The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions this season.
With the first qualifying round draws occurring on Tuesday, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs participating in Europe for the 2024/25 season are discussed.
In these articles, we will provide analyses of what to expect from each country in Europe. We will explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding, in that country’s case.
We have reached the 51st article of this series, where the focus will be on Gibraltar. Here is a look on what we can expect of the Gibraltarian clubs in Europe next season.
Gibraltar in Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 0.166 (54th) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 4.957 (54th) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 3.957 (54th) |
It was a torrid year in Europe for Gibraltar. Only Magpies managed to earn points for them last season, as Lincoln Red Imps and Europa FC lost all of their games. That saw Gibraltar pick up the second lowest coefficient of UEFA’s 55 countries last season, with only Estonia doing worse. It was also the second consecutive year that Gibraltar failed to earn a full point on the season.
The 2024/25 season will see two of the three clubs who participated last season return to Europe. It is very difficult to do any worse than last term. Gibraltar is also in a hole, as they are second bottom of the five-year coefficient ranking. That means the three clubs will need to have some big showings in Europe in order to stand a serious shot at climbing out of the bottom five.
Gibraltar in Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| Lincoln Red Imps | Domestic Champion | UCL Q1 | 11 | UECL Q3 | 9.000 | 2.292 (46.22%) |
| St. Joseph’s | Domestic Runner-up | UECL Q1 | 7 | UECL Q1 | 4.000 | 1.167 (23.53%) |
| Magpies | Domestic Third Place | UECL Q1 | 2 | N/A | 2.000 | 0.417 (8.4%) |
Having beaten Europa FC in the cup final, domestic double winners Lincoln Red Imps is now the only club from Gibraltar to compete in Europe in all 11 seasons. A decade on from their first entry into European club competitions, the Imps will play in the Champions League for the ninth time, starting in the first qualifying round. They are once again seeded in that round, which could help send them back to the main round for the second time.
St. Joseph’s could not defeat Lincoln on the final day of the season, conceding in the final moments of normal time to draw. That result saw them finish second in the league and enter Conference League Q1. They did prevail in their only previous appearance in that round two years ago, beating Larne 1-0 on aggregate. That was one of two ties the Saints have managed to win. Since they are seeded this time around, they will be ambitious to progress past this round once again.
For the third summer running, Bruno’s Magpies will partake in Europe, entering UECL Q1 once more. While they have never progressed past this stage of the Conference League, Magpies is unbeaten in their two home games (1-1-0). They finished third in the league after being involved in the title race for much of the campaign before dropping off.
Gibraltar’s Season Ambition
For Gibraltar, the goal is quite simple: finish outside of the bottom five by season’s end. It will be quite the task for them, as they are four places away from safety, and nearly a point back of Wales in 50th. Keeping that in mind, they can ill-afford for another nightmarish season like the last two years.
From a coefficient perspective, Gibraltar should striving for 1.500 points. Having three teams in Europe means that only five wins are needed to reach that mark. Between 2018/19 and 2021/22, Gibraltar managed to collect at least a point, with the 2020/21 being their best with 1.666 points. So, it is possible for Gibraltar to earn that total – it is just a matter of whether they can do it again.
What a Successful Season Would Look Like for Gibraltar
A successful year for Gibraltar would see Lincoln Red Imps get past UCL Q1, while both St. Joe’s and Magpies progress at least once as well. This would go a long way in helping Gibraltar escape from the bottom five. If this is achieved, it would be the first time that all three Gibraltarian teams managed to get past a round of football.
Coefficient-wise, a total of 1.333 points should be seen as a good total, regardless of whether they are successful in climbing out of the bottom five. They can seldom afford another season with less than a point, especially since they have 1.666 points to defend. It will be a tall order, but it can still be done.
What to Expect From Gibraltar in 2024/25
Will Gibraltar be able to finish in the top 50 by season’s end? ExtratimeTalk reached out to Dan Griffin of Football Gibraltar to get his thoughts. “Personally I think a lot of it will be down to the draws next week, and whether they are kind to the three Gibraltarian sides or not,” Griffin admitted. “St Joseph’s, and especially Lincoln both being seeded should give (Gibraltar) some help in that regard. Meanwhile, Magpies has punched above their weight in their previous two appearances in Europe, picking up coefficient points in both seasons.“
With that said, Griffin has belief in the Gibraltarian clubs. “I’m fairly confident that Gibraltarian teams can pick up the points needed to get to where 50th place Wales currently are, however I think (they) will also need more than a helping hand from the other nations around us underperforming,” he said.
To Griffin’s credit, he makes a good point. In order for Gibraltar to get to 50th spot, they will not only have to have a good year in Europe, but they will also need help from the countries around. That is the only realistic way for them to escape their situation. Since that is unlikely to happen, expect Gibraltar to remain in the bottom five at season’s end. It is just too tough an ask this summer, but if they have a good year, maybe 2025/26 could be their year.