Let's say Hell freezes over and Barcelona wins this year's Champion's League Cup. I think it's pretty safe to say that they won't finish in the top 4 of the Spanish league, will Spain then be able to send 5 teams into the competition next year? I'm sure they didn't send 5 teams this year (to be honest, 5 teams is overkill, but then I feel the same way about 4 clubs...meh) but Madrid also ended on a top four spot last season: so no team didn't go because of them winning the CL, if 4 teams is the max amount of teams a fed can send...then the club that ends #4 this season, wouldn't be able to go even though their position in the league should have granted them a spot? And what if it's a league that doesn't already send 4 teams to the CL, like the Dutch league, if Ajax wins it, would they be allowed to send 3 teams next season? ______________ [size=0.75]ignoramus of rule changes at UEFA[/size]
According to the CL Rules and Regulations... http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/19071.pdf Article 1, Section 1.03 At the request of the national association, the CL title-holders may be entered for this competition, as an additional representative of that association, if they have not qualified for the CL via the top domestic league championship. If, in such a case, the title-holders come from an association entitled to 4 teams for the CL, the 4th place club in the top domestic championship has to be entered for the UEFA Cup. So, first off, it is up to the National Association -- Spain -- as to whether Barcelona would be entered in the CL as title holder should they win it. If they were entered, then they'd be taking the place of the 4th place team from Spain's league. However, the way that I read it, that would not be the case with someone from outside the big 3 (Spain, Italy & England) such as Ajax. If Ajax were to drop out of the top 2 in their league, they would be entered in addition to the top 2 in their league.
No, they won't get to send 5 teams. Four is the limit. The team that finishes 4th in the league gets bumped into the UEFA Cup. This has happened only once before. In 2000 one of the Spanish teams --Zaragosa?-got bumped into the UEFA cup when Madrid won the CL. The number of teams that they can send next season is already known and regardless of who actually wins it this will not change for the CL. Same goes for the Dutch.
ya it does, especially when a crappy team is going to end up qualifying over them, ie:spartak moscow this yr (i think they were the team that sucked)