Reds play down their European dreams

LIVERPOOL’S managing director insists the club does not need European football to break even financially — while their shirt sponsors say the Champions League is not important because most of their target audience in Asia is asleep when the matches are played.

Ian Ayre, promoted to be Liverpool’s managing director last month, admitted that failure to reach the Champions League or Europa League will hit the club in the pocket but that their commercial success meant they could cope with missing out.

Liverpool would have to finish fifth in the Premier League to guarantee European football and Ayre admitted: “There’s no hiding from the fact that if you don’t participate in European football it is a big hit to your revenues.