Thanks to its fine first day of the Champions League, marked by three victories for its representatives, France has consolidated its lead over the Netherlands in the UEFA index. And the Tricolores could even start to dream bigger.
Foot to the floor. Thanks to three great victories by PSG against Girona (1-0), Brest against Sturm Graz (2-1) and Monaco against Barça (2-1), France has started this Champions League in the best possible way from the point of view of the very important UEFA index, which determines the number of places allocated to each country in the European cups.
Indeed, thanks to these three successes, which bring 0.857 points to the tricolor index, France distances itself from its Dutch pursuer, weighed down by the defeats of its two representatives, PSV Eindhoven, beaten by Juve (3-1), and Feyenoord Rotterdam, humiliated on its home turf by Bayer Leverkusen (0-4).
The Dutch zero point
Although Lille’s clear defeat on the pitch of Sporting CP (2-0) deprives the Blues of a perfect start, the record is nevertheless excellent for French clubs who can look forward with ambition to the rest of their copious programme.
Because with its zero point, the Dutch index is marking time and France now has more than 5 points ahead of its competitor (59.960 against 54.900) in the race for 5th place, which offers three direct places for the league phase and an additional ticket for the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Brest – Sturm Graz goal replay with RMC commentary
5th then 4th place?
And if the great form displayed by the French representatives were confirmed over the course of the autumn, the Blues could start to look to the horizon rather than in their rear-view mirror. Indeed, since the UEFA index is calculated on the performance of a country’s clubs over the last five seasons, the results of the French teams involved in the 2020-2021 season will be erased from next season. However, with a meager total of 7.916, this was nothing less than the worst French vintage since the horrible 2007-2008 season (6.928).
Freed from this ball and chain that they have been dragging around for 5 years, the French clubs will make a serious comeback in the rankings next summer. As of today, the hexagonal index is only 3.312 points behind its Spanish counterpart. Enough to start dreaming of a 4th place that would offer France four guaranteed tickets for the 2026-2027 Champions League, without even the 4th in Ligue 1 having to go through the play-offs. A prospect that is still very distant, but not so impossible.
