Just like national teams, clubs also have their own classification — the UEFA ranking. Based on it, not only individual clubs but also entire leagues are ranked.
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is an international organization that brings together football clubs from Asia and Europe. It was founded on June 15, 1954, in Switzerland. It is the most important organized structure that decides the format of both club and international competitions.
The competitions organized by UEFA include:
Currently, 55 national associations are members of UEFA.
To achieve a high position in the UEFA ranking tables, one good season is not enough. Good form must be maintained over several years. The table includes each country's position, the number of points earned in individual seasons, and the final total. The position is significant — depending on it, a country can send a certain number of teams to European competitions.
The UEFA ranking is calculated based on performances over the last five seasons. Teams playing in the qualification and main phases of tournaments earn points for wins and draws.
Group and knockout stages:
Qualification phase:
Additionally, since the 2009/10 season, bonus points are awarded for advancing to the knockout stages of each competition. As you can see, achieving good results is very rewarding. It affects not only a country's position in the UEFA ranking but also financial rewards.
The league ranking in the current UEFA season is one of the most important rankings, because the two nations with the most earned points in entire season receive two additional Champions League spots. This is a big opportunity for countries whose clubs compete in UEFA Conference League - theoretically it's easier for them to score points against weaker opponents.
