UEFA coefficients are a calculation system for ranking football clubs and countries. This ranking determines how many teams from each country qualify for the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League. Currently, the Netherlands, for example, has two Champions League tickets and one ticket for the preliminary round of the Champions League. We will now explain why this is the case and what the Netherlands needs to do to get more Champions League tickets.
Current status
The Netherlands currently ranks sixth in the coefficient rankings. This means they have two Champions League tickets, one Champions League qualifying round, one Europa League qualifying round, and one Conference League qualifying round. Should the Netherlands climb to fifth place, they would receive a whopping three Champions League tickets and a qualifying round ticket. This would potentially create four Dutch teams in the Champions League. What Dutch person wouldn't want that?
How does the ranking work?
The European performances of all clubs from a UEFA country over the past five seasons are combined to create a ranking. The higher you rank, the more teams qualify for the European tournaments and qualifying rounds.
Scoring
For every victory in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, the winning team receives two points. A draw awards one point. The points of all participating teams from a country are added together and divided by the number of participating teams from that country. Let's take the Netherlands as an example. PSV , Feyenoord , Twente , AZ, Ajax , and Go Ahead Eagles have qualified for European football. That's six teams, so the total points must be divided by six. If the Dutch teams win ten times and draw ten times, the Netherlands receives 30 points and divides the total by six. That leaves five points. Champions League victories are therefore weighted equally as Conference League victories. A minor caveat is that the Conference League only has six league matches, while the Champions League has eight. However, victories and draws in the qualifying phase are divided by two and therefore carry less weight.
Bonus points
Another way to earn coefficient points is by achieving certain achievements. For example, qualifying for the Champions League earns six bonus points, equivalent to three wins. The final result in the league phase also earns points. Each higher final position earns 0.25 points, with a maximum of 12 points for the top spot in the league phase. Bonus points are then awarded for each subsequent round reached. For example, each subsequent round in the Champions League earns 1.5 points, in the Europa League one, and in the Conference League 0.5. Therefore, more weight is given to Champions League achievements. Feyenoord's victory over AC Milan therefore earns the Netherlands an extra 1.5 points.
More Champions League tickets?
The two countries with the highest coefficients this season will receive an extra Champions League spot. The Netherlands is currently in 8th place and has no chance of an extra spot. In the 2021/22 season, when Feyenoord reached the Conference League final and Ajax won all their Champions League group matches, the Netherlands would have been eligible for an extra Champions League spot.
The other route to more Champions League spots is to overtake France in the standings. Currently, the Netherlands has 65,566 points and France 69,522, a difference of about four points. Because the Netherlands' points total is divided by six, the Netherlands has to make up 24 points from France. That's the equivalent of twelve wins. That's why it's such a shame that Ajax loses in Riga, for example, against a very weak team. It's crucial for the Netherlands that France performs poorly, especially powerhouse PSG , who are responsible for the most points. Conversely, the Netherlands also needs to look behind them, as Portugal and Belgium are breathing down their necks in the coming seasons. In short, the Dutch teams need to win as much as possible and collect bonus points, while France, Portugal, and Belgium need to lose as much as possible and be eliminated. Then, in a few years, we might have four teams in the Champions League.
Other applications of UEFA coefficient
The UEFA coefficient is also used to distribute prize money and determine the draw's pot structure. Clubs higher in the rankings receive more money. Performance over both the past five and ten years is considered.
Below is an image of the most recent ranking. (Ranking created by Kassiesa) 
