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English FA Cup Winners: Can they qualify for the Champions League?
The English FA Cup is one of the oldest football competitions in history, dating back to 1871. With 737 participating teams in the 2019-2020 season, it is also one of the largest cup competitions in the world. The winner of the competition is awarded the prestigious FA Cup trophy and is also guaranteed a spot in the following season's Europa League. However, is the FA Cup winner also eligible to qualify for the Champions League?
FA Cup Winners and their place in Europe
The FA Cup winner is traditionally granted a spot in the Europa League--the second-tier European competition. The rationale behind this is to reward the team for its domestic cup achievement and provide an additional pathway to qualify for European competition.
However, the upcoming 2021-2022 season will see significant changes for English clubs in European competition. With the introduction of the Europa Conference League, the top 7 Premier League clubs (assuming no team wins both the FA Cup and the League Cup) will be granted a spot in either the Champions League or the Europa League, while the FA Cup winner will still qualify for the Europa League. This means that winning the FA Cup no longer guarantees a club a spot in the Champions League.
How the FA Cup can lead to Champions League qualification?
While winning the FA Cup does not guarantee a spot in the Champions League, it does provide a potential pathway. If a team wins the FA Cup and finishes inside the top 5 positions in the Premier League, they will qualify for the Champions League. This is because UEFA regulations stipulate that a maximum of five spots is available for each country, and the four teams with the highest Premier League positions earn direct qualification.
If the FA Cup winner already occupies one of the top five positions, the Europa League spot awarded to the FA Cup winner is given to the next-highest Premier League team not already qualified for European competition.
Historical examples of FA Cup winners qualifying for the Champions League
In the past, there have been several instances where FA Cup winners have used the competition as a stepping stone towards Champions League qualification. In the 2018-2019 season, Manchester City won both the Premier League and the FA Cup, which meant that the Europa League spot usually reserved for the FA Cup winner was given to the next-highest Premier League team--Manchester United--that had not already qualified for European competition.
However, in the 2010-2011 season, the FA Cup winner, Manchester City, was able to qualify for the Champions League without relying on Premier League positioning. They finished in the top four of the Premier League that season, earning them automatic qualification into the Champions League group stage.
Conclusion
The FA Cup remains one of the most prestigious domestic cup competitions in the world, and while winning it no longer guarantees qualification for the Champions League, it remains an important stepping stone. Teams that win the FA Cup still have a pathway towards Champions League qualification by securing a top 5 position in the Premier League, and they also receive a guaranteed spot in the Europa League. The FA Cup continues to be a significant trophy for any Premier League side, with the added bonus of a potential pathway to the top of European football.
