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

Wales’ English Football League (EFL) clubs are in talks about a “transformational” change which would see them enter a Welsh cup competition in order to qualify for European football.

Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County play in the English pyramid and are therefore only able to qualify for European competitions via the Premier League, FA Cup or EFL Cup.

But the four clubs have held discussions with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) about entering the Welsh League Cup - currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup - for a chance to represent Wales in the Europa Conference League.

Although the clubs would continue to play league football in England, this move would mean sacrificing their ability to qualify for Europe via English competitions, as Swansea did when they played in the Europa League after winning the EFL Cup in 2013.

The four clubs and the FAW have already presented their vision – Prosiect Cymru, Welsh for Project Wales – to Uefa, the Football Association, Premier League and clubs in the Cymru Premier, Wales’ domestic top flight.

Central to those presentations has been an extensive independent report into the venture by Deloitte, which was commissioned by Swansea on behalf of the four EFL clubs and the FAW.

In the report seen by BBC Sport Wales, it is suggested Prosiect Cymru would “drive improvement for the whole Welsh football ecosystem” and that “financial gains will be re-distributed in a manner that lifts grassroots, domestic Welsh clubs and the women’s game”.

It is also hoped the involvement of the EFL clubs could improve Wales’ standing in Uefa's association club coefficients, from 50th to “40th or higher”.

Wales' current ranking of 50 out of 55 means only the top divisions in San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Belarus and North Macedonia are ranked lower in Europe.

One of the primary reasons for Wales’ weak coefficient rating has been the poor performances of its clubs in European competitions.

Cymru Premier champions The New Saints became the first club from the Welsh pyramid to qualify for the group stage of a major European competition in this season’s Europa Conference League.

That will boost Wales’ coefficient ranking, and the FAW hopes the involvement of Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport would provide a further lift and earn more prize money from Uefa.

The fact that the FAW would distribute some of that increased revenue across the game in Wales is one of the reasons why Cymru Premier clubs approve of the introduction of their EFL counterparts to the Welsh League Cup.

Clubs in the Welsh pyramid would also welcome the chance to face Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport, an opportunity they have seldom had in recent years.

As for the EFL clubs themselves, the chance to play in Europe is attractive for many reasons, such as huge financial benefits and the opportunity to land glamorous ties against high-profile foreign clubs.

Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport all have a history of playing in European competitions as they used to qualify via the Welsh Cup, and they all have notable victories to their names.

Cardiff beat Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971, Wrexham defeated Porto in the same competition in 1984 and Newport reached a Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final in 1981, while Swansea won 3-0 in Valencia in a 2013 Europa League match.

Welsh clubs in the EFL have not participated in an FAW competition since the FAW Premier Cup – which did not offer European qualification – was abolished in 2008.

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport have entered under-21 sides in recent editions of the Nathaniel MG Cup, but the introduction of their first teams - and chance to qualify for Europe - would represent a major development for Welsh football.

According to the Prosiect Cymru report: “Welsh football is in a unique position within European football in that its largest clubs play in the domestic league of another country (England).

“This has historically limited the ability of Welsh domestic clubs to be competitive in Uefa club competitions.

"An innovative solution to address this position has transformational potential for the whole Welsh football ecosystem from grassroots to the professional men’s and women’s game.”