Martin O’Neill backs defence of Euro crown

Mar 4 2009 By Mat Kendrick

MARTIN O’Neill has backed the Champions League winners’ right to defend the trophy – even if an English triumph means Villa are the fourth-placed fall-guys.

It emerged yesterday that if any of the Big Four lift the continent’s most prestigious prize, yet finish outside of the top four, they would be given priority and automatically entered for next season’s competition.

And because a maximum of four teams from any one country are now allowed into the Champions League whoever finishes fourth in the league would therefore miss out.

That means Villa would have to make it into the top three if they are achieve this season’s remaining aim of playing in the lucrative European tournament.

The rules have been changed since 2005 when five English teams were allowed into the competition after Liverpool won the Champions League, but were pipped to the final spot by Everton. Asked if he was aware of the new system for allocating places, O’Neill replied: “No-one precisely has told me about that, but I picked it up myself.

“If one of those sides wins the Champions League but doesn’t finish in the top four then it only goes to three.

“It’s interesting that a couple of years ago, the year that Liverpool won it, Everton finished fourth and what they were saying at that stage was that Everton would have had the priority.

“My own view is that if you win the Champions League you have the right to defend it next year.