Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

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.



China claims gold clean sweep at table tennis worlds
Kong, Wang win men's doubles at 48th World Table Tennis Championship
China wins table tennis mixed doubles
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

China, Japan clash over past, but look to move forward

 

   
 

Soong pays homage to KMT founder

 

   
 

EU told not to exaggerate textile issue

 

   
 

China rejects request to cut off N. Korea oil

 

   
 

60th WWII anniversary to be commemorated

 

   
 

Bush: U.S. had hand in European divisions

 

   
  Ping-pong team enters 100-gold club
   
  Liu, Gatlin victorious at Japan Grand Prix
   
  Monarchs win lopsided victory over China
   
  Rockets top Mavericks, 101-83, to force Game 7
   
  Spurs advance after eliminating Nuggets
   
  ITTF to train world's young players in China
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产亚洲真人做受在线观看| 中国男同videos| 久久国产精品一国产精品| 久久久久久久久久久久久久久久久久| 中文字幕乱伦视频| assbbwbbwbbwbbwbw精品| www.羞羞视频| 色狠台湾色综合网站| 男人j进女人p免费视频不要下载的| 欧美激情成人网| 日本护士xxxx视频| 天天5g影院永久免费地址| 国产精品videossex另类| 国产v亚洲v天堂无码| 亚洲视频欧洲视频| 亚洲AV无码乱码在线观看代蜜桃 | 波多野结衣全部系列在线观看| 欧美中文字幕在线看| 我和岳乱妇三级高清电影| 大学生被内谢粉嫩无套| 国产成人午夜福利在线播放| 国产中文欧美日韩在线| 亚洲综合无码一区二区三区| 乳孔被撑开乳孔改造里番| 中文字幕av无码无卡免费| 91精品国产色综合久久不卡蜜| 韩国无遮挡羞羞漫画| 污网站免费观看污网站| 日本乱偷互换人妻中文字幕| 夜夜爽77777妓女免费看| 国产国产人免费人成免费视频 | 老司机深夜福利影院| 直接观看黄网站免费视频| 曰韩无码二三区中文字幕| 女人18毛片特级一级免费视频| 国产成人无码AⅤ片在线观看| 免费永久国产在线视频| 乱人伦人妻中文字幕| a资源在线观看| 蜜柚视频影院在线播放| 欧美国产日韩在线观看|