Liverpool may miss English tourney
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-08 09:41

Liverpool could win the Champions League and not be able to defend its title next year in Europe's premier club competition because it isn't playing well enough in England to qualify for the tournament.

The Football Association said Thursday that the top four finishers in the Premier League this year will qualify for next season's Champions League.

That means Liverpool — if it fails to improve on its current position of fifth — might be unable to defend the title if it beats AC Milan in the final May 25. The only hope might be to persuade UEFA to allow five English teams to enter.

That seems unlikely, even though the FA said it would back Liverpool's case.

Rafael Benitez's team is in the final for the first time in 20 years and there has been pressure on the FA to consider dropping fourth-place Everton if Liverpool wins the European title for the fifth time.

But that was considered unfair to Liverpool-based Everton, which has been in the top four all season. The FA issued a statement Thursday saying it would not drop David Moyes' team should it finish ahead of its neighbor.

As a fourth-place finisher, Everton would join Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in the Champions League. But the FA remained adamant that Liverpool should be permitted to defend should it defeat AC Milan.

"If Liverpool win in Istanbul and do not finish in the top four in the Premiership, an extra place should be allocated to them in the Champions League next season," the FA said. "This is ultimately a matter for UEFA."

UEFA president Lennart Johansson said Sunday there was a chance European soccer's governing body might change its regulations to accommodate Liverpool if it won the title.

But UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said such a rule change to allow the defending champion into the competition could not be decided until next season at the earliest.

"The English Premiership has four places, and it would be unfair to tell another national association that they have lost one of theirs," he said. "You cannot change the rule at this late stage of the season."

Liverpool is three points behind Everton, which has three games remaining. Liverpool, which has just two to play, is not even assured of finishing fifth. The Reds are just a point ahead of Bolton, which also has two games left.

But Liverpool could get in should it finish in a tie with Everton. The Reds are far ahead on the goal-differential tiebreaker.

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