LFC to start season July 29th

Liverpool face July start to Europa League campaign

Liverpool will face an extended season next term with their Europa League campaign kicking off on July 29, with a return leg seven days later, unless they manage to overtake Aston Villa on the final day of the season.

England have three representatives in the competition, but only two of those enter in the final qualifying round. The third entrant, usually the winner of the Carling Cup which for the second season in a row will pass down to seventh place in the Premier League, must enter in an earlier round.

Fulham, who will next week face Atletico Madrid in their first ever European final, began their campaign this term with an away trip to Lithuanian side FK Vetra on July 30. The Cottagers won both legs 3-0 to comfortably pass into the final Play-off Round where they overcame Russian minnows FK Amkar Perm.

Unlike with Champions League rules, Fulham winning the Europa League will not impact on the seventh placed team entering the competition.

However, there is the added complication of the World Cup this summer. While Fulham entered early after a free close season break, many Liverpool players will be on duty in South Africa with the final taking place just 18 days before their season would officially begin.

Players such as Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Martin Skrtel, Ryan Babel, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres will all be present at the finals.

Liverpool are also due to travel to Germany to play Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, July 31 - a match which would surely be in doubt - as part of the German side's 110th anniversary celebrations. At present that is the pre-season only fixture officially announced.

Entering the competition at such an early stage would also place question marks over Liverpool's availability for overseas pre-season exhibition competitions.

The Premier League season does not kick off until August 14 in 2010-11, meaning whichever side finishes seventh will play their first competitive game over two weeks earlier than expected. The final qualifying round is then set for August 19 and 26.

Liverpool could still save themselves from that fate, and put Aston Villa into that same unenviable position. They must win away at Hull City and hope Villa fail to win at home to Blackburn Rovers. Liverpool would go sixth on goal difference with a Villa draw.

It would be much, much worse for any English team which wins a possible place in the competition via the Fair Play League.

England were in the top three in the last Fair Play table released by UEFA. A final table is expected to be unveiled later this week which would confirm an additional place for an English team.

Fulham are believed to be the best-placed team not guaranteed European football, so if they lose in Hamburg they would be the Premier League's representative. If they win the Europa League, Fulham would go direct to the Group Stage as holders and the Fair Play place would pass to Burnley.

However, Fair Play winners enter the Europa League at the very start - on July 1. Liverpool had to do this in the 2005-06 Champions League season when they were handed a concessional place as holders, after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

The Fair Play Award could be seen as a poisioned chalice, given Europa League qualifying begins in the middle of the World Cup.

http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/story?storyId=781965&leagueTag=UEFA.EUROPA&lang=EN

Is it a good or bad thing? Maybe no pre-season friendlies at all.

Edit: redkenny

Confirmation:

Europa League qualification details
11th May 2010 - Latest News

Liverpool can today confirm that their bid to qualify for next season's Europa League Group Stage will begin on Thursday July 29, 2010.

The Reds' seventh place finish means they will enter the competition at the 3rd Qualifying Round with the second leg to be played on Thursday, August 5.

Should Rafael Benitez's men progress they will then face a two-legged Play-Off (August 19 & 26) to see if they can qualify for the Group Stage.

The draw for the 3rd Qualifying Round will take place at UEFA's Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, July 16, at 13.30 (Local Time).

www.liverpoolfc.tv

It will be early. If we get 6th (slim chance), think we start in August

This would be too early for our world cup players, but we should get through the first round with the rest of our squad right?

not likely  but hopefully we attack fully and keep the tactics to what we did against athletico and burnley. IN RAFA WE TRUST! YNWA!

This would be too early for our world cup players, but we should get through the first round with the rest of our squad right?

The third round teams in the CL are sh*te.. I'd imagine the ones in the EL are even worse.

Still, we'll have about half of our squad for that. I don't like the sound of that.

We have to beat Hull City and hope Aston Villa fail to beat Blackburn.

Then we'll finish 6th and Aston Villa has to start in July instead.

We have to beat Hull City and hope Aston Villa fail to beat Blackburn.

Then we'll finish 6th and Aston Villa has to start in July instead.

Yep, still things to play for this weekend, thats for sure. May not be much to some, but hell, 6th sounds better than 7th as well, doesn't it?

Yep, still things to play for this weekend, thats for sure. May not be much to some, but hell, 6th sounds better than 7th as well, doesn't it?

Aye it does.

