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Post by rugbytoffee on May 11, 2017 11:18:55 GMT
Everton will definitely begin their Europa League campaign in July – irrespective of whether or not Manchester United lift the trophy later this month.
Arsenal's win over Southampton on Wednesday confirmed the Blues cannot finish this season's Premier League in anything other than seventh place.
Ronald Koeman's side will therefore take the third and last Europa League berth available to English clubs and starting in the third qualifying round which takes place on July 27 and August 3 – before the new Premier League season begins on August 12.
However, the waters have been muddied by the prospect of Manchester United winning the Europa League.
United entertain Celta Vigo in their semi-final second leg this evening, having won 1-0 in Spain last week.
Should United progress and then beat either Ajax or Lyon in the final – the Dutch side travel to France with a 4-1 lead – they will secure qualification to the Champions League.
With United likely to miss out on a top-four berth in the Premier League, it means England would have five teams in the Champions League and only two in the Europa League.
But UEFA have confirmed this would not change Everton's entry point into the competition in the third qualifying round, with England's other Europa League entrant starting in the group stage.
If United fail to win the Europa League, the teams that finish fifth and sixth in the Premier League will start in next season's Europa League.
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