[lfc-news] European fate to be decided on Friday - Post

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Liverpool Daily Post, 8 June 2005
European fate to be decided on Friday
By David Prior, Daily Post Staff

LIVERPOOL are set to find out their Champions League fate on Friday.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard has confirmed that executive committee
members are set to hold a telephone conference with a vote ratifying
their decision expected soon after.

The announcement will finally end weeks of uncertainty surrounding
whether the Merseysiders will be allowed to defend the trophy they won
in Istanbul on May 25.

Should the decision fall in their favour, however, Liverpool face the
prospect of a fixture pile-up before the season has even started - which
could see them playing the prestigious European Super Cup final and the
second leg of a Champions League third qualifying round tie inside four
days.

It has emerged that the English FA are not pressing UEFA to allow
Liverpool into the group stages of next season's Champions League, and
are only concerned with getting the Anfield club back into the
competition as holders.

Informed sources at Soho Square are insisting that Liverpool can only
expect to be involved at some stage of the qualifying rounds, if UEFA
agree to the move.

Now UEFA chief Lennart Johansson has made it clear he favours the
unlikely outcome of Liverpool starting the competition from scratch
rather than being given the other option available of a wild card into
the group stages as number one seed.

Johansson said: "In my opinion Liverpool should be in from the very
beginning - they will have to go through all the competition."

If that is the final decision then Liverpool could find themselves in a
first qualifying round tie which would fall in early July when they are
supposedly in their Swiss pre-season training camp.

If UEFA accept this advice from their president, Liverpool's pre-season
will be thrown into chaos.

If they are asked to start out in the second qualifying round, they will
find themselves in Japan for the first leg on July 27 playing two
friendlies, one that night against Shimizu S Pulse and then another
three days later against Kashima Antlers.

Liverpool are due back in the UK on July 31 from a tour they are already
financially committed to.

If UEFA tell Liverpool to start in the third qualifying round, the
second leg of that stage will clash with the week of the European Super
Cup Final against CSKA Moscow in Monaco on August 26, an event UEFA have
already confirmed that Liverpool are scheduled to play in.

If Liverpool are forced into this stage of the Champions League, they
will face a second leg on either Tuesday or Wednesday of that week with
the Super Cup on the Friday.

The situation threatens to ruin Liverpool's lucrative pre-season tour as
well as manager Rafael Benitez's build-up to the new season - with the
Anfield men due back for pre-season training a week earlier than usual
on June 27.

Yesterday Johansson confirmed how he expected the discussions to
materialise. He said: "We will look at which alternatives are available.
One decision is about what will happen in the future but the main
decision is what will happen to Liverpool. I trust it will be a decision
which will be accepted by all parties."

Liverpool the opportunity to defend their title but on the other hand we
need to make sure no-one suffers from such a decision."

Officials in Turkey have expressed dissatisfaction that Liverpool may be
entered into the group stages with a high seeding therefore demoting
their champions, Fenerbahce, to the qualifying round.

The 75-year-old Swede continued: "I want people to know they are free to
have their own opinion.

"I want them to have the background I have studied it would be wrong of
me to say they are in favour (of Liverpool playing in the Champions
League)."

Johansson admitted: "We have a situation which was unforeseen.
Consequently we have to make a decision about the future and then deal
with Liverpool.

"But I think the champions as in all other sports have the chance to
defend their title."

Nine Merseyside MPs will hand over a dossier today in support of
Liverpool being granted a chance to defend their Champions League crown
to FA executive director David Davies.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are believed to be keeping an eye on highly-rated
Slovak defender Martin Skrtel.

Hamburg and Anderlecht are also monitoring the 20-year-old, who is
currently on the books at Zenit St Petersburg.

The Russian club's manager Vlastimil Petrzhela confirmed: "The
Englishmen are seriously interested in buying Martin. But we don't want
to lose him."

Meanwhile goal-keeper Mariano Barbosa has agreed to move to Primera Liga
side Villarreal, leaving the way clear for Jose Reina to possibly sign
for Liverpool.

Barbosa, who will arrive from Argentina-based Banfield, has penned a
three-year agreement with the Spanish club for a fee of 2million euros
(£1.34million).

The 20-year-old is expected to take the place of current first-choice
custodian Reina, who is reported to be on the verge of signing for
Rafael Benitez.

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