The Netherlands has again lost ground in Uefa’s European club rankings after a disappointing week, raising fears it could forfeit one of its two automatic Champions League spots in the coming years.

Dutch clubs managed just two wins in six matches this week. PSV delivered the standout result with a 4-1 victory away to Liverpool earlier in the week while AZ met expectations by beating Shelbourne FC 2-0.

But defeats for Ajax, Feyenoord, FC Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles left the weekly total at just 0.666 points.

The Netherlands remains sixth in the UEFA coefficient table, holding a little over a two-point lead over Portugal. That cushion shrank again after Portuguese clubs collected 1.400 points this week. Belgium also closed the gap slightly with a score of 0.800.

Sixth place currently guarantees two direct Champions League places for the 2027-2028 season, but the Netherlands must maintain its position to keep them. Dropping to seventh would also mean losing one European ticket overall, reducing the number of clubs entering continental competitions from six to five.

Results from the 2021-2022 season will be removed from the calculation after this year, and on that basis the Netherlands would fall to eighth in the ranking. Then the country would lose its second guaranteed Champions League berth for the 2028-2029 season.

The battle for those places will not be settled in the coming months, as clubs can still earn points next season to reclaim sixth place. But current performances offer little reassurance. Ajax sit bottom of their Champions League group and need an exceptional turnaround to stay in the competition.

Feyenoord, Go Ahead Eagles and FC Utrecht are also in positions that would mean elimination after eight match days. Only AZ, 20th in the Conference League, and PSV, 15th in the Champions League, are currently placed to reach the knockout play-off rounds.