• Champions League

Rodgers should explain team selection to fans - Platini

Brendan Rodgers made seven changes to his side for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid © Getty Images

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UEFA president Michel Platini says Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers needs to explain his team selection against Real Madrid to the fans, though insists it is not his place to interfere.

Rodgers incurred the wrath of certain Liverpool supporters when he left Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, Mario Balotelli and Philippe Coutinho out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's Champions League clash, with an eye on the weekend's domestic encounter with Chelsea.

Champions League rules state clubs must field their strongest sides but UEFA is not considering any action, with Platini pointing out Liverpool only lost 1-0 in Spain last night compared to an apparently stronger lineup losing 3-0 at Anfield.

Platini - speaking on his first visit to St George's Park, England's national football centre in Burton-on-Trent - said: "First of all he has to explain to his fans why he put this team - not to me, not to you.

"Are you sure it was not the best team? How can I say that? The coach of Liverpool, if I say something, he'll say: 'Oh, Michel Platini, I put my best team of the moment.' And I would be stupid. If I am the coach of Liverpool I say: 'It's my best team. How you can prove it's not your best team?' I can't interfere with that.

"I think we give a lot of money to the national associations, to the clubs to have their best teams. But they want to win, everybody, because there is the prize money, there is many things. The best team is what the coach picks."

Platini also joked Liverpool may have played a weakened team in the match at Anfield a fortnight ago.

He added when asked about the selection for the starting XI at the Bernabeu: "That is a good thing, because they put a better team now! Why didn't they change 15 days before when they lost 3-0?

"You accuse the coach not to have put his best team 15 days ago? I cannot say to that. It's the problem of the coach, it's not my problem."

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