The mayors of Manchester and Liverpool have joined calls for Manchester City and Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final next month to be moved away from Wembley.

Pep Guardiola’s Citizens and Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are set to face off on the weekend of April 16/17 for a place in the final of football’s oldest knockout tournament.

Still, supporters of the two Premier League and Champions League title rivals have been pushing for the match to be moved to another venue for logistical reasons.

Now Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram have issued a joint statement calling on the FA to heed these demands in the face of multiple issues.

“Over the past year we have heard the slogan ‘football without fans is nothing’ many times,” the duo said.

“If this decision is left in abeyance and people are either kicked out of this game or unable to attend for other reasons, these words will mean nothing to many.

“We think the most obvious solution is to move the game to a more accessible stadium and offer to work constructively with you to achieve this.

“Without fast and direct trains, many people will have no choice but to drive, fly, take overly complex train journeys or book overnight accommodation.

“When you factor in rising fuel costs, it’s clear that fans of both clubs attending this game will face undue costs and inconvenience – and that’s before any environmental impact is taken into account.

“There are also significant logistical and safety considerations. With thousands of fans making the long journey south, there will be large numbers of people converging on the M6, which is likely to be stretched to capacity. by holiday traffic.

“A single accident could bring the entire highway to a standstill and miss the kickoff.”

City and Liverpool’s semi-final clash will be the second meeting between the two in the space of a week, with the duo due to meet in the Premier League on April 10.