Uefa Reds ruling imminent

UEFA are expected to give Liverpool a place in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League tomorrow.

The 14 men who make up UEFA's executive committee will vote on the matter during a telehone conference and although there is a block of members who believe the rules should not be changed, president Lennart Johansson is likely to succeed in persuading the majority to agree that the champions should be allowed to defend their crown.

The title-holders are usually guaranteed an automatic place in the group stage but that scenario is highly unlikely and, indeed, Liverpool themselves would be content with a place in the final qualifying round.

The Reds' failure to qualify through their Barclays Premiership finish has allowed Turkish champions Fenerbahce to take up the automatic group spot.

Fenerbahce staying in the group stages also brings UEFA's senior vice-president Senes Erzik, who is from Turkey, on board the campaign to allow Liverpool to become a fifth English side in Europe's elite club competition.

There have been suggestions a minnow from Andorra or San Marino would have to be bumped out of the earlier rounds but clubs from these countries only take part in the UEFA Cup anyway.

UEFA sources say under the most likely scenario the Slovakian champions - their league is not yet over - would play an extra qualifying round and be compensated by the country being given an extra UEFA Cup place.

A source close to UEFA said: "The executive committee is fairly evenly split but the fact the president has said he favours Liverpool's inclusion should prove decisive."

The Football Association, who have been campaigning on Liverpool's behalf, have made it clear that they do not expect automatic qualification for the club.

There is another headache for UEFA in how they split up the TV money if five English sides do qualify - their formulas only cover up to four from the same country.

Liverpool would not object if given a place in the final qualifying round but they would not be happy if told they had to play in the first or second qualifiers - prinicpally because that would clash with their pre-season tour of Japan.

Should the unthinkable - as far as Rafael Benitez's side are concerned at any rate - occur and UEFA rule against Liverpool completely then the Reds will not take the decision lying down.

It has been suggested that they would then consider whether to pull out of the European Super Cup against UEFA Cup winners CSKA Moscow in UEFA's glittering curtain-raiser in August.

They might also threaten to withdraw in protest from FIFA's rejigged World Club Championship in Yokohama, Japan, in December.