Rafa will pay a high price for Euro prize

They are due to fly out on July 25 and are scheduled to meet Shimizu S Pulse on the 27th - the date of the opening leg of the Champions League second qualifier - and Kashima Antlers on the 30th before returning the following day.

Rafa will pay a high price for Euro prize. Liverpool are committed to the tour and would face some difficult negotiations with Japanese backers if UEFA's imminent decision suddenly put a new slant on their priorities next month.

Even a ruling that they should enter the competition at the third qualifying stage would not be without its complications.

As a seeded team, they could be up against the likes of Udinese, Real Betis or Basle - who eliminated them from the group stages three years ago - and would have to play the return leg just two or three days before their August 26 European Super Cup date with CSKA Moscow in Monaco.

As Johansson canvassed opinion among his executive committee members, he said: 'We are going to have a telephone conference to look at the alternatives that are available.

'One decision is about what will happen in the future, but the main one is what will happen to Liverpool. I trust it will be a decision that will be accepted by all parties.

'We have the ambition to give Liverpool the opportunity to defend their title, but we need to make sure no one suffers from it. As in all other sports, I think the champions should defend their title.'

Although initial reaction across Europe leaned towards Liverpool being granted a place in the third qualifying round, UEFA's media chief William Gaillard suggested that Johansson's views would carry some weight.

'First of all, the executive committee have to decide to let Liverpool in,' he said. 'There are a variety of ways of dealing with the matter, but it does seem the idea of the president is that they should go through all the qualifiers.'

Most committee members refused to divulge their voting intentions when contacted by yesterday, although the Ukraine's Grigory Surkis threw his weight behind Liverpool's case by saying: 'In principle, any team winning a tournament should be entitled to defend it. Liverpool should be participating in next season's Champions League and I will be arguing that point.'

Liverpool's neighbours Everton, who pipped them for the fourth qualification spot, have already said they would object to any solution that would diminish their share of prize money and television revenue.

Public opinion is emphatically in Liverpool's favour, though, with former Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish adding his voice to a campaign.

'If there's a will, there's a way,' he said. 'UEFA have got themselves in a bit of a mess, but it looks encouraging that they've brought the decision forward.

'It would be a great boost for the city as a whole if Everton and Liverpool could qualify, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.'