Top ten clubs in Uefa rankings revealed with Bayern Munich No1 but Liverpool last and behind Man Utd despite 2019 glory

LIVERPOOL are the reigning Premier League champions and are just over a year removed from their 2019 Champions League glory.

But despite that, Uefa have Jurgen Klopp’s down in TENTH in the European rankings – and behind Manchester United.

The Reds reached the Champions League final in 2018, losing to Real Madrid – before lifting ‘Ol’ Big Ears’ a year later.

In 2020-21, they’ve stormed through to the last-16 as group winners with a game to spare.

In spite of their recent successes though, Uefa have Liverpool tenth due to system by which the rankings are calculated.

Uefa use a five-year rolling system to devise the rankings, with the current standings based on performances in Europe from 2016-17 onwards.

While Liverpool received a huge number of points in 2018-19 and 2019-20, they picked up ZERO in 2016-17 after failing to qualify for Europe at all.

The Reds finished eighth in 2015-16 as Brendan Rodgers was sacked and replaced by Klopp, meaning the club fail to even secure a Europa League berth.

That loss of points sees them down in tenth in the current rankings.

But next season, with 2016-17 removed, Liverpool are likely to shoot up to at least THIRD.

HOW UEFA CALCULATE RANKINGS

Champions League points system (until 2017-18)
First qualifying round elimination – 0.5 points
Second qualifying round elimination – 1 point
Group stage bonus participation – 4 points
All wins from group stage onwards – 2 points
All draws from group stage onwards – 1 point
Round of 16 bonus participation – 4 points

Europa League points system (until 2017-18)
First qualifying round elimination – 0.25 points
Second qualifying round elimination – 0.5 points
Third qualifying round elimination – 1 point
Play-off elimination – 1.5 points
All wins from group stage onwards – 2 points
All draws from group stage onwards – 1 point

Champions League points system (from 2018-19)
Group stage participation – 4 points
All wins from group stage onward – 2 points
All draws from group stage onward – 1 point
Round of 16 participation – 4 points

Europa League points system (from 2018-19)
Preliminary round elimination – 0.5 points
First qualifying round elimination – 1 point
Second qualifying round elimination – 1.5 points
Third qualifying round elimination – 2 points
Play-off elimination – 2.5 points
Group stage win – 2 points
Group stage draw – 1 point

Reigning champions Bayern Munich sit top of the current Uefa rankings.

The Germans have four more coefficient points than second-placed Barcelona.

Juventus sit third ahead of Real Madrid, despite Los Blancos winning TWO titles in this five-year cycle (2016-17 and 2017-18).

Atletico Madrid and Manchester City come in fifth and sixth respectively, with Paris Saint-Germain in seventh.

Manchester United rank eighth, despite spending TWO seasons in the Europa League during the current cycle.

They received a points boost in 2016-17 after winning the second-tier tournament.

Europa League specialists Sevilla sit in ninth, just one coefficient point ahead of Liverpool.

With the Reds already into the knockout stages this season and 2016-17 set to be wiped off Uefa’s books, they’ll look forward to a huge jump up the rankings in a year’s time.

Elsewhere, Arsenal (11th), Tottenham (12th) and Chelsea (14th) all sit outside the top ten.

Celtic are the only other British club in the top 50, sitting in 49th – with Leicester 51st.

Source: thesun.co.uk