Bentleigh Greens manager John Anastasiadis believes the current FFA Cup timings leave National Premier League (NPL) clubs clubs disadvantaged.
Melbourne Victory eliminated Greens in Tuesday’s quarter-final at Kingston Heath, securing a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Marco Rojas and James Troisi.
As is now the expected scenario in the FFA Cup semi-finals, only one state league side remains in the competition: Canberra Olympic of the ACT.
In the current format, Anastasiadis sees little way for NPL sides to ever reach a final.
“If you look at it now, the A-League starts in two weeks, we’re finished (the season),” he said.
“There’s no way we’ll be able to compete against these guys (A-League teams).
“Can it change? Can the FFA Cup be brought forward a little bit? Can it start when the A-League finishes?
“It gives us a bit of a disadvantage at this stage, so I don’t know if we’ll ever see an NPL team in a final.”
Only three NPL clubs have beaten A-League opposition in the three-year history of the cup.
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