Parry just glad to be in it

Reds would have liked to have avoided Atletico

Last updated: 29th August 2008

Rick Parry Liverpool Blackburn Premier League Football

Parry: Relieved to be in group stages

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry admits they are just happy to be in the UEFA Champions League after being drawn with Atletico Madrid, Marseille and PSV Eindhoven in Group D.

The Reds where pushed all the way by Standard Liege in the final qualifying round with Dirk Kuyt's extra-time winner finally seeing off the Belgian champions.

Parry admits they know a lot about their Group D rivals having faced Marseille and PSV Eindhoven before in the last few seasons, while Fernando Torres will face an emotional return to his former club Atletico Madrid.

No easy ties

"We know all of them pretty well, for different reasons it's not easy, but they're all fairly close by so there are no long trips," Parry told Sky Sports News.

"There are no easy ties when you look down the groups so you take it as it comes."

It is the second season in succession that Liverpool will tackle Marseille with both sides winning one game against each other last year.

"Yes, there are different circumstances with Marseille... we beat them away, but lost at home - We know them well. We've played PSV a few times, Atletico we know for different reasons (from buying Fernando Torres).

"We're just delighted to be in it."

Parry conceded Atletico were the one team they would have liked to have avoided from the group of teams in pot four.

"With our Spanish contingent the Atletico fixtures will be important games. If there was one club from pot four you wanted to avoid it would be Atletico," noted Parry.

Transfers
Parry also revealed that he expects more transfer dealings at Liverpool before the close of the transfer window after the Gareth Barry saga was finally ended on Wednesday with the player staying at Aston Villa.

"Watch this space," Parry said of incoming transfers.

"The Gareth Barry transfer didn't happen, that's all there is to it. We've moved on. It was in the public eye, it's a very weird season if you got all your targets. I'd rather talk about Robbie Keane. There could be more to come."

Group D Win Outright: Liverpool 8/15