Madferret
6-08-05, 11:20 AM
Liverpool Euro decision on Friday
Liverpool will know by Friday whether they will be allowed to defend their Champions League title. Uefa wants to resolve the issue before an executive committee meeting on 17 June and will hold a phone conference that could result in a qualifying spot.
Opinion among the 14-man committee is still "divergent" but a yes vote will result in massive fixture congestion.The first qualifying round is on 12-13 July and will disrupt Liverpool's planned pre-season schedule. The European governing body insisted it is not cut and dried that the Reds will gain admission for next season's competition.
Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson will not have a vote when the committee discuss this matter this week. Uefa director of communications William Gaillard said: "There are some divergent opinions. There are some people who see that the rules are the rules. "If everyone was in favour, then I'm sure they would have taken the decision earlier. "It is a matter for negotiation still."
Lar-Christer Olsson, Uefa's chief executive, will present his organisation's committee members with two questions:
Should the champions always be allowed to defend their trophy?
Should a country be allowed to have five clubs in the Champions League?
If the committee gives a positive answer to both questions they must decide at what stage the Merseysiders should enter the competition. And if it is at the qualifying stage, the Reds may be forced to cancel a money-spinning two-game tour of Japan. Liverpool finished fifth in the Premiership and have not qualified for the competition they won so memorably against AC Milan in Istanbul on penalties.
Uefa president Lennart Johansson says the Reds should defend their title but believes they should come in at the first qualifying stage. "I trust it will be a decision that will be accepted by all parties," Johansson told BBC Radio 4. "We have the ambition, on the one hand, to give Liverpool the opportunity to defend their title but, on the other hand, we need to make sure no-one suffers from such a decision.
One decision is about what will happen in the future but the main decision is what will happen to Liverpool. (Uefa president Lennart Johansson) "In my opinion, Liverpool should be in from the very beginning - they will have to go through all the competition. "But I want people to know they are free to have their own opinion.
"We have a situation that was unforeseen. Consequently we have to make a decision about the future and then deal with Liverpool." Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton claimed the final Champions League qualification spot by finishing fourth in the Premiership and have already said they are unwilling to accept a ruling that would result in them being given a smaller share of the prize money.
If Champions League revenue is split five ways it would mean the other four qualifiers - Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton - losing as much as ?5m each and decisions on whether Liverpool forfeit their share will also have to be made if they are allowed to compete.
Turkish officials are also unhappy with suggestions that Liverpool could be entered straight into the group stages with a high seeding - which would mean league champions Fenerbahce being relegated to the qualifying round.
Johansson's view is supported by Uefa director of communications William Gaillard. "The idea of putting Liverpool straight into the group stages is one of the more remote possibilities," he told The Times. "To admit Liverpool in the first place, we would have to change a fundamental rule, which is that no country should have more than four clubs in the Champions League.
"There have been a number of proposals. "We can't say yes to Liverpool if it means damaging another club, so if Liverpool are to be admitted we have to work hard to find a way in which this can happen."
I'm sure every Scouser is all for this as their club had a terrible domestic season last year. It's absolute bollocks if you ask me, and shouldn't even be considered.
Liverpool will know by Friday whether they will be allowed to defend their Champions League title. Uefa wants to resolve the issue before an executive committee meeting on 17 June and will hold a phone conference that could result in a qualifying spot.
Opinion among the 14-man committee is still "divergent" but a yes vote will result in massive fixture congestion.The first qualifying round is on 12-13 July and will disrupt Liverpool's planned pre-season schedule. The European governing body insisted it is not cut and dried that the Reds will gain admission for next season's competition.
Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson will not have a vote when the committee discuss this matter this week. Uefa director of communications William Gaillard said: "There are some divergent opinions. There are some people who see that the rules are the rules. "If everyone was in favour, then I'm sure they would have taken the decision earlier. "It is a matter for negotiation still."
Lar-Christer Olsson, Uefa's chief executive, will present his organisation's committee members with two questions:
Should the champions always be allowed to defend their trophy?
Should a country be allowed to have five clubs in the Champions League?
If the committee gives a positive answer to both questions they must decide at what stage the Merseysiders should enter the competition. And if it is at the qualifying stage, the Reds may be forced to cancel a money-spinning two-game tour of Japan. Liverpool finished fifth in the Premiership and have not qualified for the competition they won so memorably against AC Milan in Istanbul on penalties.
Uefa president Lennart Johansson says the Reds should defend their title but believes they should come in at the first qualifying stage. "I trust it will be a decision that will be accepted by all parties," Johansson told BBC Radio 4. "We have the ambition, on the one hand, to give Liverpool the opportunity to defend their title but, on the other hand, we need to make sure no-one suffers from such a decision.
One decision is about what will happen in the future but the main decision is what will happen to Liverpool. (Uefa president Lennart Johansson) "In my opinion, Liverpool should be in from the very beginning - they will have to go through all the competition. "But I want people to know they are free to have their own opinion.
"We have a situation that was unforeseen. Consequently we have to make a decision about the future and then deal with Liverpool." Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton claimed the final Champions League qualification spot by finishing fourth in the Premiership and have already said they are unwilling to accept a ruling that would result in them being given a smaller share of the prize money.
If Champions League revenue is split five ways it would mean the other four qualifiers - Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton - losing as much as ?5m each and decisions on whether Liverpool forfeit their share will also have to be made if they are allowed to compete.
Turkish officials are also unhappy with suggestions that Liverpool could be entered straight into the group stages with a high seeding - which would mean league champions Fenerbahce being relegated to the qualifying round.
Johansson's view is supported by Uefa director of communications William Gaillard. "The idea of putting Liverpool straight into the group stages is one of the more remote possibilities," he told The Times. "To admit Liverpool in the first place, we would have to change a fundamental rule, which is that no country should have more than four clubs in the Champions League.
"There have been a number of proposals. "We can't say yes to Liverpool if it means damaging another club, so if Liverpool are to be admitted we have to work hard to find a way in which this can happen."
I'm sure every Scouser is all for this as their club had a terrible domestic season last year. It's absolute bollocks if you ask me, and shouldn't even be considered.