Ranking the 5 best clubs in Europe according to the UEFA coefficient system

Real Madrid
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior (left), Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (center) and Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne (right)

UEFA club coefficients are an important ranking system that measures the success and performance of football clubs in European competitions. It is calculated based on a club's results over the last five years in UEFA competitions like the Champions League, Europa League and the Europa Conference League.

Match results, progress in tournaments and the relative strength of the opponents a club has squared off against are all factors that dictate club coefficients. Teams with higher cub coefficients get a higher rank. Club coefficients are used while seeding teams for tournaments.

Without further ado, let's take a look a look at the top five ranked clubs according to the UEFA coefficient system.


#5 Real Madrid - 121 points

Real Madrid players celebrate after winning the 2021-22 Champions League title.
Real Madrid players celebrate after winning the 2021-22 Champions League title.

Spanish giants Real Madrid are surprisingly only fifth in the rankings. Los Blancos are the most successful team in Champions League history, having won it 14 times. They have won the title four times in the last eight seasons.

Real Madrid most recently won the competition in the 2021-22 season and are a juggernaut of sorts in Europe. They reached the semi-final stage last term as well but fell to eventual champions Manchester City.

In addition to winning the Champions League once in the last five seasons, Real Madrid have made it to the semi-finals and the Round of 16 twice each.

They have won the Champions League a total of 14 times so far. Real Madrid are regularly viewed as the team to beat in the competition.

#4 Liverpool - 123 points

Liverpool players celebrate after winning the 2018-19 Champions League title (cred: CNN).
Liverpool players celebrate after winning the 2018-19 Champions League title (cred: CNN).

Liverpool are the most successful English team in Europe's elite club competition. They have won the competition six times in history. The Reds have won the Champions League title twice since its name was changed from 'European Cup'.

Jurgen Klopp guided them to three Champions League finals in the last six seasons, winning one and losing two of them. The Merseysiders have been one of the strongest and most difficult sides to overcome in the competition in recent years.

#3 Chelsea - 126 points

Chelsea celebrate their Champions League triumph in 2021.
Chelsea celebrate their Champions League triumph in 2021.

Chelsea are one of the most successful English teams in European competitions in the 21st century. They most recently won the Champions League title in the 2020-21 season, beating odds-on favourites Manchester City 1-0 in the final.

The Blues encountered no shortage of disappointments in the 2022-23 season, which has proven to be one of the most forgettable ones in their recent history. But Chelsea have the resources and the personnel to bounce back and become a force to be reckoned with in Europe once again in the near future.

In addition to winning the Champions League in the 2020-21 campaign, they've made it to the quarter-finals twice and the Round of 16 once in the last five seasons.

#2 Bayern Munich - 136 points

Bayern Munich celebrate after winning the 2019-20 Champions League title.
Bayern Munich celebrate after winning the 2019-20 Champions League title.

Bayern Munich are one of the traditional powerhouses of European football. The Bavarians have dominated the Bundesliga and have been one of the best-performing sides in the Champions League as well.

In the last five seasons, Bayern have made it to the quarter-finals thrice and the Round of 16 once. They won the Champions League title in the 2019-20 season. Bayern are the third-most successful club in Champions League history, winning it a total of six times.

#1 Manchester City - 145 points

Manchester City celebrate their first-ever Champions League title win.
Manchester City celebrate their first-ever Champions League title win.

Reigning champions of Europe, Manchester City, are unsurprisingly at the top of the list. Pep Guardiola has transformed City into Europe's finest team and beating them on any given day is a herculean task.

Manchester City steamrollered their opponents on their way to a historic Champions League win in the 2022-23 season.

Manchester City have been a fixture in the Champions League for years now. They've made it to the final of the competition twice, winning it this past season. City have also reached the semi-finals once and the quarter-finals twice in the last five campaigns.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith
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