Uefa Rule Denies Swansea of European Football

Swansea City fans will be hugely content to see their side secure a place in next season's Premier League after a turbulent campaign in SA1.

Paul Clement and company will rightly take the plaudits for a sensational achievement in beating the drop.

But the Swans have actually been denied a place in next season's Europa League courtesy of a change in UEFA rules.

Swansea finished with the best tally in this season's Premier League Fair Play table, accruing just 59 yellow cards and no reds whatsoever.

Their 236 points is lower than any other top flight club, with AFC Bournemouth (252) and Liverpool (256) the next best. Watford were the division's "dirtiest" side with 87 bookings, five reds and 400 disciplinary points.

Since 1995 Swansea's Fair Play record would have been enough to secure a place in the Europa League (or UEFA Cup as it was).

However, UEFA has scrapped the scheme which saw the best-behaved Premier League team handed a route into continental football. For the second season in succession no Europa League places are awarded on the basis on Fair Play.

Instead, Swansea (and the Football Association) will be the recipients of extra prize money, and not the Europa League qualifying round place that was claimed by West Ham United in the 2014/15 season — the last campaign before the rule change.
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