Liverpool will face an extended season next term with their Europa League campaign kicking off on July 29 unless they manage to overtake Aston Villa on the final day of the season.
England has 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.
The return leg takes place a week later on August 5.
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.
However, there is the added complication of the World Cup this summer. While Fulham entered early after a free close season break for the players, 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.
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 early 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. At present that would fall to Burnley, though England would have to be handed a place via ballot first. 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.
Fulham would be a fifth English side in the competition if they win the trophy, entering as holders directly into the Group Stage in September.
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England has 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.
The return leg takes place a week later on August 5.
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.
However, there is the added complication of the World Cup this summer. While Fulham entered early after a free close season break for the players, 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.
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 early 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. At present that would fall to Burnley, though England would have to be handed a place via ballot first. 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.
Fulham would be a fifth English side in the competition if they win the trophy, entering as holders directly into the Group Stage in September.
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well the qualifying rounds i'm guessing
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