Yep Barca did that. Played in the cup before they went and others caught up while they were in the WCC. Once they came back they went back into the next round of the cup.
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I don't think that was a big factor in its demise.
The rise and rise of the CL has been a bigger factor. Finishing top 4 is now more important for clubs (if not fans) than winning it.
When your country's football association and it's biggest and most successful club is endorsing rejection of the self-styled 'greatest cup competition in the world,' it can probably be called gross undermining.
Well yeah, but it was a one off.
The rise of the CL, and the rise and rise of the Sky money for finishing further up the table, means year on year it's become more important for a club to finish further up the table than win the FA Cup.
Read on the FA website the prize money for the winners is 1.8m.
You get that for winning 2 or 3 CL group games. :lol:
Phil Dowd is the referee :lol:
Just over 25k tickets for each team. (I presume, Chelsea haven't released their allocation yet)
For a 90k seater stadium.
Sums up the FA Cup, really.
The build-up starts in earnest now. :popcorn:
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The FA Cup Final with Budweiser
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Chelsea v Liverpool, 17:15.
Budweiser :bow:
Best beer around.
The king of beers, you might say.