That's true, finishing in the top 4 isn't that much to ask for what is called the Champions League... You could say he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, they qualified by finishing 4th in the league when 4 is the maximum number of places available and the rules say you have to finish 4th or better to get in and there's no extra place for the holders.

So they benefitted from it last season, but suffered from it this season, perhaps...