ONCE again, long-suffering Liverpool FC fans have found themselves caught up in a situation which is not of their own making.

This follows the club’s next Champions League clash, against Atletico Madrid, being switched at short notice to a venue 200 miles from the Spanish capital, throwing Liverpool fans’ travel plans into chaos.

This move was intended by Uefa as a punishment for Atletico Madrid after racist crowd behaviour at their last Champions game against Marseille.

However, no-one at Uefa seems to have realised that Liverpool FC supporters would also be penalised by the move, and arguably more so than their Spanish counterparts.

It means thousands of Liverpool fans have now booked flights and hotels costing tens of thousands of pounds to and from the wrong city.

Uefa has issued a belated and somewhat half-hearted apology to LFC fans, but, following last year’s Champions League final ticketing fiasco in Athens, this is likely to do little to improve the image of this all-powerful football governing body in the red half of the city.

UK sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has demanded the £120,000 fine levied on Madrid as part of its punishment should be used to help ease the financial burden being placed on LFC supporters.

However, this looks like a non-starter, as Uefa’s spokesman William Gaillard said the fine could only be used towards Uefa’s social responsibility fund, which helps disabled charities, youth pro- grammes and environmental campaigns.

Given that Mr Gaillard could not suggest any practical measures that could help fans make it to the game or cover their losses, it looks likely that LFC supporters, at the height of the credit crisis, will be hit where it hurts most – in the pocket.