Cardiff Might Get UEFA Cup Spot After All

By: Laurie | April 8th, 2008

A few weeks back, when Cardiff City was in the middle of its rise to the FA Cup final, Daryl reported that even if they won they competition they would not be able to play in the UEFA Cup. The issue being that the English FA rules say that the UEFA Cup spot for winning the Cup is required to go to the English side. Cardiff City is a Welsh club which has chosen to play in England. An important distinction when you’re handing out spots for European play.

“The problem is that Cardiff City are a Welsh team competing in an English competition. The English FA will not put them forward as a European representative because they’re not an English team, and the FA of Wales cannot put them forward as a Welsh representative because they don’t play in any FAW competitions. It’s the old rock and a hard place scenario.”

But wait a second. Apparently the door between Cardiff and Europe has just opened a little wider. And who is pushing it ajar?

Amazingly, it’s the English FA.

“We have not ruled out Cardiff being entered into Europe via the FA Cup should they win it,” an FA spokesman said. “Further conversations need to take place, but we would expect to have clarification before the final.”

Of course, they’re getting a little push from UEFA. It’s kind of like when you were little? And you broke your neighbor’s window, and your mom propelled you up the walk to offer to make it right? And you’re thinking, “Oh, crap. There goes all the money that I’ve saved up for a horse.” Not that I, personally, ever did anything like that, but… UEFA is the mom.

William Gaillard, a Uefa spokesman, said: “We understand that there was an agreement from the beginning when Cardiff joined the English league that if they gained a European place they would not represent the English FA. We feel that, from a sporting point of view, Cardiff deserves to play in the Uefa Cup. If they win the final, what will be submitted to our executive committee is the possibility of giving them a wild card.”

The most interesting possible scenario would be if Portsmouth, Cardiff City’s opponent in the FA Cup final, were to qualify for the UEFA Cup separately by finishing fifth in the EPL standings. (They’re currently sixth, seven points behind Everton. But hey, it could happen.) If that were to happen, Cardiff could theoretically qualify for Europe as the FA Cup runners up, without even winning anything.

And wouldn’t that give the FA a pleasant bit if indigestion?