Spain remain in pole position
The intermediary coefficient rankings of UEFA member associations has been published following the winter break in European club competition.
The intermediary coefficient rankings of UEFA member associations has been published following the winter break in European club competition.
Although the table could still change before the end of the campaign, England have currently replaced Italy in second place. Spain still lead the way though and already have a better total ranking than they had at the end of last season. Bosnia-Herzegovina have also jumped eight places to 34th.
At the end of 2002/03, the final version of this table will be used to establish seedings for the participants in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup in 2003/04. Individual clubs will be ranked on a points system, that is composed of their own coefficient and half of the association coefficient.
The final coefficient table at the end of 2002/03 will also determine the number of entries per competition for member associations in 2004/05.
Performances by clubs in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup - results obtained in the UEFA Intertoto Cup do not count - conspire to form the annual UEFA Association Coefficient Rankings table, with the 'oldest' season dropped each time for the purpose of the calculation.
The points obtained each season by the clubs representing a national association are first added together, then divided by the combined number of clubs from the said association having taken part in the three UEFA club competitions in question to produce the coefficient value of the national association concerned.
The table of coefficients, which are calculated to the thousandth and not rounded up, is compiled as follows: · a win is worth 2 points (1 point for qualifying-round matches) · a draw is worth 1 point (1/2 point for qualifying-round matches) · a defeat is worth 0 points.
Clubs which reach the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final of the Champions League or UEFA Cup - or reached in the case of the now defunct Cup Winners' Cup - are awarded an extra point for each such round. In addition, one point is awarded for participation in the Champions League.
In the case of equal coefficients, the UEFA Administration will take a final decision, taking into consideration the individual coefficient of the most recent season. Games or competitions decided by penalty kicks do not affect the results of a match and points are only awarded for games which have been played in accordance with the results ratified by UEFA.