Reds handed Euro reprieve
ByReuters
Published 10/06/2005 at 15:12 GMT
Liverpool will be allowed to defend their Champions League trophy, UEFA said on Friday. Liverpool's fifth-placed Premiership finish meant they were not entitled to a place in next season's competition, despite lifting the cup after a penalty shootout win
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They will go into the competition's first qualifying round with their opening match on July 12 or 13.
UEFA's executive committee also decided to amend the regulations for future editions of the Champions League, so the holders will have the right to defend their title and therefore qualify automatically.
If the rule had been applied this season it would mean Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton, who finished fourth in the Premiership, would miss out.
UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson confirmed the decision was unanimous, and said there was no question of the Reds going directly into the group phase.
"There were no discussions actually on where they should enter the competition because everybody was of the opinion they should be given the opportunity but they have to start from the beginning," he said
"They could not be allowed to get into the 32 for example."
However, the UEFA Cup space vacated by Liverpool's accession to the Champions League will not be passed on to Manchester City, who were next in line.
England will have just two berths in the UEFA Cup to offset its record five Champions League spots.
THORNY ISSUE
The thorny problem of Liverpool's presence in next season's competition looked to be a non-issue at halftime in the final in Istanbul as Milan cruised into a 3-0 lead.
But Liverpool's stunning three-goal blitz in six minutes turned the game on its head and a goalless period of extra time was followed by the English side's 3-2 victory in a penalty shootout.
Liverpool's fifth European Cup provided a glorious end to what had been a frustrating domestic season.
But it meant a real headache for European soccer's ruling body and its regulation of a maximum of four teams per country.
England's Football Association had already made it clear that it would not follow a Spanish precedent by putting Liverpool forward at the expense of the Premier League's fourth-placed finishers, Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton.
Real Madrid were crowned European champions in 2000 but finished fifth in the Primera Liga, prompting the Spanish FA to enter them for the following season's Champions League and relegate fourth-placed Real Zaragoza to the UEFA Cup.
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