Man City claim UEFA Cup spot after all

(CNN) -- Manchester City have claimed a place in the UEFA Cup next season after holding off fellow Premier League side Fulham in the English Fair Play table.

There were fears that captain Richard Dunne's sending off in the disastrous 8-1 defeat to Middlesbrough would see them lose out to Fulham, who only narrowly avoided relegation the final day of the season.

But the Premier League confirmed on Friday that City had indeed finished sixth in the table with the five teams above them having already qualified for Europe.

England was awarded the Fair Play qualification place by virtue of teams from the Premier League having the best disciplinary record among the UEFA nations.

City, who finished ninth in the Premier League despite their sorry end to the season, will start their UEFA quest in the first qualifying round in July where they have been placed in the Northern section.

This puts them in line to face opposition from Estonia, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania or Luxembourg, plus opposition closer to home in the form of two Northern Irish representatives Glentoran and Cliftonville, two from the Republic in Cork City and current league leaders St Patrick's Athletic, as well as Bangor from Wales.

There is also the possibility of a rematch with Wales' other representatives The New Saints who, as Total Network Solutions, faced City when they last got into the UEFA Cup by the same route in 2003.

City will not be able to play their initial home ties at home because their Eastlands Stadium, which hosted the UEFA Cup final this week, is having its surface relaid, but will make alternative arrangements.

The news is a boost to City's underfire manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, whose future will be decided by the club's owner Thaksin Shinawatra in the next few days.