Nottingham Forest lost out on an FA Cup final spot to Manchester City, but the outcome of Saturday’s Wembley spectacle will be of keen interest to Nuno Espírito Santo.
Forest lost against Man City at the semi-final stage in what was a remarkable FA Cup run, which saw Espírito Santo’s side survive three penalty shootouts on the way to Wembley.
The day itself was extra special as Zach Abbott started at Wembley. The homegrown hero impressed, but it wasn’t to be, leaving the Forest squad to focus on European qualification.
Espírito Santo’s squad selection was criticised on the day, but all will be forgotten for the Portuguese manager if the result goes Forest’s way on Saturday.
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Why Nottingham Forest need Man City to win the FA Cup
Often underdogs themselves, it would make sense for Reds fans to be hoping to see Crystal Palace win the trophy at Wembley over the high-spending City, but there is one particular reason why Forest need to see the Cityzens victorious.
As explained by The Express, City winning the FA Cup would guarantee Nottingham Forest at least a spot in next season’s Europa League.
The article said: “The team that wins the FA Cup automatically qualifies for the Europa League, unless they secure Champions League football through their league position.
“[…] If City come out on top, the Europa League spot will be handed to the highest-ranked team in the Premier League who fail to qualify for the competition.”
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With Forest currently sat in seventh but unable to be caught by eighth-place Brentford, the Reds are currently in line for a place in the Europa Conference League.
However, if City win the FA Cup, their spot in the Europa League via the cup win would be handed down to seventh place, giving Forest reassurance going into the final two matchdays.
If Crystal Palace were to win on Saturday, though, the equation becomes much more complicated.
Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup would be a disaster for Forest
Whilst the discrepancies between Europa League and Conference League prize money aren’t too significant, the prestige of the two competitions dictates that the Europa League is where Forest would want to be next season.
If Palace manage to beat Man City at Wembley, though, it could well mean that the Conference League is the Reds’ destination.
The article continued: “Palace are currently 12th in the league table ahead of the final two matches of the season and are unable to break into the top five. Therefore, if Oliver Glasner’s team clinch silverware at the national stadium, they will cement a place in the Europa League.”
This would mean that only sixth place would earn a Europa League spot through the league, leaving Forest with Conference League qualification if they finish in seventh.
A lot to think about, then, as Saturday’s FA Cup final looks set to play a telling role in which European competition will be seen at the City Ground next season.