Newcastle United react to official UEFA Champions League update ahead of Manchester United clash

Newcastle’s 3-0 win at Leicester City on Monday evening saw them move up to fifth in the Premier League table with a game in hand on the teams around them.

Fifth place has historically been reserved for Europa League qualification, but a UEFA rule change introduced last season will see fifth place in the Premier League this season qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The two nations with the highest UEFA coefficients for the 2024-25 campaign will each be handed an extra qualification spot. And Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday night mathematically guarantees England a top-two UEFA coefficient for the 2024-25 campaign and an extra Champions League place as a result.

Huge Champions League boost for Newcastle United confirmed

Newcastle are already guaranteed European football next season with their Carabao Cup win securing at least Conference League qualification. However, Eddie Howe and his players have set their sights higher than that as they eye a Champions League return.

And fifth place being guaranteed Champions League qualification makes things that bit easier for The Magpies and indeed their rivals also fighting for Champions League qualification such as Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Manchester City and Aston Villa.

It will be the first time an English club has qualified for the Champions League on league position alone after finishing fifth in the table.

England still have five teams left in European competitions this season with Arsenal and Aston Villa in the Champions League, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League and Chelsea in the Conference League.

And Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid handed England enough of a coefficient boost to guarantee a top-two spot with Italy now unable to catch them with only three teams left in European competitions, Inter Milan (Champions League), Lazio (Europa League) and Fiorentina (Conference League).

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Newcastle United assistant Jason Tindall reacts to UEFA Champions League qualification update

Newcastle have eight games left to play in the Premier League and host Manchester United at St James’ Park on Sunday (4:30pm kick-off). After that they host Crystal Palace in what is their game in hand on the teams around them before travelling to Aston Villa in a match that could be crucial in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Newcastle beat Villa 3-0 at St James’ Park back in December and did the double over Unai Emery’s side last season. But Villa are enjoying a solid season of their own having reached the Champions League quarter-final and FA Cup semi-final while battling for the European places in the Premier League for a third successive season.

Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall recognised the boost of fifth place being able to qualify for next season’s Champions League but remained focused on a big week ahead for the side.

“Yes, we're in a position that we would have wanted to be in with eight games remaining, competing for Champions League places,” he said. “As you say, the Arsenal result the other night means there's an extra place, five teams from the Premier League, but then there's a lot of teams that are fighting for them positions. 

“All we can focus on, we know we've got a busy week coming up, but the most important thing is that we just focus on the Man United game and making sure that we prepare right for that.

“That's all we're in control of. I think if we can go and deliver a performance against Man United and get the result that we want, it takes us one step closer to where we want to get to.”

Your next Newcastle United read: Newcastle handed major Champions League boost as UEFA rule triggered