City Fuming Over FA Cup Chelsea Clash Shuffle
Manchester City are furious at their FA Cup match at Chelsea in February being moved to three days before a Champions League tie in Kyiv.
Sky Sports News HQ understands City have written to the Football Association and other football authorities to complain in the strongest possible terms about the schedule they now face.
The FA Cup match at Stamford Bridge has been rescheduled to Sunday, February 21 (kick-off 4pm) – the day before they travel to Kyiv for their Champions League last-16 first-leg encounter on the Wednesday night.
A source at the Premier League side said although City are proud to be the only English side still competing in all four competitions and have always respected them all, manager Manuel Pellegrini will have no choice but to reluctantly field a weakened team at Chelsea.
City will play four games in 11 days – all of them away from the Etihad. After the FA Cup tie at Chelsea and the Champions League clash away to Dynamo, they take on Liverpool at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday, February 28 (kick-off 4.30pm) before facing Jurgen Klopp’s Reds again at Anfield in the Premier League on Wednesday, March 2.
Losing in the Champions League could also be harmful to the Premier League’s UEFA co-efficient.
The source added there is a feeling within City that the more clubs are successful, the more they are penalised with scheduling and if they were to draw with Chelsea in the FA Cup, there would be no more dates left in the calendar for a replay, or the re-arranged league game with Newcastle, which is being moved because of the Capital One Cup final.
They also strongly believe the FA needs to look again at how the season is structured if they are to fully support successful English teams in the future.