After all, Newcastle United won’t take part in any European competition next season.

Manchester United will do so after their 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley, which grants the team a place in the next edition of the Europa League.

Newcastle, as a consequence, lost their place in the Conference League, which will go to Chelsea instead even though the Blues finished ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League table.

The Conference League spot, typically given to the Carabao Cup winners, is often deferred to the Premier League standings since the Carabao Cup winners usually secure a higher European spot. This season, Chelsea, who finished sixth in the Premier League, will take the Conference League spot due to United’s FA Cup victory. Newcastle United, finishing seventh, missed out on European football.

The Red Devils qualify for the Europa League despite finishing eighth in the Premier League, their lowest position since 1990.

The Premier League allocates seven European spots for the 2024–25 season: four for the Champions League, two for the Europa League, and one for the Conference League. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have secured the Champions League places by finishing in the top four. Aston Villa returns to Europe’s top-tier competition for the first time since 1982-83.

The Europa League spots are determined by the FA Cup winner and the team that finishes fifth in the Premier League. With Manchester United winning the FA Cup and finishing outside the top six, they join Tottenham Hotspur, who finished fifth, in the Europa League.

In summary, Manchester United’s FA Cup win reshuffled the European qualifications in a rather dumb way, allowing them into the Europa League, placing Chelsea in the Conference League, and leaving Newcastle without a European competition next season. Alas.