Every season the Champions League brings not only excitement on the pitch but also calculations about places in the next edition. One of the more interesting mechanisms is the move of the best champion from qualifying to the league phase. It can change the balance of power in the qualifying rounds and give a team from a smaller league direct entry to the main stage of the competition.
Where does the rebalancing come from?
The Champions League winner is guaranteed a place in the league phase of the next edition as title holder. If the club that wins the Champions League finishes in a position in its domestic league that gives direct entry to the Champions League, one place in the league phase becomes vacant. The official rebalancing rules are then applied.
Who to watch in the table?
Below you will find the current table of league leaders and potential leaders (based on projected tables) who can count on a place in the Champions Path, and therefore also on a potential move up. The list shows which leader currently has the best chances. The situation changes from matchday to matchday, and the final picture will only be known once the domestic competitions have finished.
| Club | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Shakhtar Donetsk | 11.000 | 10.000 | 11.000 | 18.250 | 7.000 | 57.250 |
| 2 |
|
FK Bodø/Glimt | 3.000 | 8.000 | 21.000 | 17.000 | 6.000 | 55.000 |
| 3 |
|
Ferencvárosi TC | 12.000 | 9.000 | 10.000 | 17.250 | 2.000 | 50.250 |
| 4 |
|
FC Copenhagen | 7.000 | 15.000 | 7.375 | 12.000 | 0.000 | 41.375 |
| 5 |
|
Dinamo Zagreb | 7.000 | 9.000 | 14.000 | 7.500 | 1.000 | 38.500 |
| 6 |
|
Celtic FC | 6.000 | 7.000 | 16.000 | 9.000 | 0.000 | 38.000 |
| 7 |
|
Red Star Belgrade | 4.000 | 5.000 | 10.000 | 12.500 | 0.000 | 31.500 |
| 8 |
|
Red Bull Salzburg | 9.000 | 7.000 | 8.000 | 4.000 | 2.000 | 30.000 |
| 9 |
|
Panathinaikos AO | 2.000 | 3.000 | 11.000 | 13.250 | 0.000 | 29.250 |
| 10 |
|
Rapid Vienna | 2.500 | 2.500 | 18.250 | 2.500 | 2.500 | 28.250 |
| 11 |
|
Lech Poznań | 14.000 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 11.250 | 0.000 | 27.250 |
| 12 |
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2.500 | 14.000 | 4.000 | 3.000 | 2.500 | 26.000 |
| 13 |
|
AEK Larnaca | 4.000 | 2.000 | 1.500 | 12.750 | 1.500 | 21.750 |
| 14 |
|
FC Lugano | 2.000 | 3.000 | 14.250 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 21.250 |
| 15 |
|
Shamrock Rovers | 2.500 | 1.500 | 9.875 | 3.000 | 2.500 | 19.375 |
| 16 |
|
Omonia Nicosia | 3.000 | 2.000 | 5.375 | 6.875 | 2.000 | 19.250 |
| 17 |
|
Zrinjski Mostar | 2.500 | 3.000 | 2.500 | 5.250 | 1.500 | 14.750 |
| 18 |
|
Víkingur Reykjavík | 2.000 | 1.000 | 6.750 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 14.250 |
| 19 |
|
Sheriff Tiraspol | 4.000 | 3.000 | 2.000 | 2.000 | 2.000 | 13.000 |
| 20 |
|
FC RFS | 2.500 | 1.500 | 4.000 | 2.500 | 2.000 | 12.500 |
| 21 |
|
Sabah FK | 0.000 | 2.000 | 2.000 | 2.000 | 6.000 | 12.000 |
| 22 |
|
Noah Yerevan | 0.000 | 0.000 | 3.000 | 6.750 | 2.000 | 11.750 |
| 23 |
|
Borac Banja Luka | 1.000 | 1.500 | 8.125 | 1.000 | 0.000 | 11.625 |
| 24 |
|
KuPS | 2.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 6.500 | 0.000 | 11.500 |
| 25 |
|
Shkëndija Tetovo | 2.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 5.375 | 2.000 | 11.375 |
| 26 |
|
Lincoln Red Imps | 1.500 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 5.000 | 0.000 | 11.000 |
| 27 |
|
Viking FK | 2.500 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 2.000 | 6.000 | 10.500 |
| 28 |
|
Larne FC | 1.000 | 1.500 | 2.500 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 9.500 |
| 29 |
|
CS Universitatea Craiova | 2.500 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 5.000 | 0.000 | 9.000 |
| 30 |
|
NK Maribor | 2.500 | 2.000 | 2.500 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 8.500 |
| 31 |
|
Dinamo Minsk | 1.500 | 1.000 | 2.500 | 1.500 | 2.000 | 8.500 |
| 32 |
|
The New Saints | 1.500 | 1.500 | 2.500 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 8.500 |
| 33 |
|
St. Patrick's Athletic | 2.000 | 1.000 | 2.500 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 7.500 |
| 34 |
|
