‘Contempt’ for Reds
The club will have no country protection meaning they could face Everton in the final qualifying round; they will receive at least €4.5 million less Champions League TV money than title-holders usually receive and the early matches clash with a pre-season tour to Japan.
Liverpool’s chief executive Rick Parry welcomed the decision but fans’ leaders have been less diplomatic.
Parry said yesterday: “We welcome the decision to allow us in the competition next season.
“We wish to express our thanks to all those who supported us and campaigned on our behalf.
“We will now consider the implications this will have on the pre-season training camp and Japanese tour.”
However Les Lawson, spokesman for the Liverpool international supporters club, said: “UEFA have had to sort it out and they have done the minimum possible. They have treated their own champions with contempt.”
Former Liverpool player David Fairclough, a member of the 1978 European Cup side, agreed, saying: “They have given Liverpool the smallest crumb imaginable.”
The club will keep their place among UEFA’s eight top seeds but the first game of three two-legged qualifiers will be on July 12. Liverpool had hoped they would be allowed into the final qualifier in mid-August.
Liverpool have also been told by UEFA that they will be rated as the lowest English qualifier in terms of payments from the market pool - made up of Champions League TV money - earning 10% or 15% of the €30m instead of being given the 30% or 40% slice normally allotted to defending champions.
There will also be an impact on the other four English clubs who may have to share that pot five ways, as well as a further €30m from the pool which is distributed according to how many games each side plays in the group stage or beyond.
UEFA spokesman William Gaillard admitted this would be “a burden on the other English-based clubs.”
Liverpool’s lack of country protection means they can face another English side at any stage of the competition. They would avoid fellow top seeds Manchester United in the third qualifying round and group stage, and Arsenal in the group stage. They could, however, play Everton in the third qualifying round and Chelsea, who will be among the second group of seeds, in the group phase.
Manchester City’s hopes of taking Liverpool’s UEFA Cup spot have also been dashed, although the Premier League have asked the FA to make fresh representations on this matter.
At least the Liverpool scenario will not arise again the future. If the European champions fail to finish in a qualifying place in their domestic competition they will come in at the expense of the fourth-placed side.
The rules will also apply for countries who only get three or two Champions League spots, but there will be a special exemption in the unlikely event of a country with one Champion League spot winning the competition but failing to win their own domestic league.
Liverpool will now look to hurry through negotiations on captain Steven Gerrard’s future before their next Champions League campaign begins in mid July.
If Gerrard has not signed the £100,000-a-week two-year contract extension by the time Liverpool play their European opener on July 12 or 13, they could face a re-run on the embarrassing Michael Owen saga from last season.
Owen sat on the bench throughout Liverpool’s opening third qualifying round match against Graz in Austria last August.
Had he set foot on the pitch it would have ruined his impending transfer to Real Madrid, leaving Owen cup-tied for European competition and thus slashing his value.
Gerrard has told Liverpool he will sign a new deal after captaining them to Champions League final glory in Istanbul last month.
Liverpool have already reacted to speculation that Gerrard could still leave this summer by stating that talks are due to coincide with the start of pre-season training, and the timing is no longer an issue because of the player’s assurances.
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