Liverpool FC Forum

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WHY FAROE ISLAND CHAMPS DON'T WANT REDS
Paul Eaton 11 June 2005 

  The manager of the Faroe Islands champions has mixed feelings about the prospect of drawing Rafael Benitez's men in the first qualifying round of the Champions League - because most of his players are Liverpool fans! 
HB Torshavn will be one of the smallest teams in the June 24 draw and they know they will be guaranteed a bumper pay day if they are paired with the defending champions.
 
But manager Heine Fernandez says his players wouldn't want to knock out their heroes - even though he admits that would never happen.
 
He said: "My big problem is that almost all my players are Liverpool fans and most of them will want them to win.
 
"They will be saying they cannot play in case they get a result against them - they'd have no-one to cheer later in the tournament.
 
"If we drew them it would be by far the biggest game this club has ever had. The ground holds 10,000 but we never get anywhere near that.
 
"The closest has been for international games and even then it's not full. We had about 3,000 for the game against Ireland on Wednesday.
 
"I'd have to say we wouldn't have a chance against them. They would beat us out of sight, it would be a crazy result.
 
"But we'd love to see them here. I know all my players would love the chance to play against Steven Gerrard.
 
"The best we have done is getting to the second qualifying round, but that was only because the team we were supposed to be playing never turned up and we got awarded the tie."
 
Fernandez, meanwhile, has criticised UEFA's decision to force Liverpool to start the defence of their trophy at the earliest possible stage in the competition.
 
"It is a ridiculous decision," he added. "How UEFA could let a situation like this arise is amazing, stupid. They shouldn't have to come into the competition as early as this."