By David Gold
March 13 – The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is hoping that UEFA will agree to allow the likes of Cardiff City and Swansea City, who play in the English league pyramid, to compete in European competitions representing Wales.
A number of Welsh sides play in the English leagues, not just Premier League side Swansea City and Championship outfit Cardiff City, but Wrexham, Newport County, Colwyn Bay and Merthyr Tydfil as well.
Though these teams used to be able to compete in Europe in the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup by winning the Welsh Cup, they have been unable to do that since 1995.
UEFA do not allow teams to try and qualify for Europe through more than one national association, and so if the FAW are to prove successful in this bid, it would be likely that the likes of Swansea would have to withdraw from the FA and League Cups.
FAW chief Jonathan Ford admitted as much, telling the BBC: “There’s going to have be some compromise.”
Some Welsh teams playing in England this year participated in the Welsh Cup, but both Swansea and Cardiff declined the invitation – the latter almost taking the ultimate advantage of their decision when they lost on penalties in the final of the League Cup last month.
In 2001, UEFA’s Executive Committee rejected a similar proposal for Welsh teams to be able to qualify through the Welsh Cup for their competitions.
Ford is going back with renewed hope to European football’s governing body ahead of next week’s Executive Committee meeting in Istanbul.
“I’ve had several meeting with UEFA on this,” Ford added.
“We have been working very hard with UEFA to find solutions here.
“It’s something we’ve been debating for quite a while and something that’s going to their Executive Committee meeting in a couple of weeks from now.
“Last year we invited the exiles back in but of course their route into Europe was always going to be complicated.
“UEFA rulings state that you can’t participate in two competitions in two different countries and a successful route in one or the other through to Europe.
“If the decision goes through it will mean those clubs that are in exile at the moment that play in the Welsh Cup, should they choose, ultimately would have a guaranteed route in to Europe.
“[It would be] a fantastic opportunity for Newport, Colwyn Bay, even Swansea and Cardiff.
“Let’s hope they may play in the Welsh Cup soon as well.
“Ultimately, they would have choices to make.
“I don’t think they would be allowed to play in both competitions.
“I think they may have to make a decision.
“But if they came back into the Welsh Cup they would have a guaranteed place should they win the competition.”
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