Levadia Tallinn | 1.500 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 2.000 | 1.500 | 7.500 |
| 35 |
|
Levski Sofia | 2.000 | 2.500 | 0.000 | 2.500 | 0.000 | 7.000 |
| 36 |
|
DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda | 2.000 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 2.000 | 6.500 |
| 37 |
|
Sutjeska Nikšić | 1.500 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 6.000 |
| 38 |
|
Inter Club d'Escaldes | 1.500 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 6.000 |
| 39 |
|
Puskas Academy | 1.500 | 0.000 | 2.500 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 5.500 |
| 40 |
|
Floriana FC | 1.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 5.500 |
| 41 |
|
Polissya Zhytomyr | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 2.500 | 1.500 | 5.500 |
| 42 |
|
Neftchi PFK | 2.000 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 5.500 |
| 43 |
|
FC Santa Coloma | 0.000 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 5.000 |
| 44 |
|
Iberia 1999 Tbilisi | 1.500 | 0.000 | 2.000 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 5.000 |
| 45 |
|
Egnatia Rrogozhinë | 0.000 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 4.500 |
| 46 |
|
FC Koper | 1.500 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 4.500 |
| 47 |
|
Kauno Žalgiris | 1.000 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 2.000 | 0.000 | 4.500 |
| 48 |
|
FC Magpies | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 1.000 | 0.000 | 4.500 |
| 49 |
|
Ordabasy Shymkent | 0.000 | 1.500 | 2.000 | 1.000 | 0.000 | 4.500 |
| 50 |
|
Dinamo Batumi | 1.500 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 4.000 |
| 51 |
|
SP Tre Penne | 1.000 | 1.500 | 1.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 3.500 |
| 52 |
|
NSÍ Runavík | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 3.000 |
| 53 |
|
Górnik Zabrze | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 2.500 | 2.500 |
| 54 |
|
Valletta FC | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 |
| 55 |
|
Coleraine FC | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 1.500 |
| 56 |
|
FC Prishtina | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.500 | 0.000 | 1.500 |
| 57 |
|
Isloch Minsk | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.000 |
Last updated: 2026-09-30 23:45:02
Who takes the vacant spot?
The vacant spot goes to the team with the highest UEFA coefficient among those that would have entered the Champions League qualifying in the Champions Path.
Clubs from all qualifying rounds are taken into account:
- the first qualifying round,
- the second qualifying round,
- the third qualifying round,
- the play-off round.
So the stage at which a club would have entered the competition does not decide who is promoted; only its UEFA coefficient does. The team with the highest value skips the qualifying rounds and goes straight into the league phase.
After one team is moved up to the league phase, the appropriate number of teams is moved up to the next qualifying round so that all the required places are filled. All the complex rules, illustrated with examples, can be found on the dedicated qualifying simulator page.
Why does this matter for league champions?
For clubs from less developed leagues, every qualifying round skipped is a huge advantage:
- sporting, because it removes the risk of elimination over two legs,
- financial, because a guaranteed place in the league phase means significantly higher revenue,
- organisational, because the club has more time to prepare its squad for the season.
That is why it matters so much who ends the season as champion of their country. Even if a team is not a favourite for direct qualification, a high UEFA coefficient may allow it to benefit from the rebalancing.
Summary
Moving a team up to the Champions League league phase is a rule that rewards the strongest club in the Champions Path. If the title holder secures a Champions League place through its domestic league, the vacant spot goes to the team with the highest UEFA coefficient among those that would have played in the qualifying rounds. It is therefore worth following not only the domestic title races but also the results in the Champions League.