Today EUFA announced the results of their Fair Play League with England finishing in a top three spot.
Holland won the UEFA Fair Play League with England in second place and Republic of Ireland in third place. Each country will each be granted one additional slot in the first qualifying round of the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League. The Fair Play assessments between May 31st 2014 and April 30th 2015 were made by the official UEFA delegates on criteria such as positive play, respect for the opposition, respect for the referee, behaviour of the crowd and of the team officials, as well as cautions and dismissals.
The three associations that are allocated an additional UEFA Europa League place will be entitled to enter the club that has won their domestic top-division fair play competition. If this club has already qualified for a UEFA competition, the second-placed team in the domestic fair play competition may be entered and, should they also have already qualified, the third-placed side would be considered and so forth.
Games for the first round of Europa are scheduled from the 1st July giving West Ham players little time to rest or prepare for a European tour.
Liverpool have recently over taken West Ham in Premier League Fair Play table by one point. The Hammers have led the fair play league for the majority of the season but Liverpool have leap frogged the Hammers on the last update posted online on the 5th May with just four games to go.
However, all is not lost because even if Liverpool remain in the top spot because they are likely to finish in the top six in the Premier League which will mean they automatically qualify for an UEFA Europa league spot and the Fair Play Europa place will be offered to the second place which is currently currently the Irons. Liverpool currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League with Spurs and Southampton hot on their heels. If Arsenal win the FA Cup a seventh place will also open up for Europa league after the rules changed this season to not award it to runners up of the FA Cup.
The big question is do fans want Europa league football or is it a possible distraction/disaster?
