French hopes are definitely dashed. French clubs will only send four representatives to the Champions League next season. The fault of AS Roma's qualification for the semi-finals of the Europa League, and that of Fiorentina for the last four of the Europa Conference League.
Thanks to these successes, the Italians are assured of finishing the current season in the first two places in the UEFA index. A performance which allows them to seek an additional ticket for the group stage of the Champions League. France still had a slim hope after the qualifications of Paris Saint-Germain in C1, and Olympique de Marseille in C3.
After the success in Paris, the French had overtaken Spain in the rankings. They can no longer hope to obtain one of the first two places. They currently rank fourth, behind England (3rd) and Germany (2nd), and therefore Italy (2nd).
Next year, the Champions League will change format next season, with 36 teams participating in the group stage, compared to 32 until this season. France will send four participants: three directly in the group stage, and another in the preliminary round.
For the 2025-2026 season, France is guaranteed to send at least as many representatives to the Champions League, thanks to its fifth place in the overall UEFA index.
This Thursday evening in the Europa Conference League, the French clubs lost a European representative, since Losc was eliminated by Aston Villa.