Madrid, May 8 (IANS) Spain has secured an extra UEFA Champions League place for next season after Rayo Vallecano reached the UEFA Conference League final with a 1-0 victory over Strasbourg on Thursday night.

The Madrid-based side completed a 2-0 aggregate semifinal win to book a place in the first European final in the club’s history. More importantly for Spanish football, the result guaranteed Spain second place in this season’s UEFA coefficient rankings, surpassing Germany in the list.

Spain now has 22.093 coefficient points, while Germany remains on 21.785. Bayern Munich’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League semifinals by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) earlier this week ensured Germany can no longer catch Spain in the rankings.

As a result, La Liga will once again have eight clubs competing in European competitions next season, including five teams in the Champions League. The extra place increases the chances for more Spanish clubs to qualify for Europe through their league positions.

The development has already confirmed Champions League qualification for Atletico Madrid, which joins FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villarreal among the qualified sides.

Real Betis currently holds the fifth position and is a favorite to claim the additional Champions League berth, although Celta Vigo still have a slim chance of moving up the table, as reported by Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad have already secured one Europa League place after winning the Copa del Rey. Sixth place in La Liga will now bring the second Europa League berth, while the Conference League qualification spot will go to the team finishing seventh.

Getafe, Athletic Bilbao, and even 10th-placed Osasuna remain in the race for European football next season.

Rayo Vallecano will now face Crystal Palace in the Conference League final in Leipzig on May 27, as the club looks to complete a historic European campaign with its first continental title.

–IANS

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