Bradford boss pulls plug on Europa dream
The co-chairman of minnows Bradford City has hinted that his side could opt out of competing in next season's Europa League if they beat Swansea City in Sunday's League Cup final.
The League Two outfit are the first team from England's fourth division to reach a major Wembley final and victory over Premier League Swansea would give them a berth in Europe's second-tier cup competition.
However, co-chairman Mark Lawn says Bradford could turn down the opportunity to compete if the Europa League proves too costly.
"I'm not going to pay to play in Europe," he was quoted as saying in British tabloid newspaper The Sun.
"When we beat Villa (in the semifinal), I was told, 'You don't really want to get into Europe – it costs you money in the early rounds.'
"I said, 'Well, that'll be fun, because if it costs us money, we won't be there.'
"Realistically, it's not going to be a problem because I don't think we're going to win against Swansea."
He added: "I won't put us in fiscal danger to play in Europe. That's not going to happen. I'm deadly serious.
"It's all very well saying there are financial rewards once you get to the group stage.
"But we're a fourth-division club – realistically, we're not going to get there."
