UEFA Cup Is Damaging Our Champions League Hopes

By Matthew Jones
March 30 2004

Manager Sir Bobby Robson feels that Newcastle United's UEFA Cup campaign could actually affect their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League, due to the fact that the players suffer fatigue.

ROBSON: UEFA CUP IS AFFECTING US

Robson said: "Europe is great, we're enjoying Europe.
"But there's no doubt that, when you play in Europe on a Thursday night and you don't get home until the early hours of Friday morning and then you have to travel away, it is tiring.
"I felt we had tired legs in the second half and that's why we faded and Bolton didn't. We fizzled out in the second half and Bolton came into it more and more. We lacked a bit of energy to sustain the tempo, to pass the ball or make any inroads into their half.
"But we can't have it both ways; we didn't want to go out of Europe, that would have been very disappointing.
"We just have to be strong enough to handle what Europe asks of us and also to come back home and play Premiership football and pick up points."
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