Heartbreak in Bilbao: Roma’s Loss Dashes Italy’s Champions Hopes – Is This the End of the Road?

Salvo miracles occurring, it appears that England and Spain will be the only nations with five representatives in the next Champions League, while Italy is poised to remain with just four. This unfortunate reality is a direct consequence of Roma’s defeat, and subsequent exit from the Europa League, at the hands of Athletic Bilbao. Now, some losses hit harder than others, and Roma's thumping in Bilbao certainly qualifies as one of those. In fact, the ramifications of this 1-3 defeat at San Mamés are far-reaching, impacting Italy’s standings in the annual country ranking that governs qualification for an extra Champions League spot next season. The giallorossi’s result not only nets them zero points while Spain enjoys two, but it also means that Spain bolts ahead in the direct contest between the two countries vying for five spots in the 2025/26 Champions League. As the quarter-finals of the three European cups loom, Italy finds itself in deep water – and likely irreversibly so. Currently, England tops the nations ranking with an almost untouchable 24.250 points, securing the first of the additional spots. Spain, too, has gained a substantial lead over Italy, amassing 21.678 points to Italy's 19.938, a gap of 1.740 points. Compounding the misfortune, the number of teams still contending in the European competitions is telling: England retains five from seven initial entrants, while Spain has four from seven, and Italy is left with only three out of the eight it started with, a further blow to our footballing prestige. The ranking is determined by dividing the total points accrued by each nation’s clubs by the number of teams they had at the season’s outset. Hence, Spain continues to divide by seven while Italy must now do so by eight. While it’s not over yet, Italy would need an outright collapse of Spanish clubs alongside strong runs from Inter, Lazio, and Fiorentina to salvage its position. - Resource: "https://www.fanpage.it/sport/calcio/quinto-posto-in-champions-la-sconfitta-della-roma-a-bilbao-e-una-mazzata-per-litalia-e-quasi-finita/