Earlier this week, Irishoutsider wrote here that FA Cup semifinalist Cardiff City would not be able to enter the UEFA Cup if it won the FA Cup, because that UEFA Cup spot is reserved for English clubs, and Cardiff is in Wales and not England.That may be about to change. UEFA President Michel Platini stepped forward on Wednesday and told reporters that he supported a Cardiff City UEFA Cup bid, saying:
"If England don't do something we will do something because we always respect the result."
That comment is consistent with Platini's views that "worth has to be proven on the pitch," which was a central point of his Champions League revisions. As a result, the Football Association has announced that it will consider changing the rule that would deny Cardiff a UEFA Cup bid if it wins.
This could all be moot if Barnsley defeats Cardiff on April 6. Still, if the FA allows Welsh clubs to play in the English league system, it should award them the full prize for winning an English trophy. One would have to ask, though, if such a ruling would allow Scottish clubs to compete for the FA Cup in the future. I suspect Platini wouldn't be quite so eager to support that.
