London, England – UEFA confirmed on Friday that the Europa League winner will qualify for the Champions League the following season, beginning in 2015.
UEFA made the decision at its Congress on Friday in London ahead of Saturday's Champions League final.
The move was made in an effort to make the Europa League more appealing to clubs, and it is believed that the Europa League and Champions League winners will no longer take a spot away from their domestic leagues if they finish outside the Champions League places.
UEFA's executive committee stated that it feels some of the major leagues do not take the Europa League seriously enough, and has decided to sweeten the pot with the incentive of an automatic Champions League berth.
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