UEFA Cup door open for Cardiff

CARDIFF will represent England in next season’s UEFA Cup should they beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup final, the FA board decided yesterday.

Under current FA regulations Cardiff would not automatically qualify for Europe by winning the FA Cup – as a Welsh side they would normally qualify via the Welsh Cup.

But the FA board yesterday approved a move to allow Cardiff to take the UEFA Cup place if the Championship side are victorious at Wembley next month.

An FA statement said: “The Board has given full approval for Cardiff City to participate in next season’s UEFA Cup as one of England’s representatives, should they win this season’s FA Cup. It was decided that the Welsh national anthem would also be played ahead of the game.”