Wales' EFL clubs eye Europe via Welsh League Cup
TALKS ABOUT CHANGING: Welsh clubs in the English Football League are informing a “transformational” adjustment that will see them enter a Welsh cup competition to qualify for Europe. Clubs like Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County are all at the bottom of the English pyramid so they can only qualify to play in European competitions by paths through Premier League or FA Cup victories. Even taking third place for Championship sides like Wrexham Town last year leaves them out of reach for this prize; it's not enough to make up ten points over two seasons. Now, however, the four clubs at last have been talking to the Football Association of Wales about entering the Welsh League Cup - currently named after a national sponsor, Nathaniel MG - with a view towards representing their country in Europa Conference League. While retaining their place in the English league, this scheme would mean the four clubs could no longer qualify for Europe as Welsh clubs play their games abroad-the same fate that Swansea, for example, suffered when they won the League Cup in 2013 and then appeared first in Europa League. The four clubs and the FA of Wales
EFL clubs could also raise the Swansea’s Uefa club coefficients ranking, which now stands at 50th, to “40th or higher”. Wales’ current position of 50th out of 55 means only the top divisions in San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Belarus and North Macedonia are ranked lower in Europe.
Since a prime factor behind Wales’ low coefficient rating has been its poorly performing clubs in European competition.
The New Saints, champions of the Cymru Premier league, became, this season, the first club from the Welsh pyramid to have qualified for group stage play of a major European tournament when they made it into Europa Conference League./
It will help Wales in terms of the(' interstate ranking,· and the Welsh Football Association hopes that Cardiff, Swansea off [Other] Wrexham, or Newport would further enhance this and acquire even more prize money from Uefa.
One of the reasons Cymru Premier clubs, approve of their EFL counterparts teams' Wemoleaguepane.o Citizens China.Even some of that additional cash should find its way back into the Welsh game swells with gratitude those who have put up slowly start saying As and reinvested same money really appreciate, say eg sports managers why now when they ask which they do EFLemoji.gif
This is also an opportunity for clubs in the Welsh pyramid to meet Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport, which they have seldom been able to do in recent seasons.
As for the EFL clubs themselves, for many reasons to play in Europe is a very tempting prospect big financial returns and beyond anything at home, not til that minute unless I get back from Australia plus it allows them land well-known foreign sides.
Via the Welsh Cup, Swansea, Wrexham, Cardiff and Newport have all made it into European competitions. They have also got one or two famous victories to their credit.
Wrexham defeated Porto in a European Cup Winners’ Cup, Cardiff won the same competition in 1971 by beating Real Madrid, while in 1981 Newport were within the quarter finals of another Cup Winners’ Cup. In 2013 Swansea managed to come back with all three points from Valencia.
Since the FAW Premier Cup (which had no European qualification available) was scrapped in 2008, Welsh clubs have not entered any FAW competitions.
But bringing in the first teams of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea - so that those clubs could win a place in Europe - would prove a big step forward for Welsh football.
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