Football: Wenger blasts FA Cup v Premier League TV schedule

LONDON (REUTERS) - Arsene Wenger has expressed amazement at the television scheduling clash on Saturday evening that sees Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final with Reading go head-to-head with the big Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United, describing it as a conflict of interests and something that should not happen.

Arsenal's Cup tie at Wembley kicks off at 5.20pm (British time) and will be televised by the BBC. The showpiece game at Stamford Bridge gets underway at 5.30pm and will be carried by Sky.

Wenger believes that the semi-final of England's prestige knockout competition ought to have its own slot, with no competition from other matches - particularly not Chelsea v United - and the Arsenal manager was outspoken on the matter.

"Something should be done about it," Wenger said. "I'm surprised they did not analyse that in television deals because, basically, what happens there, it is something that should have been planned. Two television channels who pay a lot of money for football have conflicted interests in promoting games. That, inside the country, shouldn't happen.

"You would like it (the Cup semi-final) to be the unique competition that is played, especially a semi-final and a final. You would want it not to conflict with other competitions. It is a surprise to me (that it goes up against a very big game)."

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