Liverpool could play in the Champions League next year even if they finish outside the top 4 in the Premier League

Last season ended in a big disappointment for our Liverpool, as not only did the team fail to win a single title, but also failed to even qualify for the 2023-2024 edition of the UEFA Champions League and we had to settle for the Europa League, which has thrilled some fans as it is the only trophy left to win in the Jürgen Klopp era at the helm of the club.

We all know that, currently, there are two ways in which our Liverpool could secure a return to the Champions League next year. One is to finish in the top four of the Premier League, something we failed to do last season, and the other is to win the Europa League, where our team is emerging as one of the favorites to win the trophy and thus secure a ticket to return to the world's top club competition.

However, there is another scenario in which, without achieving either of the two aforementioned, our club could qualify for the 2024-2025 edition of the Champions League and it is due to the new format that the continental tournament will have from next season, in which there will no longer be 32 but 36 teams that will play the Champions League, with which there will be four extra slots, two of which will be given to teams from countries whose clubs, collectively, perform better in the various UEFA competitions.

What does this mean?

It means that if Liverpool finishes fifth in the Premier League, as it did last season, and fails to win the Europa League, it could qualify for the next edition of the UEFA Champions League if English teams perform well in European competitions. For example, if that rule had been active last season, our Liverpool would be playing in the Champions League this year, as Manchester City won the Champions League and West Ham won the Conference League.