AC Milan, Juventus miss Champions League

AC Milan and Juventus were shut out of next season's Champions League on Sunday, May 24, after Serie A's final round left both clubs outside the top four. Lega Serie A's final standings showed Como in fourth place on 71 points, with Milan fifth on 70 and Juventus sixth on 69. Milan's 2-1 home defeat by Cagliari sealed the outcome, while Juventus finished with too few points after a 2-2 draw at Torino. Italy has four Champions League places for 2026-27, not five, because Serie A did not secure an additional European Performance Spot, CBS Sports reported before the final day. UEFA's access list for 2026-27 sets out the qualification pathway for each national association, and the final Serie A table determined which Italian clubs took those berths. Inter, Napoli, Roma and Como finished in those four spots. (en.legaseriea.it) ### How did Milan get knocked out on the final day? AC Milan entered the last round needing a result and help elsewhere, but the decisive blow came at San Siro. Worldfootball.net's results page listed Cagliari beating Milan 2-1 on May 24, leaving Milan on 70 points after 38 matches. CBS Sports said that loss ended Milan's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. (cbssports.com) Christian Pulisic's Milan had spent the closing stretch of the season chasing the top four, but the final standings on Milan's own website showed the club one point behind Como. That left Milan in the Europa League places rather than in UEFA's top competition. ### Why did Juventus miss out too? Juventus also started the day with a path to the top four, but a 2-2 draw in the Turin derby was not enough. (worldfootball.net) Worldfootball.net listed Torino 2-2 Juventus in the last round, and the final table left Juventus on 69 points, two behind Como and one behind Milan. Football Italia reported that Juventus, despite missing the Champions League, qualified for the Europa League alongside Milan. (acmilan.com) CBS Sports had identified Juventus as one of the clubs still in the race before the last round, but Sunday's results closed that route. ### Which Italian clubs took the Champions League places instead? (worldfootball.net) Como took the final Champions League berth with a 4-1 win over Cremonese on the last day. Worldfootball.net listed that result, and the Lega Serie A table showed Como finishing fourth on 71 points. Roma secured third on 73 points after beating Verona 2-0, while Inter and Napoli had already finished above them. (football-italia.net) The Associated Press report surfaced in search results describing Como's qualification as the club's latest step in a rapid rise under Cesc Fabregas. The standings, rather than any tiebreak scenario, settled the order: Como 71, Milan 70, Juventus 69. ### What does the table say about next season's European lineup? (worldfootball.net) Lega Serie A's final standings placed Inter first, Napoli second, Roma third and Como fourth, putting those four clubs into the Champions League places. Football Italia's season verdicts page said Milan and Juventus would go into the Europa League, while Bologna took the Conference League qualifying place. (msn.com) The next formal markers are already set. Football Italia said the 2026-27 Serie A season will start on the weekend of Aug. 23, 2026, and the fixture list will be unveiled on June 5, 2026, while UEFA's access list tracks which clubs will enter each European competition. (football-italia.net) (en.legaseriea.it)