Postecoglou talks about ‘confusion’ Europa League aspect
Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten so far in the UEFA Europa League having picked up nine points out of a possible nine in their league phase matches. They have dispatched Qarabag, Ferencvaros and Alkmaar with relative ease over recent weeks and are slowly but steadily emerging as one of the favourites to win the continental cup under Ange Postecoglou’s pragmatic management.
When asked about what he thinks about the team’s position in the league table, Postecoglou said that it was ‘confusing’ and he did not pay much attention to it. On the contrary, he remains focused on just delivering the results and believes the mathematics of the standings will take care of itself. He was quoted saying the following on the topic by Football London.
“I don’t even look at that table, it’s too confusing for me.”
The former Celtic manager’s answer is plain and simple, but could be seen as a representation of just how puzzled even the professionals involved within the UEFA competitions are after Europe’s governing footballing body adopted a newer format this season. That said, here is an explanation for those that still require it on the tournament’s latest qualification scenarios.
As opposed to group stages in the past, there is one single league with 24 clubs. The top eight sides directly qualify for the round of 16, while those ranking from 9th to 24th will feature in a play-off round in February to assess their qualification for the knockout phase. Thereafter, it is a conventional two-legged eliminator without an away goals rule.
More Tottenham Hotspur News:
- Tottenham in three-way transfer battle as Conte plans to sign Spurs target this summer
- Not Toney – Tottenham put off by €50m asking price for striker whose contract expires in less than 12 months
- Tottenham now in position to hijack Chelsea deal for Serie A ace
One of the major changes this time around in the Europa League is that teams from the Champions League will no longer be relegating, so the competition for the title will only be amongst those who sealed a berth in this particular competition at the start of the season. This edition’s winner will be determined in a final that is scheduled to be held on May 21st, 2025, at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
