Fourth-placed English team unlikely to lose out

Liverpool are almost certain to miss out on the Champions League next season if they finish out of the top four in the Premiership - even if they win Europe's elite club competition.

The English FA board are due to discuss the issue at a meeting today, but will not make any decision until at least the second leg of the semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool has been played.

However, the Premier League would resist any attempt to remove Champions League qualification from the side that finishes fourth - likely to be Everton - and it is understood that a majority of the FA board share those feelings.

One neutral club chairman said yesterday: "If the situation arises I'm sure the board will take the view that the top four should go into the Champions League - that was the rule everybody was playing by at the start of the season so you cannot change it now.

"I can't see the board giving the place to Liverpool if they get to the final and win because they won't have qualified through the league - even the World Cup winners have to qualify for the next tournament now."

The FA have asked Uefa to be allowed five clubs in the Champions League should Liverpool win the tournament but that plea is certain to be rejected - their rules clearly state a maximum of four clubs per country are allowed.

The regulations also stress that it will be up to the FA board to decide.

Uefa insist: "At the request of the national association concerned, the Uefa Champions League title-holders may be entered for this competition, as an additional representative of that association, if they have not qualified for the Uefa Champions League via the top domestic league championship.

"If, in such a case, the title-holders come from an association entitled to enter four teams for the UEFA Champions League, the fourth-placed club in the top domestic league championship has to be entered for the Uefa Cup."

Uefa communications director William Gaillard said: "Should those circumstances arise it is up to the FA to make a decision."

Incidentally, the English FA's chief executive Brian Barwick - who is a Liverpool fan - does not have a voting role on the board.