As long as we do our best I'll be happy.

The third round teams in the CL are sh*te.. I'd imagine the ones in the EL are even worse.

Still, we'll have about half of our squad for that. I don't like the sound of that.

As it stands with the other european leagues, we would be in that draw with Juventus, Villereal, CSKA Moscow, Bordeaux, Stuttgart amongst others.

I'm sure I heard there is no seeding in the qualifiers either but I could be wrong!

If our players have a decent world cup with  no injuries, these early EL games will just keep them ticking over. Probably better than freindlies as the added competetiveness will keep them sharp for the start of the Pem. The wives will just have to treat  the trip to Africa as their anual hols.

Wouldn't mind a few competitive games as part of pre season to be honest.

maybe the other way to look at this is now its just the EL and prem just maybe we might benefit from it in the long run and help us to keep the team fit and on track for that 19th hey..!

Let's hope we manage to nab 6th then because I want an extra two weeks peace.

Yep, still things to play for this weekend, thats for sure. May not be much to some, but hell, 6th sounds better than 7th as well, doesn't it?

Aye it does.

As long as we do our best I'll be happy.

Absolutely worth playing for, as is every match. But, 6th sounds a hell of a lot better than 7th with or without a reason. All in all, though, I agree, Joey. If they play their best, no one can fault them.

Let's hope we manage to nab 6th then because I want an extra two weeks peace.

I'm with you, JD. I've got a lot more gray hairs after this season. Coincidence?? I think not!

 I'm with you, JD. I've got a lot more gray hairs after this season. Coincidence?? I think not!

Funnily enough mate so have I, it's beginning to look like a seagull has sh*t on my head.

Funnily enough mate so have I, it's beginning to look like a seagull has sh*t on my head.

Now, there's an image! Hope your hair hasn't turned a bit green and slimy, too!

makes the summer shorter if we get some Reds action in July do them good.......

In some ways, starting early may work to our advantage. I mean, having a competitive game so early might mean that the lads are more match fit and have their competitive hats on when it comes to the first game of the season......i am trying to think of the positives.

We may as well start scheduling friendlies from next week.

We may as well start scheduling friendlies from next week.

If I didn't laugh, I'd cry.

Not sure if this should have had its own thread - Mods amend if necessary please.

 

Europa League qualification details
11th May 2010 - Latest News

Liverpool can today confirm that their bid to qualify for next season's Europa League Group Stage will begin on Thursday July 29, 2010.

The Reds' seventh place finish means they will enter the competition at the 3rd Qualifying Round with the second leg to be played on Thursday, August 5.

Should Rafael Benitez's men progress they will then face a two-legged Play-Off (August 19 & 26) to see if they can qualify for the Group Stage.

The draw for the 3rd Qualifying Round will take place at UEFA's Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, July 16, at 13.30 (Local Time).

www.liverpoolfc.tv

Cheers Debs, I amended the title and added that article.

July 16th draw. Game is 29th.

Seems pretty short notice that!

Won't our main players be away?

Hopefully the team we get is woefully low opposition (which it should be) so we can give our squad guys some meaningful PT. Nothing wrong with competitive matches two months away. I doubt we'll need too much of a contribution from our WC stars. Then again, the way last season went, who knows. Hopefully this will get everyone more match fit come EPL kickoff.

Bugger...I'll be on holiday 

As long as something changes @ anfield and i mean anything positive then i can't wait. Already bored!

The teams we could play at that point in the competition are pretty poor, something similar to what happen a few years ago when we had to play from the start of the Champions League. Pretty much use the games as pre-season training though there is a little more on the line.

wow 3rd qualifying round of the europa league so potentially we have 4 games before the season even begins, crappers. We'll be going in the same time as big huge teams like Motherwell or Dundee Utd?

Worrying because of the players we wont have but the ones we do should be enough for the EL Qualifying rounds

Does anyone know what teams we could play at 3rd qualification round?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_UEFA_Europa_League#Qualifying_rounds

Thanks chats!

I suppose this is not too bad i though it was going to be closer to the start of july, it is just worst beacuse of the world cup, so most of our players who go far in the world cup wont be available, but we have to be too strong for any team we play with just our second XI.

Some tough teams in the 3rd round...
Is it one game or two legs?

well the reserves are going out for this as we cant expect pepe,torres, masch, stevie etc to not have a break this summer, it iwll only damage us next season...