EFL clubs in talks to play in Europe via Welsh League Cup

Wales’ English Football League (EFL) clubs are successful talks astir a “transformational” alteration which would spot them participate a Welsh cup title successful bid to suffice for European football.

Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County play successful nan English pyramid and are truthful only capable to suffice for European competitions via nan Premier League, FA Cup aliases EFL Cup.

But nan 4 clubs person held discussions pinch nan Football Association of Wales (FAW) astir entering nan Welsh League Cup - presently known arsenic nan Nathaniel MG Cup - for a chance to correspond Wales successful nan Europa Conference League.

Although nan clubs would proceed to play convention shot successful England, this move would mean sacrificing their expertise to suffice for Europe via English competitions, arsenic Swansea did erstwhile they played successful nan Europa League aft winning nan EFL Cup successful 2013.

The 4 clubs and nan FAW person already presented their imagination – Prosiect Cymru, Welsh for Project Wales – to Uefa, nan Football Association, Premier League and clubs successful nan Cymru Premier, Wales’ home apical flight.

Central to those presentations has been an extended independent study into nan task by Deloitte, which was commissioned by Swansea connected behalf of nan 4 EFL clubs and nan FAW.

In nan study seen by BBC Sport Wales, it is suggested Prosiect Cymru would “drive betterment for nan full Welsh shot ecosystem” and that “financial gains will beryllium re-distributed successful a mode that lifts grassroots, home Welsh clubs and nan women’s game”.

It is besides hoped nan engagement of nan EFL clubs could amended Wales’ opinionated successful Uefa's relation nine coefficients, from 50th to “40th aliases higher”.

Wales' existent ranking of 50 retired of 55 intends only nan apical divisions successful San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Belarus and North Macedonia are classed little successful Europe.

One of nan superior reasons for Wales’ anemic coefficient standing has been nan mediocre performances of its clubs successful European competitions.

Cymru Premier champions The New Saints became nan first nine from nan Welsh pyramid to suffice for nan group shape of a awesome European title successful this season’s Europa Conference League.

That will boost Wales’ coefficient ranking, and nan FAW hopes nan engagement of Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport would supply a further assistance and gain much prize money from Uefa.

The truth that nan FAW would administer immoderate of that accrued gross crossed nan crippled successful Wales is 1 of nan reasons why Cymru Premier clubs o.k. of nan preamble of their EFL counterparts to nan Welsh League Cup.

Clubs successful nan Welsh pyramid would besides invited nan chance to look Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport, an opportunity they person seldom had successful caller years.

As for nan EFL clubs themselves, nan chance to play successful Europe is charismatic for galore reasons, specified arsenic immense financial benefits and nan opportunity to onshore glamorous ties against high-profile overseas clubs.

Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport each person a history of playing successful European competitions arsenic they utilized to suffice via nan Welsh Cup, and they each person notable victories to their names.

Cardiff hit Real Madrid successful nan European Cup Winners’ Cup successful 1971, Wrexham defeated Porto successful nan aforesaid title successful 1984 and Newport reached a Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final successful 1981, while Swansea won 3-0 successful Valencia successful a 2013 Europa League match.

Welsh clubs successful nan EFL person not participated successful an FAW title since nan FAW Premier Cup – which did not connection European qualification – was abolished successful 2008.

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport person entered under-21 sides successful caller editions of nan Nathaniel MG Cup, but nan preamble of their first teams - and chance to suffice for Europe - would correspond a awesome improvement for Welsh football.

According to nan Prosiect Cymru report: “Welsh shot is successful a unsocial position wrong European shot successful that its largest clubs play successful nan home convention of different state (England).

“This has historically constricted nan expertise of Welsh home clubs to beryllium competitory successful Uefa nine competitions.

"An innovative solution to reside this position has transformational imaginable for nan full Welsh shot ecosystem from grassroots to nan master men’s and women’s game.”