4 biggest names to miss out on Champions League football next season

The European domestic season is officially over. Real Madrid have been crowned the Champions League winners, after also winning the La Liga title. Manchester City won the Premier League, Bayern Munich won another Bundesliga and AC Milan won Serie A for the first time in a decade.

Moreover, the major participants for next season’s UCL have also been lined up. As Real Madrid aims to defend their title next season, they will face competition from Europe’s very best in what is guaranteed to be another thrilling European campaign.

But there are some notable names who’ll be absent from UCL football next season after they failed to finish in their respective league’s Top 4.

So let’s look at the four biggest teams set to miss Champions League football next season.

No Champions League again for Manchester United

Manchester United’s torrid season ended with them failing to qualify for the Champions League. This marks the fourth time they have failed to do so since the 2012/13 season – after which their iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired. United could only secure a sixth place finish in the Premier League, finishing 13 points behind fourth place Tottenham Hotspur.

United were in the Top-4 race until April, but a series of disappointing results saw them fade away. Their horrible campaign ended with them finishing with a goal difference of zero, conceding 57 goals in 38 games, and recording their lowest-ever point total in a single Premier League campaign in history.

The Red Devils have to play in the Europa League next season and need to perform exponentially better under Erik ten Hag to get back into the UCL anytime soon.

AS Roma: Mourinho misses out on Champions League football

Jose Mourinho’s first season at AS Roma was a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The Italian side played in the inaugural Europa Conference League and it seemed like Mourinho was too obsessed with getting that trophy in his cabinet.

Roma excelled in that competition and went on to win it, defeating Feyenoord in the final. Mourinho became the first manager in history to win all three of UEFA’s major club competitions and added his fifth European title. The downside to the season? Roma failed to keep up in Serie A.

They finished sixth in Serie A, seven points out of the Top-4. As a result, they’ll play in the Europa League again next season meaning the controversial Mourinho won’t be in the dugout in Champions League games either.

No chance for Villarreal to relive Champions League dream

Villarreal produced the ultimate underdog’s dream by going all the way into the UCL semifinals this past season. After getting through the group stages, they defeated giants Bayern Munich and Juventus in stunning fashion to be the surprise package of the tournament.

In the end, Villarreal lost to eventual finalists Liverpool, despite giving them a fair fight. Unfortunately, the Yellow Submarine will not be playing in the Champions League next season.

After giving a lot of importance to the Champions League, Villarreal’s La Liga campaign suffered. They failed to keep up with the Top-4 and had to sacrifice their league campaign for some Champions League glory.

They finished in seventh place and will now have to play in the Europa Conference League next season. At least Unai Emery can look to add another new European trophy to his tally next season.

Arsenal miss out on Champions League for sixth consecutive campaign

Arsenal arguably had the easiest route to a Premier League Top-4 finish among the contenders, as the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur all had European matches this season. The Gunners looked primed to book a place in the Champions League towards the end of the season, but capitulated in the final few matchdays.

Crushing losses to Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in two of their final three games allowed Spurs to go over them in the Top-4 race. In the end, Mikel Arteta’s side had to settle for a fifth place spot despite playing some nice football thanks to their impressive youngsters.

This marks the sixth consecutive season the Gunners have failed to qualify for the UCL and they’re resigned to playing in the Europa League once again next season.