Roberto Di Matteo says Chelsea may ask to play their FA Cup semi-final on a Friday night if the club reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Chelsea boss feels English clubs need more support
Roberto Di Matteo has revealed Chelsea may ask for their FA Cup semi-final to be played on a Friday night if the club reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea meet Benfica in the first leg of the quarter-finals on Tuesday evening and will then tackle either AC Milan or Barcelona in the last four if they knock out the Portuguese giants.
The first leg of the semi-final would be at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 18th April, three days after Chelsea are due to play either Bolton Wanderers or Tottenham Hotspur in the last four of the FA Cup.
Di Matteo, however, would prefer the cup tie to be switched to a Friday night to give his Chelsea players more time to recover for a crunch Champions League clash.
Benfica and last-16 opponents Napoli were both granted Friday night fixtures prior to Champions League games and Di Matteo believes Premier League clubs need more backing.
"Absolutely, we need [the support from the FA] because it doesn't help English teams in the Champions League," said Di Matteo.
"Benfica played on Friday night, so did Napoli. Their leagues try to give them the best possible advantage.
"We are engaged on this matter but, ultimately, someone has to make the decision."
