UEFA refuse to bend rules
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ByEurosport
Published 26/05/2005 at 14:53 GMT
UEFA have insisted they will not bend the rules to allow Liverpool to defend their Champions League title. The Reds' remarkable 3-2 shoot-out win over Milan on Wednesday brought calls for the club to be given a special invitation into next season's compet
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Liverpool missed out on an automatic qualifying spot after Merseyside neighbours Everton edged ahead of them into the fourth and final spot in the Premiership table.
But a UEFA spokesman has said the rules laid down at the start of the season - that no country can have more than four participants in the competition - will be bent under no circumstances.
"I fully sympathise with the club and I would love to have them in there - but we have rules," William Gaillard said on Thursday. "We can't change them in the middle of the season. The FA has said Everton are the fourth English club to qualify."
But the English FA insisted it would continue to fight Liverpool's corner.
"We think there should be a place for Liverpool in next season's Champions League for sporting reasons - and also in the wider interests of European football," said the FA's David Davies.
"This is a case we've been arguing for some time and we'll go on raising it. I'm quite optimistic that over the next few days you will see a significant number of influential, non-English figures speaking out on Liverpool's behalf.
"We believe there is widespread support for Liverpool to be involved and we intend to keep lobbying and campaiging. There is a significant meeting of the Uefa committee on 17 June which just happens to be taking place in Manchester."
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