LONDON - The top four teams in the Premier League will enter next season's Champions League, the Football Association (FA) said today.
"This will not be changed whatever the outcome of Liverpool's Champions League Final in Istanbul on May 25 (against AC Milan)," the FA said in a statement.
"The
FA also believes that 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.
"This is ultimately a matter for (European soccer's ruling body) UEFA but the FA will continue to make representations on this issue at the highest level," the FA added.
However, UEFA has already confirmed that it is not within the Champions League regulations to allow one country to have more than four teams entering Europe's showpiece competition.
"This is the best way for the competition as far as next season is concerned," UEFA spokesman William Gaillard told Sky Sports News.
"The rules stand for one simple reason - there's no free lunch. If you give a fifth spot to an English team you would have to take it away from another nation."
Liverpool, who beat newly-crowned Premier League champions Chelsea 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the Champions League final, are fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Merseyside rivals Everton who also have a game in hand.
Liverpool's remaining two matches are against Arsenal at Highbury and Aston Villa at Anfield, but Everton could clinch fourth place if they beat Newcastle United at home on Saturday and Liverpool fail to win on Sunday.
If Liverpool win the Champions League they could find themselves in a similar situation to Real Madrid in 2000 when the Spanish side won the European Cup but came fifth in La Liga.
Then the Spanish FA nominated Real to defend the trophy and sent fourth-placed Real Zaragoza into the UEFA Cup.
The FA's main board took its decision to confirm the qualification of the top four after a recommendation from its Professional Game Board, which met earlier today.
- REUTERS
