City beat Cottagers to Uefa spot
by Tom Adams, 16 May 2008
If Sven Goran Eriksson does leave Manchester City in the summer then his legacy will be Uefa Cup football as The Premier League has confirmed that the club have been awarded a place in the competition after qualifying via the Fair Play league.
City went into the final game of the season in pole position to take the extra spot allocated to England but a red card to captain Richard Dunne in the 8-1 mauling by Middlesbrough ensured a nervous wait, with Fulham also well placed to qualify.
It has now been revealed that Eriksson’s side have finished sixth in the Fair Play league, but with the five teams above them already qualifying for Europe it is City that will return to the competition for the first time since 2003 when they lost to Groclin Grodzisk in the second round.
Despite the intense speculation still surrounding his position, Eriksson was delighted with the news after an eventful season at Eastlands.
“It’s like the dream came true! Our dream to play in Europe has been strong all season,” Eriksson told the club’s official website.
“At one point we thought we were almost sure to get there, at other points we’ve been almost out of it, but now this news is absolutely fantastic for the club, for the fans and for everyone.
“It’s a step in the right direction because the target for this club in the future is to play in the Champions League, and the Uefa Cup is a very good school to learn about European football.
“It’s a confirmation that we are a good team, but also a team that we behave well on the pitch, we are good with the referees and we try to follow the rules as much as possible. It’s like a bonus for us.”