We are in the final months of this Newcastle United season.
As we approach the end of the 2025/26 season, I started looking at what Eddie Howe and his players will need to be back in Europe next season.
It seems highly unlikely that Newcastle United will win the Champions League or the FA Cup (the FA will make sure one of their favorites wins this one).
At the end of this season we will almost certainly have to rely on our position in the Premier League.
So what is needed?
The basic qualification for Premier League clubs is as follows:
1st to 4th – Champions League
5th – Europa League
FA Cup Winners – Europa League
Winners of the Carabao Cup – Conference League
Now things start to get complicated, as it looks like the Premier League will finish in the top two of the UEFA coefficients due to this season’s collective performance in European competitions, so the Premier League will get an extra place in the Champions League, so:
1st to 5th – Champions League
6th – Europa League
FA Cup Winners – Europa League
Winners of the Carabao Cup – Conference League
Should any of the teams finishing first to fifth in the Premier League also win the Champions League or Europa League, this would NOT earn them an additional place in next year’s Champions League.
Should a team that finishes outside the top five win the Champions League or Europa League, it will qualify for the Champions League. Based on the current top five, that would mean Liverpool or Spurs winning the Champions League and/or Forest winning the Europa League. Because I don’t see that happening, they are now the winners of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
As it seems likely that both Carabao Cup finalists Arsenal and Manchester City will qualify for the Champions League, the place in the Conference League will go to the next-placed team in the competition, so:
1st to 5th – Champions League
6th – Europa League
FA Cup Winners – Europa League
7th – Conference Competition
Are you still with me?
Finally, if the winners of the FA Cup have already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League, the Europa League spot for winning the FA Cup goes to the next team in the competition, so:
1st to 5th – Champions League
6th and 7th – Europa League
8th – Conference Competition
Therefore, the minimum league position Newcastle United need to finish in the top eight is.
Should Liverpool or Spurs win the Champions and not finish in the top five, they would be awarded the 9th Conference League. If that were to happen AND Forest won the Europa League, Europe could move into tenth place.
I remember a team many years ago who finished in tenth place and went on to win the following season’s Fairs Cup (today’s equivalent of the Conference League).
There are a lot of ifs and buts, but in my opinion Newcastle United would finish in the top eight next season.
Eddie Howe and his team are currently 10th, one point behind 8th, six points clear of 6th, so it’s not impossible.
I can live without Newcastle United qualifying for Europe… but I can’t live with us finishing behind the Mackems.
Come on guys, a big step towards the end of the season will mean more trips to the four corners of Europe next season.
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