The qualification of Olympiakos and PAOK to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League kept Greece in the game for a better place in the UEFA rankings.
Our country has been in 17th place for a long time, but the countries up to 12th have lost all their representatives, so mathematically a jump of five places is possible, which will bring them to the top in the 2025-2026 qualifiers.
While that’s not the most realistic scenario, there’s still plenty to be positive regarding for Greece, as long as its two remaining representatives rise to the occasion presented in this season’s finale, where she’s running… alone.
Each win in European competitions offers two points and each draw one. The presence in the semi-finals and the final of the Europa Conference League is rewarded with an extra point. The harvest that each club will offer will be divided by five, as many as the representatives of Greece in Europe at the beginning of the season.
In other words, Greece’s “ceiling” is 4,400 points from now on, i.e. in case Olympiacos and PAOK meet in the OPAP Arena final, getting there only with wins.
Greece currently has 29,525 points and in the above scenario it will reach 33,925, i.e. it will have collected more than 12th Switzerland which has 32,975.
If our country achieves such a feat, then in 2025-2026 it will have five representatives in the European competitions and with quite good tickets.
The champion will be in the Champions League playoffs and the runner-up in the 2nd qualifier of the non-champions, the 3rd will compete in the 2nd qualifier of the Europa League, the 4th in the 2nd qualifier of the Conference League, while the cup winner will start from the Europa League playoffs .
The chances of confirming this scenario are zero. The actual and realistic target is three places lower, since 15th place keeps the same number of tickets, but varies the rounds and events from which the representatives of Greece will start.
The champion will compete in the 2nd qualifier of the Champions League, the runner-up will also (but on a different path), the 3rd and 4th will start from the 2nd qualifier of the Conference League and the winner will be the only team in the Europa League, starting from 3rd qualifier.
For that to happen, Greece will need 2,000 points to overtake Denmark, who have 31,450 and are in 15th place. Given that with each victory our country adds 0.400 points to its harvest and with each draw 0.200, even this overtaking seems difficult.
Four wins in the quarter-finals that would provide both qualification premiums complete the 2,000 points, but if the Greek teams qualify with different results, points will also be needed in the semi-finals.
If, however, one of the two does not qualify, then it is utopian for the other to manage to offer enough points for Greece to climb to 15th place.
Israel is in 16th place with 1,600 points more than Greece. Any rise of our country starts from this point and although it does not offer an extra ticket, the 16th position offers a better luck to the Greek Cup winner.
From 16th to 22nd, the champion will compete in the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League, the 2nd and 3rd in the 2nd qualifying round of the Conference League. The 16th-ranked UEFA cup winner will win a round in the Europa League and start from the 2nd qualifier, unlike the teams from the 17th to 22nd countries, who will start from the 1st qualifier.
If, however, our country manages to find itself in 16th place, then it may be further favored (and especially its cup winner) by some rebalancing that can be done to fill gaps created in the qualifiers due to the winners of the three European competitions.
What is certain is that every point offered to Greece by Olympiacos and PAOK from now on will reduce the gap from Israel, Denmark, Norway, Austria and Switzerland. Even if our country does not manage to overtake this season, it will be able to hope for a better placement in the new year, where it starts once more from 17th place, but at a shorter distance from the countries it pursues.
European tickets for 2025-2026
12TH POSITION
Champion: Champions League Playoffs (Champions Trail)
Cup winner: Europa League Playoffs
Second: Champions League 2nd Qualifier (Non-Champion Path)
Third: 2nd Europa League qualifier
Fourth: 2nd Conference League qualifier
13TH-14TH POSITION
Champion: Champions League Playoffs (Champions Trail)
Cup winner: 3rd Europa League qualifier
Second: Champions League 2nd Qualifier (Non-Champion Path)
Third: 2nd Conference League qualifier
Fourth: 2nd Conference League qualifier
15TH POSITION
Champion: Champions League 2nd Qualifier (Champions Path)
Cup winner: 3rd Europa League qualifier
Second: Champions League 2nd Qualifier (Non-Champion Path)
Third: 2nd Conference League qualifier
Fourth: 2nd Conference League qualifier
16TH POSITION
Champion: Champions League 2nd Qualifier (Champions Path)
Cup winner: 2nd Europa League qualifier
Second: 2nd Conference League qualifier
Third: 2nd Conference League qualifier
Fourth: –
17TH-22ND POSITION
Champion: Champions League 2nd Qualifier (Champions Path)
Cup winner: 1st Europa League qualifier
Second: 2nd Conference League qualifier
Third: 2nd Conference League qualifier
Fourth: –
Source: sport24
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