Newcastle United are on course for a return to Champions League football after a 20 year absence from Europe's elite competition much to the excitement of black and white supporters. Eddie Howe's side have a healthy points cushion over their top-four rivals but know they can't take their foot off the pedal.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season would be disappointing given the position the Magpies are now in, but it wouldn't detract from an incredible campaign upsetting the odds. The latest generation of Newcastle supporters would be able to create their own Tino Asprilla hat-trick against Barcelona memoirs, or even the dramatic win over Feyenoord under Sir Bobby Robson.
If the Toon finish in the top four, they would automatically qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, avoiding any repeat of defeat to Partizan in 2003-04. But they could be handed one of the toughest groups in the competition.
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As per UEFA.com, how the Champions League draw is conducted is as follows: "The teams will be split into four seeding pots. Pot 1 will consist of the holders, the UEFA Europa League winners and the champions of the six highest-ranked nations who did not qualify via one of the 2022/23 continental titles; Pots 2 to 4 will be determined by the club coefficient rankings."
The coefficient measures results and performance in Europe over a five-year period - which wouldn't bode well for the Toon's hopes of going far in the competition given their last season in Europe came in 2012-13. A return to the Champions League alone is enough for Newcastle fans who have no ambition of winning the tournament - at least for now.
How do the Champions League pots work?
Pot 1 contains eight seeded teams - the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League, plus the winners from Europe's top six leagues - the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Portugal's Primeira Liga. Pots 2 through to 4 are ordered on UEFA coefficient, which compares results and performance in European competitions over a five-year period.
The Magpies are currently on course to finish in third above Manchester United, but they're still likely to be placed in Pot 4 due to their poor club coefficient.
It means the Toon could be drawn against some of European football's biggest clubs in Pot 1, depending on how the season pans out. Newcastle would not be drawn against a club from England in the group stages due to broadcasting reasons.
Howe's men could be put into a 'Group of Death' alongside Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, if Bayern retain the Bundesliga trophy, which is not a guarantee with Dortmund running them close, thus going into Pot 1 and Real Madrid do not claim their 15th Champions League title thus being placed in Pot 2 as Barcelona are the likely La Liga champions.
Newcastle could also face the likes of Lazio or Juventus from Italy in a 'Group of Death' with the Italian league stacked with talent. Either way, the Magpies are set for an exciting campaign next season if they return to the Champions League.
