MAGIC OF THE CUP Bielsa admits Prem is king for Leeds

MARCELO BIELSA fears for the very soul of English football after claiming that the romance of the FA Cup is being lost.

The Leeds manager has admitted that he is one of a number of top-flight bosses who rank Premier League survival far above a Wembley appearance on his priority list.

Bielsa has yet to progress beyond the third round after three seasons at Elland Road.

The Argentine believes some managers will use the pandemic as an excuse to field weak teams this weekend.

And he fears that the oldest cup competition in the world is now being permanently tarnished by such shows of neglect.

Bielsa said: “The impression I have is that the FA Cup is not being looked after – and that is not fair.

“A lot of people love English football because of these things. It’s historic. But all that tradition, the sensation of it all, is being lost.

“One thing I ask myself, when the competition is played this weekend is how do you handle the repercussions it will have on the next game in the Premier League?

“What do you do when you have 10 players less, and you’re trying to look after the game this Sunday and then thinking of the one next week? How do you compare the importance of each one?

“You have to make the decision which is the more favourable for the club.

“Perhaps I’m not fair with my suggestion, but in some way the FA Cup is losing importance.

“There’s no replay if it’s a draw, for example – and it’s all lessening the competition.

“When I hear myself talking like this, maybe I am not giving enough consideration to the situation we’re living in.

“Sometimes it’s easy to criticise from my position, when I feel that some values are being lost.

“Perhaps we have to be on the side of those who do the planning and hope there are solutions?

“What I am sure of is that whatever happens with the pandemic it’s not possible to play so many games without it deteriorating the quality.”

It is 50 years since Leeds lifted the FA Cup for the only time in their history when Don Revie’s legendary side beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley (right).

The Yorkshire club have never won at West Ham in any cup competition – and they return to the London Stadium next Sunday for a Premier League clash.

Bielsa added: “The FA Cup has got a great history, it is so important.

“Look at the earlier rounds of this competition, what it means for every club to compete despite their level.

“It’s a homage to the whole of football, any team, stadium and changing rooms that haven’t been altered for 50 years. Those stadiums have as much history as ones that have cost an exorbitant amount of millions.

“All clubs have weight and value, because of the episodes they’ve had in their history in this competition.

“That’s why you go into a library in England and go to CDs, videos and books, and see more information about the history of football than anywhere else in the world.

“In my humble opinion and with this being my fourth year here, it is one aspect which is so romantic about the game.

“But every year it becomes less important, protected less, has less importance in how it is viewed in football – and always for the same reason.

“It’s not possible to give every game the importance it deserves, I know. That is inevitable due to the situation with the pandemic – although that is more an excuse than an explanation.”