Spain will receive an extra Champions League spot next season after Rayo Vallecano beat Strasbourg 1-0 for a 2-0 aggregate win on Thursday and a place in the Conference League final.
Germany was the only nation which could pip Spain for a fifth Champions League berth, and although Freiburg went through to the Europa League final, Vallecano’s progression has sealed matters based on UEFA coefficients. Real Betis currently sit fifth in La Liga.
England had already topped the co-efficients table for one of the two fifth places on offer in next season’s premier club competition. Aston Villa could profit, unless they beat Freiburg in the Europa League final and qualify for the Champions League that way.
Germany might still have five teams in the Champions League if Freiburg, seventh in the Bundesliga, defeat Villa in Istanbul on May 20.
The Black Forest side have two Bundesliga games left and will be pushing for a Conference League spot via seventh in the German top flight, in case they lose to Villa.
“Tiredness is not allowed anymore,” coach Julian Schuster joked to RTL.