UEFA were expected to rule on Liverpool's place in next year's Champions League today, as pressure mounts for the Reds to be allowed to defend their title. A decision was due to be made at an executive committee meeting in June, but it's understood an announcement will be made within 24 hours, with all indications Liverpool will get the verdict they're looking for. Anfield chief executive Rick Parry believes there will be an outcry from the football community if the European Champions aren't allowed back in. "I haven't asked anyone in UEFA about next year's competition, but I think the world will want us to be in it," said Parry. "Everyone can see we should have the right to defend it after that. Keeping the cup is special. It's ours now. Even if they don't let us defend it, we don't have to give it back." While others had their nerves shredded by the evening's events, Parry was calmness personified, although his tongue seemed firmly in his cheek when he announced: "I can believe we did it. I was thinking of the Basle match a few years ago when we came back from 3-0 down in the second half, but I must admit I knew Milan were a bit stronger than the Swiss side. We do seem to specialise in dramatic finals." Parry reserved his tributes for the players, manager and chairman. "It's a tremendous achievement by a manager in his first year, but that's why we appointed Rafa. He's a top manager and a winner. It's also been a tough old year for our chairman, David [Moores], but I'm sure he'll feel glad he stuck with it now. "When you think back to the qualifier with AK Graz, if someone had told us we'd go on from there to win the cup and keep it, we wouldn't have believed it." The party in Istanbul was still in full flow this morning and is sure to continue all summer on Merseyside. | 
