Ever since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham, the Welsh club went from a non-league team to currently second in League One and there seems to be no stopping their back-to-back promotion run. So, when Wrexham, along with four other Welsh clubs, entered talks to join the Welsh League Cup, aiming for a spot in the UEFA Conference League, everything seemed to be going smooth, until ‘The FA’ stepped in. 

To provide more context, a proposal was put forward to allow four Welsh clubs (Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham, and Newport County) to play in the Welsh League Cup, as a way to represent Wales in European club competition if they were to win. As per the Daily Mail, the full FA board will be proceeding over the matter, over a sub-committee, which would make it harder for the sides. 

On paper, qualifying for Europe through the Welsh League Cup seems much easier than securing a spot via the FA Cup for Europa League qualification or the Carabao Cup for UEFA Conference League playoff spots. The competition in Wales would indeed be much easier, as only teams from the Cymru Premier, Cymru North, Cymru South, and a select few other clubs typically compete.

The FA’s concern is that by allowing the Welsh Clubs to qualify for European competitions through the Welsh League Cup, they would have a distinct advantage over English clubs in the same league. So on paper, they would bypass facing tough teams by entering a less competitive competition (Welsh League Cup), which pretty much guarantees one of these 4 clubs a spot in Europe.

If the proposal were to go forward, it would not affect their standings in the English leagues, but they would no longer be able to qualify for Europe via any English competition. This means that to advance in European competitions, they would need to win the Conference League to earn a spot in the Europa League or repeat the cycle next year. However, things played out differently in the past. 

Welsh Cup and UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup

Until 1995, Welsh clubs that played in the English football league system were part of the Welsh Cup, which granted the winners a place in the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup. It was through this route that Swansea City played in the 2013-14 Europa League after winning the Football League Cup. With the Cardiff City and Swansea City U21 sides being added last season to the Cuo, there is hope for Wrexham. 

With Wrexham suffering a surprising FA Cup first-round exit, at the hands of League Two side Harrogate, Phil Parkinson’s side will take some time before achieving their European dreams. Wrexham is back in League One action against Barnsley whose away form will make the Red Dragons fans nervous. While the FA’s decision is yet to come, Wrexham will be setting their sights on yet another promotion.