Aston Villa aims to win the Europa League, which would secure them a spot in next year's Champions League. They are currently in the semifinals against Nottingham Forest, with a potential final matchup against Braga or Freiburg.
Key points
Aston Villa aims for their first major European trophy since 1982
They reached the 2025/26 Europa League semifinals
Winning the Europa League guarantees Champions League qualification
Aston Villa are hoping to earn their first major European trophy since 1982 when they toppled Bayern Munich in the European Cup final in Rotterdam.
Villa have reached the 2025/26 Europa League semifinals, where they face fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest with the hope of advancing to this year's final in Istanbul against either Braga or Freiburg.
In the new format of the competition, a Europa League title guarantees the victor a spot in next year's Champions League competition, a valuable and lucrative reward for a continental championship.
However, Aston Villa are also in the running for Champions League qualification through Premier League finish, as they fight for a top-five place in the English domestic league.
As the club cannot claim two places in the Champions League next season, The Sporting News explains what would happen if Aston Villa were to gain a place in the UCL league phase through two different avenues, and who would benefit from such an outcome.
Q&A
What happens if Aston Villa wins the Europa League?
If Aston Villa wins the Europa League, they will qualify for next year's Champions League.
Who are Aston Villa facing in the Europa League semifinals?
Aston Villa is facing Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semifinals.
What is the significance of winning the Europa League for Aston Villa?
Winning the Europa League would be Aston Villa's first major European trophy since 1982 and secure their place in the lucrative Champions League.
Which teams could Aston Villa face in the Europa League final?
Aston Villa could face either Braga or Freiburg in the Europa League final.
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What happens if Aston Villa win the Europa League?
First things first, if Aston Villa win the Europa League, it will qualify them for the Champions League no matter where they finish in the Premier League table.
However, the trickle-down effect through the rest of the English top flight is vastly different if they also finish top five in the league table versus if they do not.
Here is a run-through of what happens in each scenario.
If Aston Villa finish top five in the Premier League
The Premier League ramifications for Aston Villa winning the Europa League but also qualifying through a top-five league finish are quite simple.
In this outcome, the Premier League would only have five Champions League participants. If one of these two European winners (Champions League or Europa League) have already qualified via table position in their respective domestic league, the extra slot does not fall to another team in their association. Thus, the Premier League would NOT earn a sixth qualifier for Aston Villa winning a European trophy and also qualifying via table position.
The ramifications throughout the rest of the Champions League are where things get complicated.
Instead of a sixth English qualifier, Aston Villa's place in the league phase falls to the reigning European domestic champion with the highest individual club coefficient that has not already qualified directly to the league phase.
Because each of the domestic champions of the top 10 highest-ranked European leagues all qualify directly for the league phase, it means the highest-ranked club qualified via league championship from outside the top 10 European leagues (currently Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine) would be upgraded to guaranteed league phase qualification. From there, the upgrades trickle all the way down qualifying until an extra team is added to the early stages of qualification that would otherwise not have been included.
The initial team is selected from outside the top 10 European leagues because all league champions from the top 10-ranked leagues already earn a spot in the league phase directly, while those below are slotted into the earlier qualifying rounds.
If Aston Villa do not finish top five in the Premier League
If Aston Villa do not finish top five in the Premier League standings, the end result is quite simple.
It means the Premier League will have six participants in next year's Champions League tournament, all qualifying for the league phase directly. The top four qualify directly every year, plus the fifth qualifier given out for performance across the UEFA competitions, which the Premier League has already guaranteed.
Additionally, Aston Villa would earn a sixth place, having won the Europa League but failing to qualify directly through league finish.
