United opt out of FA Cup

Alex Ferguson claims Manchester United have ditched the FA Cup because they do not want to be blamed if England's 2006 World Cup bid fails.

The Old Trafford boss realises that United's participation in the inaugural FIFA World Team Championship is vital to England's hopes of staging the tournament and that is why they have taken up the English Football Association's offer to opt out of the competition.

The United boss feels this is clearly the lesser of two evils and he does not want the club to bear the wrath of the nation if they refused to go to Brazil and England's bid failed.

United announced their withdrawal from the FA Cup yesterday after much soul searching and Sir Alex said: "We had to think about the situation regarding England hosting the World Cup, that was paramount.

"No-one wants to see them not getting it and the criticism we would have received if they had not got it and we had refused to go to Brazil would have been unthinkable - and that's a Scotsman talking!

"From our point of view we couldn't win and we're getting criticised anyway because all of a sudden everyone is putting the FA Cup above everything else.

"We know that and we understand that, but we've been brave enough to make this decision."

Sir Alex claimed he was disappointed to be robbed of the chance of defending the Treble before the season has even started. The silver lining for Sir Alex, however, was the chance to be crowned the first club champions of the world.

"I'm disappointed, the FA Cup is very special to me because it's the first trophy I ever won, but we have no option," he said.

"We can't go for them all and we can't play in Brazil and go for the FA Cup. But now we have the opportunity to be, without question, the world champion club team."

United chairman and chief executive Martin Edwards echoed Sir Alex's arguments.

"The last thing we want to do is disappoint our fans and we hope they understand this decision," he said.

"We had to consider England's 2006 World Cup bid and that may have been at stake. But we also have the opportunity to be the champions of world club football in the inaugural competition."

FA executive director, David Davies' message to United's fans was that their club now had the chance to make football history.

"Your club can make history in the same way another great United team made history," he said.

"We have to look outwards and we have to play our part on the world football stage. Whether people like it or not, there's going to be a World Team Championship and now England has the choice, does it want to be part of that or not?"

United can now play a maximum of 68 games in seven different competitions. But one feat they cannot repeat next season despite all this possible silverware is the Treble.