For the second time in history, Cypriot football will be represented in European competitions by five teams. However, based on the negative data that have been formed for our country in the UEFA ranking, the third time does not seem to be close at all, since it is most likely that we will not catch up with the 2024/25 season either.
We remind you that for the summer of 2023, the entrance to the European competitions has already been determined, as it depends on the five years 2017/18 – 2021/22, which ended this year. Despite the double presence in the group stage with Omonia and Anorthosis, the five-year score of Cyprus decreased, as the 4,125 points we got are less than those of the season that was “erased” (5,500 in the 2016/17 season). We had… sounded the alarm bells, at the beginning of last season, noting that from the moment the third tournament came and the total places in the groups increased by 16 (so they share more points), the qualification of our two teams in groups would not be enough to claim the retention of the fifth European ticket. As it turned out, with our country finishing 21st, six places below the target of 15th.
Thus, not only was it finalized that in the 2023/24 season we return to the four European tickets, but thanks to the big drop of Cyprus in the rating, we are looking for a small miracle so that the same does not happen in the 2024/25 season. Mathematical hopes exist, but realistically speaking ωστόσο are minimal. This is because at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, which will determine the European tickets for the summer of 2024, Cyprus occupies the 21st place in the five-year ranking 2018/19 – 2022/23 (with the new season still “empty”).
Apart from the fact that in order to return to the 15th group that offers a fifth European ticket, we need to go beyond five countries (we surpass the excluded Russia), our effort becomes even more difficult if we calculate that from the 15th place we are separated by 3,725 points. That is, almost all the points we got last season!
In addition, it can be considered an advantage that we have five teams, while most of our competitors have four, but this brings with it a big disadvantage, as the points that our teams will win will be divided by five. That is, for each victory in the qualifiers (1,000) we will get 200 points, while Greece, for example, will get 250, and for each victory in the groups (2,000) we will get 400, against 500 of those countries represented by four teams./p>
It is undoubtedly positive for Cyprus that for the first time we have “locked” places in the groups before the season even starts, and in fact two, since the champion Apollon and the cup winner Omonia will play, in the worst case, in the groups of the Conference League. However, the logic… and the score, say that even with a third team in the groups we will not be able to claim the 15th place. In order to have hopes, it seems that we will need to have four (if not all five) of our teams in a European group, something that for the data of our country will be equivalent to a θα football miracle. We remind you that AEK starts from the second round of the Champions League and needs a qualification to ensure a presence in a group (at least of the Conference) while APOEL and Aris start in the second round of the Conference and need three qualifiers, not having a second chance. >
Παρ & # 8217; all of the above it should be emphasized that the fact that we do not have very realistic hopes for the 15th place, does not mean that we are… indifferent in terms of our scoring harvest this season. After all, the points we get will be valid for five years and may be useful in the future.
In addition, it is worth noting that from the 2024/25 season the new UEFA plan for the Champions League will be implemented, with 36 (instead of 32) teams. Although it is not expected that there will be any change in the number of countries that will send more than four teams, until the official announcements on how to access the new plan, nothing can be ruled out.
