Tottenham Winning UCL and Getting Relegated Can Create Never-Seen-Before Scenario
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in one of the strangest and most dramatic situations in modern football — staring at the genuine threat of relegation to the EFL Championship while simultaneously harbouring hopes of conquering the UEFA Champions League.
It is a scenario that sounds almost fictional. Yet, mathematically at least, it remains possible.
Should the north London club somehow suffer the unthinkable and drop into the second tier of English football while also lifting Europe’s most prestigious trophy, it would mark an unprecedented moment in the history of the English game. No club has ever combined relegation from the top flight with a Champions League triumph in the same season. The likelihood is incredibly slim — but the mere existence of that possibility speaks volumes about how chaotic and unpredictable Spurs’ campaign has become.
A Season of Contradictions
The turbulence began when Thomas Frank was dismissed amid a worrying slide down the Premier League table. He was replaced by Igor Tudor, who has been tasked with steadying a side hovering just four points above the relegation zone. Survival is no longer a distant concern — it is a very real objective.
And yet, while domestic form has been erratic and alarming, Tottenham have somehow managed to compartmentalise their struggles on the continental stage. In Europe, they have shown resilience and composure, progressing to the knockout rounds of the Champions League and reaching the last 16. The contrast between their league frailties and European steel could not be more stark.
It is this bizarre dual narrative — relegation candidates at home, European contenders abroad — that has made Spurs one of the most fascinating clubs in Europe this season.
Outsiders in Europe, Uncertainty at Home
Despite their progress, Tottenham remain rank outsiders to win the Champions League. The club that famously reached the 2019 final have been given just a 1.98% chance of going all the way this time around. The odds reflect the calibre of opposition still standing and Spurs’ own inconsistencies.
Ironically, some analysts believe relegation may be the more plausible outcome. Tottenham have not been demoted from the top division since 1977, but the current campaign has been riddled with defensive lapses, inconsistent performances and costly dropped points. The idea of Spurs playing Championship football next season would have seemed absurd a year ago — now it is part of the conversation.
The Scheduling Nightmare
If the unimaginable were to occur — a Champions League triumph paired with relegation — the logistical consequences would be extraordinary.
Under UEFA regulations, the winner of the Champions League automatically qualifies for the following season’s competition, regardless of domestic league position. That means Tottenham would be obligated to defend their European crown while competing in the Championship.
Such a situation would create a fixture pile-up of historic proportions:
46 Championship matches
FA Cup fixtures
Carabao Cup ties
The Champions League league phase and knockout rounds
The calendar would be relentless, placing enormous strain on players, staff and organisers alike. It would represent a scheduling headache never before seen in English football.
There have been faint echoes of similar chaos in the past. Wigan Athletic and Birmingham City both suffered relegation in the same season they qualified for European competition via domestic cup victories. However, neither situation involved the Champions League — nor the prestige and scale that come with it. Tottenham’s hypothetical scenario would be on an entirely different level.
The Road Ahead in Europe
Before dreams of lifting the trophy can even be entertained, Spurs must navigate a daunting knockout path.
In the round of 16, they will face one of four formidable opponents:
Juventus
Galatasaray
Club Brugge
Atlético Madrid
Should they progress, the quarter-finals could bring a clash with European heavyweights such as Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea or Barcelona.
Reaching the semi-finals would likely mean facing one of the continent’s elite — Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal or Bayern Munich.
And if Spurs were somehow to reach the final, they could meet any of those giants — or potentially Liverpool, led by Arne Slot.
A Season That Defies Logic
For Tottenham supporters, the emotional whiplash of this campaign has been exhausting. One week brings genuine relegation anxiety; the next brings European optimism. The club stands on the edge of two vastly different futures — one historic for all the right reasons, the other historic for all the wrong ones.
While logic suggests survival battles and European glory rarely intersect, football has a habit of producing the extraordinary. Spurs’ season, chaotic and contradictory as it is, remains alive on both fronts.
Whether it ends in disaster, triumph, or something in between, it is already one of the most remarkable campaigns in the club’s modern history.