A grueling 2022-23 season that took place during a winter World Cup in Qatar is drawing to a close and many of the club’s fortunes are sealed.
From title-winners and European places to relegation, here’s a reminder of what’s happening in the big top divisions around Europe, and who will be playing in which competitions next term.
This article will be updated as further qualification places and the promotion/relegation play-off fixtures are confirmed.
Premier League
Manchester City secured their third consecutive Premier League title – and fifth in six seasons – on the penultimate weekend of the season.
As Arsenal’s wait for a first title since 2003-04 continues after a valiant run ended with two games to spare, Mikel Arteta’s side have returned to Europe’s elite competition next term. , along with Newcastle United – for the first time in two decades – and Manchester United.
Liverpool, Brighton – for the first time in their history – and Aston Villa will also play in Europe next season; the play-off round place in the Europa Conference League that Manchester United got for winning the Carabao Cup was returned to the seventh place team in the league. England will have eight teams in the continental competition next term if West Ham win the Europa Conference League final.
Southampton, Leeds and former Premier League champions Leicester were relegated to the Championship. Burnley, Sheffield United and the winner of the Championship play-off final, Luton Town, will replace them in the top flight for 2023-24.
Manchester City won their third consecutive Premier League title. Photo: Getty Images
Champion: City of Manchester
Champions League: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United (group stage)
Europa League: Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion (group stage)*
Europa Conference League: Aston Villa (play-off round)
Relegated: Southampton, Leeds United, Leicester City
FA Cup: TBC — (Manchester United vs Manchester City — June 3)
Carabao Cup: Manchester United
*West Ham will join Liverpool and Brighton in the Europa League group stage if they win the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina on June 7.
The league
Barcelona won their first title since 2019 with games to spare, as victory over city rivals Espanyol earlier this month clinched their 27th league crown.
Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will join them in the Champions League next term, with Real Sociedad in pole position to claim the fourth and final spot with two games remaining. Villarreal and Real Betis are on course for the Europa League, and Athletic Bilbao will qualify for the Europa Conference League if they can hold on to seventh place.
Seven teams are still scrapping to avoid joining Elche in the Segunda Division next term, while Granada and Las Palmas are currently on course for promotion. One more team will come through the play-offs.
Barcelona are celebrating their latest La Liga crown. Photo: Getty Images
Champion: Barcelona
Champions League: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, TBC (group stage)
Europa League: TBC x2 (group stage)
Europa Conference League: TBC (play-off round)
Relegated: Elche, TBC x2
Copa del Rey: Real Madrid
A league
Napoli won Serie A for the first time since 1990, when the late Diego Maradona inspired them to a second crown. Luciano Spalletti’s team became the first team apart from Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan to win the title since Roma in 2001.
Inter and Milan are on course to join Napoli and Lazio in next term’s Champions League, with just one game remaining, while Atalanta, Roma and Juventus – after a 10-point penalty – are fighting for in the Europa League and Europa Conference League spots. Inter’s Coppa Italia win means the Europa Conference league spot drops to seventh place, but with Inter, Roma and Fiorentina all in the European finals, playing where the competition won’t be confirmed until next month.
The relegation battle goes into the final day, with Hellas Verona and Spezia vying to avoid joining Sampdoria and Cremonese in Serie B. Frosinone, Genoa and one more – via the play-offs — will compete in Serie A next term.
Napoli won the Scudetto for the first time since 1990. Photo: Getty Images
Champion: Naples
Champions League*: Napoli, Lazio, third place TBC, fourth place TBC (group stage)
Europa League**: Fifth place TBC, sixth place (group stage)
Europa Conference League: Seventh place TBC (play-off round)
Relegated: Sampdoria, Cremonese, TBC
Italian Cup: Inter Milan
* Roma will secure a fifth place in the Champions League for Serie A if they win the Europa League final against Sevilla on May 31.
** Fiorentina will secure a place in the Europa League group stage if they win the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina on June 7.
Ligue 1
PSG claimed a record 11th Ligue 1 title after drawing with Strasbourg on the penultimate weekend.
Christophe Galtier’s side will be included in the Champions League next term by RC Lens – and Marseille if they get through the qualifiers.
Toulouse booked a place in the Europa League after defeating Nantes in the final of the Coupe de France to win their first major trophy. Lille, Rennes and Monaco are competing for places in the Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Nantes and Auxerre are in danger of joining Angers, Troyes and Ajaccio in relegation in a season where four teams will be relegated and only two promoted, with just 18 teams competing in the top flight next term. Le Havre, Metz and Bordeaux are battling for automatic promotion.
Lionel Messi scores the crucial goal as PSG secure Ligue 1. Photo: Getty Images
Champion: Paris Saint Germain
Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain, Lens (group stage), Marseille (third qualifying round)
Europa League: Toulouse, fourth place TBC (group stage)
Europa Conference League: Fifth place TBC (play-off round)
Relegated: Angers, Troyes, Ajaccio, TBC
French Cup: Toulouse
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich won an 11th straight Bundesliga title after coming out ahead of Borussia Dortmund on a dramatic final day in Germany while Union Berlin beat Werder Bremen to clinch the final Champions League slot ahead of Freiburg .
Darmstadt and Heidenheim won promotion to the German top flight, with Hamburg entering a play-off with the side that finished third from bottom of the Bundesliga.
Bayern won their 11th league title in a row. Photo: Getty Images
Champion: Bayern Munich
Champions League: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin (group stage)
Europa League: DFB Cup winners TBC*, SC Freiburg (group stage)
Europa Conference League: Sixth place TBC (play-off round)*
Relegated: Hertha Berlin, TBC x2
DFB Cup: TBC (RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt – June 3)
*The fifth-placed team and the team that wins the DFB-Pokal usually qualify directly for the Europa League group stage, with the sixth-placed team going to the Europa Conference League play-offs. But if the cup winner has finished in the top six of the Bundesliga, then the sixth place will enter the Europa League group stage, with the seventh going to the Conference League play-off.
Important dates for the 2023-24 season
The new Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 seasons will begin on the weekend of August 12-13, 2023.
The Bundesliga kicks off next week on Friday, August 18, with the new Serie A term starting on Sunday, August 20.
Fans of clubs that have qualified for European competition can also put dates in their diaries.
The Champions League group stage runs from September 19-20 to December 12-13. The Europa League and Europa Conference League group stages begin on September 21 and end on December 14.
The two-legged Europa League and Europa Conference League play-offs will take place on August 24 and 31.
(Image: Getty Images)
