of the titleholders is entitled in the three competitions is increased by one.
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If the association is entitled to fewer than four places in the UEFA Champions League and neither titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference League through its domestic competitions, both titleholders are entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number of places to which the association of the titleholders is entitled in the three competitions is increased by two.