France's Ligue 1 falls behind Netherlands in latest UEFA country coefficient rankings

Ligue 1 (source: Twitter)

In the latest UEFA rankings, France's Ligue 1 drops out of the Top 5 after a miserable performance last season. In a disappointing turn of events, Paris Saint-Germain's journey in the Champions League came to an end on March 8, as they were defeated by Bayern Munich in the round of-16 stage. This unfortunate exit marked the departure of the last French team from UEFA's top two competitions.

Marseille had already endured a dismal performance, finishing at the bottom of their Champions League group. Additionally, Monaco, Nantes, and Rennes were also eliminated in the first knockout round of the Europa League. However, there was a glimmer of hope as Nice managed to secure a victory in a knockout round, progressing to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Conference League, the third-tier competition.

The underwhelming performance of French teams in Europe is reflected in UEFA's country coefficients. As of the 2022–23 season, France occupied the seventh position with a score of 12.583. This ranking placed them behind Belgium and the Netherlands, with Portugal narrowly trailing behind them.

The disappointing results for French clubs in European competitions have raised questions about the overall strength and competitiveness of French football. The lack of deep runs and notable victories in prestigious tournaments has impacted France's standing in the UEFA rankings.

Why does France still rank fifth in the rankings?

Despite the recent drop in rankings, France's Ligue 1 is currently listed in the fifth position in UEFA's country coefficients. These coefficients are determined based on the performance of teams in the previous five seasons. However, with the commencement of the new Champions League season, the 2018/19 season results are no longer considered in the calculations.

Consequently, France has slipped to sixth place, trailing behind the Netherlands. The live calculations on UEFA's homepage, which are subject to change with every game, are yet to reflect the ongoing season. To reclaim the fifth spot, French teams must surpass the performance of their Dutch counterparts in European competitions this season.