SAMI HYYPIA today admitted his shock and dismay at being dropped from the Reds Champions League squad until the New Year at least – but hopes he still has a significant part to play in Liverpool’s plans this season.
New UEFA regulations mean that eight players from every club’s 25-man Champions League squad must be home grown.
And Hyypia has been the man to make way. When the Reds travel to Marseille next Tuesday, he will be left at home. A new list is not submitted until the knockout stages are reached next year.
Currently on international duty, Hyypia said: “The manager’s decision to leave me out of the squad is a big disappointment for me.
“I understand it’s partly because of the UEFA regulations, but despite that, the news came as a surprise to me and a shock too.
“But the club had a ‘perfect’ timing for this: they didn’t want me to move elsewhere, so that’s why I was told the news of having been left out, just after the transfer window had closed.
“The club went public to say there had been offers for me, but turned them down. So perhaps that means I am still part of the plans for this season.
“I don’t know if I would have wanted to move on, had I heard news about the squad when the window was still open.”
UEFA regulations mean that four players must be ‘association trained’ (ie produced by an English academy) while four must be ‘domestic association trained’ (ie produced by Liverpool’s Academy).
Liverpool’s four ‘domestic’ players are Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby, with Robbie Keane, Jermaine Pennant, Steven Irwin and Martin Kelly making up the others.
Spanish international Alvaro Arbeloa is one of the foreign players named in the Champions League squad, and the full-back dismissed speculation over the weekend that he wanted a return to La Liga.
“I don’t know where all the speculation that I am not happy has come from but it is miles from the truth,” Arbeloa declared.
“I am at a massive club.
“I have played in a European Cup semi-final and a final too since I came here. I also broke into the national team through my displays for Liverpool.
“There is competition for places here just the same as there is at any big club. But I know if I play well, play to a really high level, then the manager has confidence in me and will play me in his team.
“I have played anywhere the manager has asked me to play and I will do the same again this season.”
New UEFA regulations mean that eight players from every club’s 25-man Champions League squad must be home grown.
And Hyypia has been the man to make way. When the Reds travel to Marseille next Tuesday, he will be left at home. A new list is not submitted until the knockout stages are reached next year.
Currently on international duty, Hyypia said: “The manager’s decision to leave me out of the squad is a big disappointment for me.
“I understand it’s partly because of the UEFA regulations, but despite that, the news came as a surprise to me and a shock too.
“But the club had a ‘perfect’ timing for this: they didn’t want me to move elsewhere, so that’s why I was told the news of having been left out, just after the transfer window had closed.
“The club went public to say there had been offers for me, but turned them down. So perhaps that means I am still part of the plans for this season.
“I don’t know if I would have wanted to move on, had I heard news about the squad when the window was still open.”
UEFA regulations mean that four players must be ‘association trained’ (ie produced by an English academy) while four must be ‘domestic association trained’ (ie produced by Liverpool’s Academy).
Liverpool’s four ‘domestic’ players are Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jay Spearing and Stephen Darby, with Robbie Keane, Jermaine Pennant, Steven Irwin and Martin Kelly making up the others.
Spanish international Alvaro Arbeloa is one of the foreign players named in the Champions League squad, and the full-back dismissed speculation over the weekend that he wanted a return to La Liga.
“I don’t know where all the speculation that I am not happy has come from but it is miles from the truth,” Arbeloa declared.
“I am at a massive club.
“I have played in a European Cup semi-final and a final too since I came here. I also broke into the national team through my displays for Liverpool.
“There is competition for places here just the same as there is at any big club. But I know if I play well, play to a really high level, then the manager has confidence in me and will play me in his team.
“I have played anywhere the manager has asked me to play and I will do the same again this season.”
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