Addicks miss out on UEFA Cup
ESPN
June 8 2004
Charlton’s European dream for next season finally came to an end
tonight when they missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup following
the Fair Play League draw in Germany.
Armenian side FC Mika, plus a team from Ukraine yet to be decided as
their league season runs until June 19, were the lucky names drawn
from the hat during half-time at the European Under-21 Championship
final in Bochum.
After a promising start to their Premiership campaign, the Addicks
faded before dropping out of contention for the Champions League or
UEFA Cup places which came with a top-five finish.
Charlton’s name will now not be in the hat for the UEFA Cup qualifying
round draw in Nyon on June 25.
Eleven teams were in the hat for the draw, with Esbjerg of Denmark,
SK Brann of Norway, German side Freiburg, Cork City from the Republic
of Ireland, FC Lahti of Finland, Spanish side Real Mallorca, KS
Teuta of Albania and Throttur Reykjavik of Iceland the other teams
who missed out.
Alan Curbishley’s men would have faced a two-legged tie on July 15
and 29, and the Charlton manager admitted the prospect of a European
fixture right in the middle of pre-season training would have meant
a hectic schedule ahead.
‘If we do get picked, it causes us a major headache,’ said Curbishley
on the club’s official website when looking ahead to the Fair Play
Draw.
‘The players will only have been back at the training ground 10
days before we would need to play the first qualifying game, and the
international players will only have been back about five or six days
before they’ve got to go and play a game.’
Charlton finished third in the discipline-based rankings for England,
behind winners Arsenal and Chelsea.
However, with both of those clubs having already secured a place
in the Champions League, Charlton were put forward as the Football
Association’s representatives.
Osters IF had claimed the automatic place in the qualifying round of
the UEFA Cup after Sweden finished top of the overall European Fair
Play League.
Last season Manchester City, and previously Ipswich, had come through
the the Fair Play League to gain entry into the UEFA Cup.