Football mockery

By Jason Moore THE Champions League, needs to be overhauled and what was once the premier football competition in Europe has now become a mockery. England now has five teams in the competition, even though there was a 30 point gap between the top and fifth placed team. While I was over-the-moon for Liverpool when they won the Champions League I think UEFA were wrong to allow them to defend their title. The rules are simple; the top four clubs go forward to the Champions League, if you finish fifth then you play in the UEFA Cup. Final. Liverpool had a terrible league season but they had a good run in Europe. I think they have been given the easy option and have been let in through the back door. Everton, proved that with a modest budget, you can finish fourth in the league and play in the Champions League. They won their right by winning on windswept grounds in the middle of December and January. Liverpool, meanwhile, were great on the international scene but failed in their domestic league. There was no way that Everton would have allowed the Football Association to take away their Champions League spot, so UEFA just changed the rules. Why? This is very unfair. Real Madrid, when they won the Champions League, where in a similar position as Liverpool. But the fourth placed team, Zaragoza, was convinced that Real Madrid had to defend their title and they agreed to give their Champions league spot to the Madrid giants. That is fair, because the rules were not broken. So forget the league and just have a good run in Europe, because even if you are facing relegation as long as you win the Champions League, your place is assured. Rules are there for a reason and they cannot be changed just because of a change in circumstances, otherwise the whole competition just becomes a mockery.