Uefa has rejected a bid to allow exiled Welsh clubs such as Swansea City and Cardiff City the chance to qualify for Europe via the Welsh Cup, reports The Guardian. The Football Association of Wales had asked Uefa to change its rules and allow the clubs into the Europa League via the Welsh Cup if they opted out of the FA Cup but the request was turned down at a meeting of the governing body's executive committee in Istanbul.
The FAW chief executive, Jonathan Ford, said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the decision. Wales also lost out to the Czech Republic in their bid to host the 2015 European Under-21 Championships.
Uefa also announced that a possible legal loophole in their financial fair play (FFP) rules has been closed after signing a joint agreement with the European Commission that the regulations are fully compliant with European law.
