HOW IT WORKS
This season we will use the Hypercube Infostrada Euro Club Index, which scientifically analyses hundreds of thousands of matches from the top divisions in all European nations as well as Europa League and Champions League games.
The Index takes into account all matches played over an eight-year period but with recent results carrying more weight than older ones. The most recent result has 20 times more impact than a result of three years ago.
The performance of a league's teams in the Champions League and Europa League reflects the rise or fall of the sporting level in that league. So, for example, if English teams perform well in Europe, all Premier League teams receive a small bonus in their ECI score. The ranking and its predictive power are thus made even more accurate.
- - -
As we approach the end of a highly memorable season in major leagues all across Europe there have been some major changes in the Euro Club Index.
Manchester City won their first championship in 44 years on Sunday in absurdly thrilling fashion, and they have now moved up one place to fourth in our ranking of European clubs, right behind neighbours and vanquished title rivals Manchester United.
Bayern Munich switched places with City following their dismal 5-2 defeat to Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final. Dortmund's sealing of the domestic double consolidates their position of eighth. Should they lose the Champions League final to Chelsea on Saturday, then they will begin next season with the sixth-placed Blues breathing down their necks.
At the top, Real Madrid have finally usurped bitter rivals Barcelona after the Catalan club had been fixed at the summit since December 2009. Real rounded off their title-winning campaign in style with a 4-1 over Mallorca that took their points total for the season to a record 100, while Barca could only manage a 2-2 draw at Real Betis.
Atletico Madrid moved up to 11th after their victory in the Europa League final was followed up by a 1-0 win at Villarreal on the final day of the Spanish season.
In Italy, Juventus shifted up another place after they completed their title-winning league campaign unbeaten. If they beat Napoli in the Coppa Italia final this weekend, they will have gone through the entire season without defeat in any competition. Serie A runners-up AC Milan remain Italy's top-ranked team in 10th.
France's only representatives in the top 20, Lille, slip down two places to 19 following their 1-0 defeat at Montpellier, a result which means Ligue 1's surprise package just have to avoid defeat on the final day of the season to beat Paris Saint-Germain to the title.
- - -
Top 20
1 (2) Real Madrid – 4371 points
2 (1) Barcelona – 4352
3 (3) Manchester United - 3703
4 (5) Manchester City – 3512
5 (4) Bayern Munich - 3488
6 (6) Chelsea - 3403
7 (7) Porto - 3382
8 (8) Borussia Dortmund - 3313
9 (9) Arsenal - 3262
10 (10) AC Milan - 3204
11 (13) Atletico Madrid – 3197
12 (12) Benfica - 3130
13 (14) Shakhtar Donetsk - 3125
14 (15) Juventus – 3102
15 (11) Valencia – 3095
16 (16) Ajax – 3083
17 (18) Zenit St Petersburg – 3083
18 (19) Tottenham Hotspur - 3058
19 (17) Lille - 3048
20 (20) PSV - 3031
Other British clubs in top 100
24 (28) Everton - 2916
30 (31) Liverpool - 2867
44 (40) Newcastle United - 2714
53 (49) Fulham – 2649
64 (66) Celtic - 2557
72 (70) Aston Villa – 2460
78 (73) Stoke City - 2447
94 (87) West Bromwich Albion – 2397
95 (98) Rangers – 2365
97 (96) Sunderland – 2347
