How does the Italian Cup championship affect the competition for European Serie A?

No matter which team wins the Italian Cup, there will be 7 teams in Serie A participating in the European Championship next season.

AC Milan and Bologna will hold the Italian Cup final in Rome on Wednesday (May 14). This game is not only about a champion, but also provides the opportunity to advance to the 25-26 Europa League.

Bologna and Milan are currently only 2 points apart in the Serie A standings, with the former ranked 7th with 62 points, while the latter is one place behind with 60 points. Neither team is in the European War Zone.

Regardless of the final ranking, the Italian Cup champion will be eligible for the Europa League next season. So how will this final affect the competition for European seats in Serie A?

According to Calcio&Finanza, usually there will be 2 Europa League places in Serie A: the fifth-ranked team in the league and the domestic cup champion.

But the Italian Cup champion can most of the time be qualified for the European Cup by the league, so that the 6th place can qualify for the UEFA Cup and the 7th place can qualify for the European Cup. This season may be an exception, as both Bologna and Milan have not yet secured European spots for next season.

In this way, 7 teams in Serie A will participate in the European competition next season, but the Italian Cup final will determine which place the league will advance to the UEFA Cup and the European Cup.

Situation 1: The Italian Cup champion is outside the European War Zone

1-4: UEFA Champions League

5th and Italian Cup champion: UEFA Cup

6th: UEFA Cup Playoff

2: The Italian Cup champion qualifies for European competition through the league

1-4: UEFA Champions League

5th and 6th: UEFA Cup

7th: UEFA Cup Playoff