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 current Uefa rankings have Liverpool down in tenth
Liverpool won the Champions League title in 2018-19Credit: Getty Images – Getty
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: Soccer - thesun.co.uk