Guardiola calls on FA to hold Cup semi-finals in north and ease fans’ burden | FA Cup

Pep Guardiola has called on the Football Association to reconsider playing FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley and move the fixtures to more convenient locations to help fans. Thousands of seats will be empty on Sunday after Manchester City failed to sell out their allocation of 36,230 tickets amid travel and cost concerns.

When City face Nottingham Forest, it will be the 28th time the club have played at the new Wembley as a neutral venue since it opened 18 years ago. The allure has diminished while the price of attending a semi-final has increased, with tickets costing £150, £120 and £90 still available on Friday morning.

The finances and complications of getting back from London on a Sunday evening have left many supporters unable or unwilling to pay for a further trip to the capital. All FA Cup semi-finals have been held at the stadium since 2008, overturning the tradition of playing at neutral venues across England, as the FA sought to pay for the stadium in part via the Club Wembley packages that include guaranteed tickets to the matches.

“One day maybe the FA Cup will play here in the north,” Guardiola said. “They will come here to Old Trafford, the Etihad, Anfield or Goodison Park. I understand the people. I’m not the person to say all around the world the middle-class people suffer economically and I understand completely it’s not easy for them. We would love [them to attend], but I understand they don’t come.

“We will play for the people who come to Wembley, for the people who would like to come and cannot. I understand completely why they cannot come. I’m pretty sure they would love to, but don’t come because they can’t.”

If City do reach the final, it will give the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne a potential final shot at silverware with the club. The Belgian’s contract ends in the summer after City decided against offering him new terms and it is undecided if he will feature in the Club World Cup in June.

The Belgian admitted he was “a bit surprised” that City did not look to keep him and is open to joining another Premier League club but Guardiola insists any uncertainty is not affecting De Bruyne.

“The feelings that he has, and all the players have, I understand completely,” Guardiola said. “He behaves unbelievably all these years, and this month again, and it will happen until the end. He has trained really well. He is helping us with his skills and his talents and I know he wants the best for the club.”