The UEFA rule change that can see Newcastle United qualify for the Champions League this season

Newcastle United could finish sixth and still qualify for the Champions League next season.

Many fans had given up on replicating last year’s top-four heroics – an achievement that placed the Magpies among Europe’s elite for the first time in 20 years. Eddie Howe punched Newcastle above their weight, with several players fighting relegation two seasons ago taking on continental heavyweights.

Financial restrictions prevented Newcastle from drastically bolstering their ranks and, as a result, they have suffered a dip in form. The Magpies currently sit eighth in the Premier League – two points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.