UEFA member associations (hereinafter associations) may enter the winner of their national cup competition (hereinafter domestic cup), as well as a certain number of other clubs for the competition through their top domestic championship, in accordance with the association coefficient rankings, drawn up in accordance with Annex D. These rankings also determine the associations’ positions in the access list (see 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 domestic cup;
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two representatives: the winner of the domestic cup and the club that finishes the top domestic championship immediately below the last club that qualifies for the UEFA Champions League.
If the winner of the domestic cup qualifies for the UEFA Champions League via the domestic championship and therefore enters the UEFA Champions League, the following adaptations are made to the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League (see Annex A):
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The access stage initially reserved for the domestic cup winner is reserved for the club that finishes the domestic championship in the highest position of all the association’s clubs that qualify for the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Europa Conference League.
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Each representative of the domestic championship then enters the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the domestic championship representative ranked immediately above it.
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The highest ranking domestic championship club not qualified for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Europa League at the stage initially reserved for the domestic cup winner or if applicable for the lowest ranking top domestic championship representative in the UEFA Europa League.
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The highest ranking domestic championship club not qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the lowest ranking top domestic championship representative in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
If the winner of the domestic cup, qualified to the UEFA Europa League, also qualifies for the UEFA Europa League via the domestic championship, the following adaptations are made to the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League (see Annex A):
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The access stage initially reserved for the representative of the domestic championship that qualifies as domestic cup winner to the UEFA Europa League is reserved for the club that finishes the domestic championship immediately below the domestic cup winner.
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The highest ranking domestic championship club not qualified for the UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Europa League at the stage initially reserved for the lowest ranking top domestic championship representative in the UEFA Europa League.
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Each representative of the domestic championship then enters the UEFA Europa Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the domestic championship representative ranked immediately above it.
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The highest ranking domestic championship club not qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the lowest ranking top domestic championship representative in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
If the winner of the domestic cup, qualified to the UEFA Europa League, also qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League via the domestic championship, the following adaptations are made to the UEFA Europa Conference League (see Annex A):
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The access stage initially reserved for the representative of the domestic championship that qualifies as domestic cup winner to the UEFA Europa League is reserved for the club that finishes the domestic championship immediately below the domestic cup winner.
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Each representative of the domestic championship then enters the competition at the stage initially reserved for the domestic championship representative ranked immediately above it.
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The highest ranking domestic championship club not qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the lowest ranking top domestic championship representative in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Clubs eliminated in the qualifying phase or play-offs of the UEFA Champions League and/or the UEFA Europa League are admitted to the UEFA Europa League and/or the UEFA Europa Conference league as follows:
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UEFA Champions League (UCL) elimination stage |
UEFA Europa League (UEL) entry stage / elimination stage |
UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) entry stage |
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Preliminary round of UCL champions path |
2nd qualifying round of UECL champions path |
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1st qualifying round of UCL champions path |
2nd qualifying round of UECL champions path |
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2nd qualifying round of UCL champions path |
3rd qualifying round of UEL champions path |
Play-offs of UECL champions path |
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3rd qualifying round of UCL champions path |
Play-offs of UEL |
UECL group stage |
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Play-offs of UCL champions path |
UEL group stage |
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2nd qualifying round of UCL league path |
3rd qualifying round of UEL main path |
Play-offs of UECL main path |
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3rd qualifying round of UCL league path |
UEL group stage |
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Play-offs of UCL league path |
UEL group stage |
In addition, the eight clubs that finish the UEFA Champions League group stage in third place are admitted to the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs.
The UEFA Europa League titleholder is admitted to the UEFA Champions League group stage. If the UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Europa League is decreased by one.
The UEFA Europa Conference League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the group stage even if it does not qualify for the competition through its domestic competitions. If the UEFA Europa Conference League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Europa Conference League is decreased by one.
If the UEFA Europa Conference League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic competitions, the vacancy is filled as follows (subject to Paragraph 3.07 of the UEFA Champions League regulations):
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A vacancy created in the group stage is filled by the domestic cup winner of the association ranked 7th in the access list (or the club replacing it, if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League via its domestic championship) and the main path is re-balanced accordingly, with priority given to the cup winners in the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League main path (or the club replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League).
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A vacancy created in the qualifying phase or play-offs is rebalanced accordingly, with priority given to the domestic cup winners in the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League main path (or the club replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League).
If the UEFA Europa Conference League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Champions League through its domestic championship, it has the right to choose between entering the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League group stage (see Paragraph 3.08). If it chooses to enter the UEFA Champions League, it vacates its position in the UEFA Europa League group stage. The vacancy created is filled in line with Paragraph 3.10.
If the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through one of its domestic competitions, the vacancy created is filled in line with Paragraph 3.10.