Arsene Wenger questions Europa League path to Champions League: 'Not right'

Speaking to BeIN Sports, Wenger voiced his concern just weeks before a potential all-English Europa League final between struggling Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Both teams head into the second legs of their semi-finals with first-leg aggregate leads, edging closer to a showdown in Bilbao - despite languishing in the bottom half of the domestic table.

United currently sit 15th, with Spurs just one place below them. Their subpar league performances have fueled the debate: should such underachieving teams be rewarded with a Champions League spot simply by winning a secondary tournament?

"No - they should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League," Wenger stated firmly. "Especially when you're in the Premier League, where already five teams qualify. I think it's something (for UEFA) to think about and to review."

While Wenger acknowledged the logic behind UEFA's rationale - keeping the Europa League engaging by dangling a significant prize - he believes the integrity of Champions League qualification may be undermined when clubs use a backdoor route despite faltering in their domestic leagues.

UEFA introduced the rule in 2014, offering Champions League qualification to Europa League winners in a bid to boost the competition's profile. While it has certainly added stakes, it has also created moments of controversy and imbalance.

The rule has already raised eyebrows in past seasons. In 2023, Sevilla lifted the Europa League trophy while finishing 12th in LaLiga. A year earlier, Eintracht Frankfurt won it after finishing 11th in the Bundesliga. Though their European runs were impressive, their domestic mediocrity begged the question: does winning 13 games in Europe outweigh 38 underwhelming performances at home?

Wenger believes the answer is no - at least not when domestic leagues already offer generous Champions League access.

His perspective is especially relevant this season, as the Premier League has benefited from UEFA's new coefficient-based "extra spot" rule, allowing five teams to qualify instead of the traditional four. With that in place, Wenger sees little justification for allowing a club languishing in the lower half of the table to leapfrog more consistent top-six teams based on a Europa League run.

Still, UEFA's argument is clear: without Champions League qualification on the line, the Europa League risks becoming a second-rate contest with limited appeal. The added incentive has undoubtedly made clubs take the tournament more seriously, with many fielding stronger sides in knockout rounds and fans rallying behind deep European runs.

But Wenger insists that merit should still be the defining factor.

"To keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivated, you need to give them that prize," he admitted. "But maybe there's another way to achieve that without distorting the competitive balance."

Wenger's comments may prompt renewed discussion at UEFA headquarters. With football's calendar becoming increasingly congested and competitions overlapping in prestige, the boundaries between success and reward are becoming blurred

As Manchester United and Tottenham edge closer to Bilbao, this debate won't just play out in press conferences - it may be written in the outcome of the final itself. 

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