UEFA To Aid Cardiff's Euro hopes

UEFA will intervene if Cardiff win the FA Cup but are prevented from competing in the UEFA Cup, president Michel Platini has revealed.
Cardiff reached the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday and have been drawn against Barnsley in the last four.

But if they win the April 6 clash then beat either West Brom or Portsmouth in the final the Football Association insist they will not be put forward as one of England's representatives for the UEFA Cup because they come under the jurisdiction of the FA of Wales.

The Welsh governing body reserve their places for winners of their domestic competitions, leaving Cardiff potentially in limbo.

Chairman Peter Ridsdale hinted after the draw the club would challenge the FA's decision - and he would have an ally in Platini.

The former France midfielder told BBC Radio Five Live: 'It's not normal that they participate in one competition and if they win they are out. That is not good.

'If England don't do something we will do something because we always respect the result.'

Wales' sports minister also revealed today he will ask football bosses to stage FA Cup semi-finals at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

The final had a temporary home in Cardiff while the new Wembley Stadium was being built but returned to London last year.

In the week Cardiff City progressed to the semi-finals, heritage minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas told Welsh Assembly Members he would write to the competition's organisers about bringing top domestic football back to the Welsh capital.
'I am sure that the fans throughout the UK would welcome the opportunity to return to Cardiff,' he said.

'I am certainly happy to write to the FA and to suggest to them that semi-finals in future should be held in Cardiff and the Millennium Stadium.'

It comes as the Football Association today confirmed the schedule for this season's FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

The first semi-final will pit West Brom against Portsmouth - the only remaining top-flight team left in the competition - at 12.15pm on Saturday, April 5.

That will be followed the next day by the all Coca-Cola Championship clash between Barnsley and Cardiff, with a kick-off time of 4pm.

BBC1 will broadcast the West Brom v Portsmouth game, while Sky Sports will show Barnsley v Cardiff.

Meanwhile, a make-or-break threat to the financial future of Cardiff City kicked off at the High Court today.

Swiss investment bank Langston is suing the club over £24million in loan notes and is seeking summary judgment for immediate repayment of the debt.

The Coca-Cola Championship club, still savouring Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final victory against Middlesbrough, want repayment deferred and the case to go to full trial.

The Bluebirds faces possible administration if Langston succeeds at the two-day hearing in London before Mr Justice Briggs.

Langston's counsel, Michael Driscoll QC, told the court it was common ground that Langston was a substantial creditor of the club and that the debt owed to it was in excess of £15million.
It was also common ground that Langston loaned £24million to the club in 2004, and it had yet to be repaid anything.

It was the club's case that nothing was payable at the moment.

Mr Driscoll said the question for the court was whether there was enough in what the club said to justify the case going to trial and not being dealt with summarily.

It was Langston's case that there was not, and that it was an appropriate case for summary judgment which was 'clearly desirable' as it would avoid a great deal of cost and time spent in litigation and uncertainty.