By Chris Harris
Arsène Wenger has called for the FA Cup Final to take place at the end of the season to avoid the potential for a conflict of interests.
Manchester City and Stoke City will contest this year's Wembley showpiece on Saturday, eight days before the climax of the Premier League campaign. It's not the first time that has happened - Arsenal beat Chelsea at Cardiff in 2002 before clinching the title a few days later at Old Trafford - but this year's schedule has caused controversy.
The cup finalists meet again at Eastlands in midweek and there were concerns that it would be in Stoke's interests to lose that game, thus helping Man City's quest for a Champions League place which would in turn take Stoke into the Europa League whatever the result at Wembley.
It's now a moot point because Man City booked their place at Europe's top table with a win over Tottenham last Wednesday. All the same, Wenger would rather avoid such issues in future.
"I think it should be at the end of the season because it can interfere with the interest of the championship and you do not want that," he said.
"For example, now Stoke plays against Man City over the weekend and on Wednesday they play again against Man City. And it could have been in their interest to lose the game."
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