BVB could finish sixth in the Bundesliga in the Champions League

Mats Hummels and Co.: Dortmund are dreaming of a Champions League title – which Eintracht Frankfurt could also benefit from.
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The fact that Borussia Dortmund reached the 2024 Champions League final by qualifying for the semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain (1-0 in the first leg, 1-0 in the second leg) is also good news for the Bundesliga. It increases the chance of six (!) German clubs being represented in the top flight in 2024/25 – which would be something new for the Senate.

How can German clubs generally qualify for the Champions League?

About the league: Basically, the teams that occupy the top four positions in the final table of the Bundesliga are in the Champions League.

About European Performance Sites: As part of a major reform of the Champions League, which will come into effect for the first time in the new season, UEFA will now reward the two associations with the best European Cup performances in the previous season with an additional Champions League ticket each. And: The Bundesliga already has this additional ticket.

Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win in the semi-final first leg against Paris has already secured a fifth Champions League ticket to the Bundesliga.

On winning the Champions League and Europa League: The defending champions and Europa League holders get an automatic place in the top flight. If they have not yet qualified through the Bundesliga, they will earn another place in the Champions League. If they have already qualified through the league, the extra place goes not to the league, but to a team from the Champions League qualifiers.

BVB scenario

If Borussia Dortmund win the Champions League this year, but only finish fifth in the league (the Black and Yellows are currently fifth on 60 points, three points behind RB Leipzig), there will actually be six German clubs in the 2024/25 season. In the league. First class. They are the top four in the table, BVB as the defending champions and the best-placed Bundesliga team, which does not yet have a ticket to the Champions League. So, if Dortmund comes in fifth, the sixth-placed club moves up.

According to the current schedule situation, this would be Eintracht Frankfurt.

On the contrary, this means: Frankfurt has to hope for a victory for Dortmund in the Champions League final – which will be held at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1 – in the confrontation with Bayern Munich or Real Madrid (going 2-2) and even the current sixth. A place in the Bundesliga defends against pursuers SC Freiburg (four points behind).

Curiosity: Should Eintracht lose deliberately?

But be careful: At the same time, Frankfurt residents have to hope that if Dortmund wins in England, if Dortmund wins in the Bundesliga, they will never finish fourth. Then the additional ticket will not work. And this is exactly where it gets weird, because in the 34th round of the Bundesliga, Eintracht competes with RB Leipzig, while Dortmund also visits relegated Darmstadt. A defeat could eventually help the Hessians get their CL ticket as it would distance RBL from BVB. More about that here.

Additional knowledge for the future: As confirmed by UEFA, the theoretical maximum since this season is seven clubs that can qualify for a new Champions League season. A league with four Champions League regulars can do so if they win the European Performance Position (like both Italy and Germany have this year), as well as Champions League and Europa League winners who have not yet qualified (!) for the league.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen can still win the Europa League, but as the new German champions for the first time, they already qualify for the top flight elsewhere and therefore cannot give the Bundesliga another place in the Champions League.