In football, the 4th place trophy is an achievement made by a team that finishes fourth place in the English Premier League. The team that earns the trophy automatically gets a spot in the UEFA Champion’s League. The UEFA Champion’s League, also known as the European Cup, is a football competition held annually and organized by the UEFA or the Union of European Football Associations.
The term was first coined by Arsene Wenger in 2012. He mentioned that the 4th place trophy was for the top four teams that can qualify for the Champion’s League. After this, the term became more popular, especially during pre-game conferences.
Qualifying for UEFA Champions League: Earning the 4th Place Trophy
Qualifying for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League or the European Cup follows a tedious process. It starts with a group stage of 32 teams doing a double round-robin elimination. Before these teams are identified, they undergo two qualification streams that are divided between teams that have qualified by finishing 2nd to 4th in their national championship and those that are qualified for being league champions.
Generally, UEFA coefficients of member associations determine the number of teams that it can enter into the UEFA Champions League. These coefficients on the other hand are based on the results of the performance of the clubs that are representing the associations during the latest five seasons of the European or UEFA Champion’s League.
In addition, the winners of a qualifying tournament that is played with six rounds between national champions will be granted the four of the remaining six qualifying positions. While the two remaining qualifying positions are given to the winners of a three-round tournament between clubs that have qualified for finishing 2nd or 3rd in the national level.
It is important that a club that has a team planning to play in the Champions League must have a license to do so. Obtaining this license requires clubs to meet certain finance, infrastructure, and stadium requirements.
All of these steps and important considerations involved in earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League and the championship trophy can only happen if a team earns at least a 4th place trophy.