Tottenham Hotspur claimed 10 victories in the Europa League last season, but have still suffered in the UEFA Coefficient rankings.
Tottenham Hotspur will be back in European action in less than a month, as they hope to build on an impressive Europa League triumph. It was in Europe that Spurs were able to escape last season from a dismal Premier League campaign which resulted in a 17th-place finish.
Thomas Frank will be relishing the opportunity to try something new. He has managed Brøndby before in Europa League qualifying, but this will be the first time he has led a team into the Champions League.
Tottenham are yet to discover whether they will be in pot two or three in the Champions League draw. However, this plays a smaller factor in the new format, as they will still play two teams from every pot.
Tottenham have fallen down the UEFA rankings
A Europa League win has not stopped Tottenham from dropping down the UEFA Coefficient rankings. The UEFA website shows that Spurs were 27th last season, but have dropped four places to 31st.
The clubs to have overtaken Tottenham are Sporting CP, Real Sociedad, LOSC Lille and PSV Eindhoven.
Both Sporting and Lille were knocked out of the Champions League last season at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, in the play-offs and last 16 respectively. Arsenal thrashed PSV in the last 16, while Real Sociedad were beaten by Manchester United in the Europa League.
What chance do Spurs have of winning the Champions League?
Daniel Levy said he wanted Tottenham to win the Champions League, shortly after their Europa League success last season. However, Spurs have not done well enough in the transfer market to be competing with Europe’s top teams.
The UEFA Super Cup defeat showed that while Frank knew how to set up his team, there was just a lack of depth on the bench to seal the victory.
A realistic aim for Tottenham would be to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. This would mean winning at least one knockout tie and potentially a second, depending on whether or not they finished in the top eight of the league phase.
Ange Postecoglou did not achieve cup success in his first season and no one could blame Frank for failing to win a trophy this early on. However, if he does help Spurs win another trophy, it is most likely to be the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.
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