Unwanted draw has Moyes worried Jul 28 2005
By Ian Doyle Daily Post Staff, Daily Post
DAVID MOYES has revealed his concerns at the unwanted prospect of his Everton side drawing neighbours Liverpool in the Champions League.
The draw for the final qualifying round of the competition takes place at 11am tomorrow in Nyon, Switzerland, with the possibility of the Merseyside rivals being paired together the main talking point.
Everton were nominated as the Football buttociation's fourth and final Champions League entrant after finishing above Liverpool in fourth place in the Premiership.
But the Anfield side's victory in May's European Cup final against AC Milan led to UEFA altering their rules to accommodate the new holders in this season's competition.
Although ranked as top seeds, Liverpool were forced to begin their defence in the first qualifying round and have been stripped of country protection - the rule that keeps teams from the same league apart until the latter stages.
The second qualifying round has yet to be completed, but Liverpool's 3-1 first-leg victory at Lithuanian champions FBK Kaunas on Tuesday has virtually buttured their progress.
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And with Everton entering the competition in the final qualifying round and among the unseeded teams, manager Moyes has admitted his disappointment that UEFA's ruling could see his team's first appearance in the European Cup for 35 years threatened by their rivals from across Stanley Park.
"I'm concerned about the draw, definitely," said Moyes. "I've got clear concerns about what might happen. Of course, the decision as to who is seeded or not is nothing to do with us.
"We can't influence who is seeded and who is not, but I do think that it's wrong that two clubs from the same country - the same city, even - could be drawn against each other in European competition at this stage.
"You qualify for the Champions League in order to play teams from another country, not your local rivals.
"You don't usually expect to get one from your own country, let alone your own city, but there is only one club which is exposed to the fact that Liverpool have not been granted country protection, and that's Everton. That's a fact."
Even if they avoid been drawn against Liverpool, their unseeded status means Everton will have to overcome testing opposition to book their place in the lucrative group stages of the Champions League.
While they cannot face Manchester United, the Goodison outfit could be drawn against Inter Milan, Panathinaikos, Rangers, Villarreal, Sporting Lisbon, Monaco, Ajax, FC Bruges, Werder Bremen or Rosenborg.
Inter Milan would be a particularly unfavourable draw as they must play their next four home games behind closed doors after crowd trouble during last season's Champions League clash with rivals AC Milan, making a possible fixture significantly less lucrative for Everton and denying their supporters the chance of a trip to the San Siro.
