[lfc-news] Turks to keep Liverpool out - Telegraph

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Sunday Telegraph, 29 May 2005
Turks to keep Liverpool out
By Andrew Warshaw

Liverpool's dream of defending their Champions League title came under
fire last night from senior UEFA executives. Ironically it emerged that
if the club was allowed to take part, the team ruled out of the group
stages would be Turkish champions Fenerbahce from Istanbul.

In spite of growing pressure from FA chief executive Brian Barwick, UEFA
officials poured scorn on attempts to secure an unprecedented fifth
place for English clubs. UEFA rules state that winners go into the group
stage automatically, but only if they finish high enough in their
domestic league to qualify for the tournament. Liverpool finished fifth
in the Premiership and, despite their fifth win in Europe's premier club
competition, it seems they will play in the UEFA Cup next season, unless
UEFA decide to make an exception at a meeting in Manchester on June 17.

Liverpool's plight has been compounded by the news that the place
reserved in the group stages for the title-holders (presuming they
qualify) would be taken by Fenerbahce. Under normal circumstances, the
Turkish champions would have entered at the third qualifying stage.

"Right now, Liverpool are out and Fenerbahce are in," said David Will,
Scotland's UEFA member. "The rules were agreed in February and any move
to change them would have to be exceptional."

He said that UEFA were split on the issue but spokesman William Gaillard
said there is no possibility of allowing Liverpool to pre-qualify, the
method favoured by the FA. "Why should we make an exception for England?
There cannot be five clubs from any one association, end of story. The
FA knew that," he said. "They could easily have nominated Liverpool, as
Champions League winners, instead of Everton as the fourth-placed team,"
he added.

The FA ruled on May 5 that fourth-placed Everton would be entered even
if Liverpool won the Champions League.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson privately supports Liverpool's case for
admission but not all his senior colleagues agree. "The only decision
that can be made is to follow the regulations," said Norway's Per Ravn
Omdal, a UEFA vice-president. Iceland's Eggert Magnusson concurred:
"It's the English FA's problem, not UEFA's." Senes Erzik, Turkey's UEFA
executive committee member, said: "It doesn't matter that Fenerbahce is
from my country. I'd take the same view if it was a team from Israel,
Poland or anywhere."

FA executive director David Davies said: "We have never asked for
Liverpool to be catapulted directly into the group stage. But this in an
extraordinary situation which requires an extraordinary solution."

UEFA's Gaillard responded: "If we allow Liverpool to pre-qualify, that
will be changing the rules not once but twice. It sets a terrible
precedent."

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