The Football Association finally confirmed the date for the FA Cup fifth round replay between holders Arsenal and Hull City. The date set is 8 March, Tuesday at Hull’s KC Stadium and the game will kick off at 7 PM local time. They had previously played out a 0-0 draw at the Emirates.
The FA had delayed a decision on the final date as they were struggling to fit the match into a tight schedule, especially for Arsenal who are still in the UEFA Champions League. They claim they had “in-depth and exhaustive discussions” over the past three days to determine a suitable date for both sides.
The competition’ s quarter-final draw has already taken place with the winner of this match set to face Watford in a home game. The new date will see Arsenal play the cup tie three days after they play a north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
UEFA rules caused problems for FA
UEFA have strict guidelines with respect to scheduling of domestic matches so that they do not clash with Champions League or Europa League matches.
The last time the dates clashed, UEFA held back television payments of over £1m from Premier League clubs because of clashes during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons. It also led to the FA being penalised and asked to pay a fine of £42,000.
This time, too, the match will clash with the Champions League. Real Madrid will be playing AS Roma at the Bernabeu while Wolfsburg play Gent. Both teams play on 8 March and their games kick off at 19:45.
FA thank UEFA for allowing match to be played on 8 March
FA chief executive Martin Glenn explained they wanted what was best for English teams and said: “We want all of our clubs to be part of strong, vibrant domestic competitions, to perform well on the European stage and for the England team to be challenging for international honours.
“To have a better chance of achieving these aims more effectively, it is imperative we resolve the on-going problem of match scheduling together.
He also thanked the UEFA for understanding their predicament with respect to scheduling.
“We would like to thank UEFA for taking the time it has to understand our position on this matter. Fixture scheduling is an issue for the whole game so let’s build upon the productive conversations we have held with the Premier League and Football League and call upon UEFA to join the discussion to create clear, workable guidelines for the benefit of all.”
