Leeds and Leicester forced to play EXTRA GAME next season due to West Ham’s Europa Conference League success
WEST HAM’S Europa Conference League triumph means Leeds and Leicester will be forced to play an extra game next season.
The Hammers beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Wednesday evening to lift their first major trophy since 1980.
And the result has repercussions for two of the Premier League‘s relegated sides.
Leeds and Leicester both dropped down to the Championship on the final day as Everton clinched safety.
And now they face an additional game to go with their 42 league matches in the 2023/24 campaign.
This is because West Ham’s win over Fiorentina secured David Moyes’ men Europa League qualification – meaning eight English sides will be in European competition next season.
Ordinarily, the Premier League teams that finish 18th and 19th in the previous campaign are given an automatic bye through to the second round of the Carabao Cup.
But the Irons’ triumph on Wednesday evening means Leeds and Leicester will have to play in the first round.
Ordinarily, 70 teams enter in round one, with the winning 35 joining 13 Premier League clubs and the two relegated ones that finished 18th and 19th the previous season in a 50-team round two.
That then leaves 25 for round three where the remaining seven Premier League teams join to create the last 32.
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But in the 2023/24 campaign that is not possible because of the eight teams in European competition – Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle in the Champions League; Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham in the Europa League; Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League.
As a result, it means the Carabao Cup’s first round needs to be balanced by the additions of Leeds and Leicester.
Eight English teams in Europe also has the potential to negatively impact the Premier League’s coefficient and their hopes of securing a fifth Champions League spot.
From next season, the two leagues with the highest average coefficient score will get an extra place in the Champions League.
But with three teams in the Europa League, it means each win will be worth fewer coefficient points.
The Premier League will therefore be relying on positive performances across the board in order to ensure they finish in the top two leagues and receive an additional Champions League place.
