The four Welsh EFL clubs are in negotiations with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) about entering the Welsh League Cup and potentially qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
Swansea City, Cardiff City, Wrexham, and Newport County are all in the English pyramid and can now qualify for European football through the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup, although it is rumored that they may contemplate foregoing this opportunity in favor of qualifying through their domestic League Cup.
The four Welsh clubs would continue to participate in the English system. According to the BBC, the clubs have held conversations with the FAW about entering the Welsh League Cup, currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup, with the winners earning a
Position in the Europa Conference League. Given that all four clubs are now below the Premier League, qualifying for Europe through the English system appears difficult in the near future, whereas winning the Welsh League Cup would be a realistic ambition for the Welsh EFL sides.
Welsh EFL clubs target Europa Conference League qualification. According to the BBC, an extensive independent report by Deloitte commissioned by Swansea on behalf of the Welsh EFL clubs and the FAW found that joining the Welsh League Cup and subsequent Europa Conference League qualification would “drive improvement for the whole Welsh football ecosystem” and that “financial gains will be re-distributed in a manner
grassroots, domestic Welsh clubs, and women’s football”. The clubs and the FAW have presented their proposal, known as Prosiect Cymru, to UEFA, the FA, the Premier League, and Welsh football clubs, with the goal that EFL clubs representing Wales in European competition will assist enhance their UEFA coefficient. Wales is now ranked 50th out of 55 countries in terms of UEFA coefficient, and it is hoped that EFL clubs playing in the Conference League will assist boost Wales’ rating to “40th or higher”.
The New Saints became the first Welsh team to ever reach the group stages of a European event when they recently qualified for the Conference League, but sides from the Cymru Premier – the Welsh top division – have often flattered
Caernarfon failed to advance in the European qualifying rounds, losing 11-0 on aggregate against Legia Warsaw this summer. Swansea City qualified for the Europa League in 2013 after winning the League Cup, but they did so under the English flag because they qualified through the English pyramid, and Welsh EFL clubs would welcome the opportunity to compete in European football, with the Welsh League Cup being a viable option.
There would also be benefits for Wales’ domestic teams, with a match against one of the major EFL teams likely to draw a large audience and boost Welsh football standards.
Swansea City, Cardiff City, and Newport County’s under-21 teams presently compete in the Welsh League Cup, with Swansea City U21s reaching the final last year, indicating that it could provide a realistic possibility of silverware for their first-team.
The opportunity to qualify for the Europa Conference League would be enormous for the Welsh EFL teams. The opportunity to participate in the Europa Conference League would be enormous for Welsh EFL clubs, as qualification would bring in a lot of money as well as the chance to play glamor matches against clubs from all over Europe.
Of course, they may still qualify through the English system if they win a domestic cup, but the chances of that happening are minimal, and winning the Welsh League Cup is a much more plausible scenario.
The winner of the Welsh League Cup would have to go through qualifying rounds to join the Conference League group stage, but you’d expect a Championship club like Swansea or Cardiff to do so, given what The New Saints did this summer. There is a little danger of giving up the option to qualify through England, especially if one of the clubs reach the Premier League, but on the whole, the rewards outweigh the negatives for the Welsh.
This scenario involves EFL clubs. If it is approved, it remains to be seen how it will be received by other EFL clubs, especially given potential midweek fixture clashes and short turnarounds, but you can understand the Welsh clubs’ desire to compete in the Welsh League Cup with a realistic chance of European qualification.
Wales has a unique situation in which their four best clubs compete in a different country’s league, and competing in a Welsh domestic cup could provide EFL teams with the best of both worlds, allowing them to play in the English league while also competing in cup games against their fellow countrymen for a chance at European qualification.
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