Crash on the UEFA rankings?: Swiss clubs absolutely must score points in Europe

class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>

Swiss clubs and the European Cup: In the recent past it was often not a love story. But last season promised improvement. Because FC Basel reached the semi-finals of the Conference League, Switzerland scored a whopping 8,500 points – more than ever since 2016/17 (6,900). A nice step in the race for a top 10 place – and therefore easier access to the Champions League.

But now sadness threatens again. Switzerland lost important points due to the elimination of Basel and Lucerne in qualifying. It doesn’t help that the teams that at least managed to qualify had a false start at the beginning of the group stage. Neither champion YB (1:3 against Leipzig in the Champions League) nor runner-up Servette (0:2 against Slavia Prague in the Europa League) collected points. Only Lugano (0-0 against Bodö/Glimt in the Conference League in exile in Zurich) could score something valuable.

The 0.200 points that Ticino’s draw yields do not allow the coefficient to progress significantly. The .500 points a win would have brought would have been more valuable. It is a pity that Lugano could not capitalize on any of the many opportunities against the Norwegian opponents.

Switzerland feels the competition breathing down its neck

Switzerland currently ranks 12th in the five-year rankings with a total score of 29,975. This remains decisive for the allocation of European places for the 2024/25 season. Behind Switzerland in the rankings are Serbia (27,375), Denmark (27,200), Norway (26,875), Czech Republic (26,300), Israel (26,125), Ukraine (25,800) and Greece, all of which rank at least 12th.

It’s just a shame that this week, with the exception of Serbia and Ukraine, all countries scored (significantly) more points than Switzerland. The Czechs, for example, achieved 1,500 points in just one week, thanks in part to Servette conqueror Slavia. Including qualifying matches, the Swiss clubs have achieved only 2,200 points so far this season – more than pursuers Serbia and Ukraine, but much less than Denmark (4,250), Greece (4,200), the Czech Republic (4,000) or Israel (3,750).

Ridiculous of the competition

If this trend continues, there is a risk that the rankings will slip in five years. Switzerland’s poor performance is causing amusement among the competition. For example, a Turkish report mocks the meager yield, saying: “As far as I know, Switzerland is not known for its submarines. But what are you looking for down there on the ground?”

The motto is clear: points are needed for the Swiss coefficient. But the next opponents of the Swiss clubs do not exactly give hope for a rain of points. While YB has to play away against Red Star in Belgrade, Servette travels to AS Roma. And Lugano also awaits a difficult away match: the team from Ticino is welcomed in Istanbul by Besiktas. (sbe)

Source : Blick