The Netherlands has reached the finish line after its overtaking maneuver and, despite our erratic results on this Thursday evening, will enter the winter break with a virtual lead over Portugal. Sporting Braga had to face it alone on Thursday evening against PSV, Speed, Feyenoord and AZ and has not been able to reverse Portugal’s gap with the Netherlands: and so we are heading into the holidays as number six in Europe, on next season’s virtual coefficient ranking.
The European week has been mixed so far for the Portuguese. Sporting Portugal had to take the points Ajax let and saw FC Porto Champions Leaguehibernation slip through his fingers, but Benfica did make it to the last sixteen and the associated bonus. On Thursday Sporting grabbed Braga next to place one in his Europa Leaguegroup, by a 1-1 draw against Red Star Belgrade. The victories of Feyenoord, AZ and Vitesse – which could possibly receive a bonus of 0.200 – ensure that the Netherlands again ends up on the Portuguese.
The virtual coefficient ranking 2022/2023
5. France 44,248
6. NETHERLANDS 41,400
7. Portugal 40.333
The current coefficient rankings look like this. The Netherlands will probably not move from seventh place in the coming six months.
The top ten of the coefficient rankings 2021/2022
1. England 99,783 (14,142) (7/7)*
2. Spain 89,855 (12,142) (7/7)
3. Italy 72,902 (11,714) (6/7)
4. Germany 70,784 (11,785) (5/7)
5. France 55,748 (14,083) (6/6)
6. Portugal 50.049 (9.583) (4/6)
7. NETHERLANDS 44,300 (14,200) (5/5)*
8. Austria 37,850 (9,400) (3/5)
9. Russia 34,282 (5,100) (2/5)
10. Scotland 34,100 (5,100) (2/5)
* = Vitesse and Tottenham Hotspur are still in the waiting room.
(In brackets: the number of points this season and the number of representatives)
Extra fun: after Thursday evening, the Netherlands is again the best-performing European country of this season. ‘We’ lost our leading position to England for some time, but regained it just before the turn of the year.
The best performing European countries of 2021/2022
1. NETHERLANDS 14,200
2. England 14.142
3. France 14.083
4. Spain 12.142
5. Germany 11,785
Source: Bert Kassies
(Hein Nooijens/VoetbalPrimeur)
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