Alliansi denied UEFA Cup place

UEFA has decided not to grant the Finnish club AC Alliansi RY access to the UEFA Cup next season.

Atlantis place wanted
The Vantaa-based club had applied for the 2002/03 UEFA Cup place gained by FC Atlantis for winning the Finnish Cup in the 2001 season. Atlantis went bankrupt in the winter and the club has now been reformed as AC Allianssi.

Did not exist
In an letter forwarded to the Football Association of Finland, UEFA said its decision was based on the fact that Allianssi did not exist during the 2001 season in Finland, which was the country's qualifying period for the next UEFA club competitions.

National backing
The AC Allianssi squad is practically the same team that won the cup title last autumn under the name Atlantis FC. This was the basis of club's application, and the club had won the backing of the national association who agreed to let Atlantis compete in the domestic league this season, after the new club took on all the financial obligations and license requirements of the previous team.

'Extremely disappointed'
"We are extremely disappointed. We felt the players had earned the place in the UEFA cup by winning the cup," Allianssi media officer Riku Auvinen said.

'Genuinely sorry'
Myllykosken Pallo-47 will now get Finland's remaining UEFA Cup place. "I feel genuinely sorry for Allianssi. I have felt all the time that they should be granted the place. At the moment I am not even willing to think about the UEFA cup," MyPa coach Juha Malinen said

Tampere in Champions League
MyPa, who finished third last season, earned the place because the Finnish Cup runners-up Tampere United won the title to earn a place in next season's UEFA Champions League. League runners-up HJK Helsinki will also be in next season's UEFA Cup.