It may appear presumptuous, with Cardiff City more than one month away from attempting to defeat Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final, but the club's possible gateway to Europe opened wider yesterday. In a move that will surely enhance Anglo-Welsh relations, the FA is to help pave the way for Cardiff's entry into the Uefa Cup.

Under the present rules, Cardiff cannot qualify for Europe if they beat Portsmouth at Wembley on May 17. They can qualify only from competitions run by the FA of Wales. However, the English FA is to discuss the issue at its next board meeting on April 24 and expects to resolve the matter before the end of this month.

“We have not ruled out Cardiff being entered into Europe via the FA Cup should they win it,” an FA spokesman said. “Further conversations need to take place, but we would expect to have clarification before the final.”

Cardiff, 1-0 winners over Barnsley in their semi-final on Sunday, have received the support of Michel Platini, the president of Uefa, football's European governing body, and a wild-card entry is the likely outcome.

William Gaillard, a Uefa spokesman, said: “We understand that there was an agreement from the beginning when Cardiff joined the English league that if they gained a European place they would not represent the English FA. We feel that, from a sporting point of view, Cardiff deserves to play in the Uefa Cup. If they win the final, what will be submitted to our executive committee is the possibility of giving them a wild card.”

Should Portsmouth beat the Welsh club and also finish fifth in the Barclays Premier League, thereby qualifying for the Uefa Cup, Cardiff, as FA Cup runners-up, could play in the same competition. “It would be a shame and a sad day if we were to achieve that [winning the Cup] and not get through to Europe,” Dave Jones, the Cardiff manager, said. “If you win the trophy, you should be allowed into it [the Uefa Cup].”

Cardiff are also to lobby the FA in an effort to increase the usual allocation of 25,000 tickets per club for the final. “We want as many tickets as we can because clubs like Cardiff don't go to Wembley every year,” Peter Ridsdale, the chairman, said. “It's 81 years since we got to an FA Cup Final and we want as many of our supporters there as possible. We'll talk to the FA.”