Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned the wisdom of scheduling this year's FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley, insisting it "takes a bit away" from the final.

Ferguson would rather see the national stadium reserved for the showpiece and believes the Football Association risk devaluing that match as well as pricing out northern fans with extra visits to the capital.

He said: "I think the incentive for every footballer is that one day they can get to a final at Wembley.

"Having the semis at Wembley takes a bit away from the real buzz of getting to the final.

"The prices at Wembley are very expensive. London prices are enormous compared with anywhere else in the country. If we got a semi against Middlesbrough both of us would have to go down to Wembley when we could play at Manchester City, Liverpool or Everton."

The Red Devils boss also thinks the decision is financially motivated, with extra games serving to recoup some of the costs of the stadium.

"Given the financial commitment of the FA they couldn't do anything else," he added.

Responding to Ferguson's comments, an FA spokesman said: "It has always been part of our business plan to hold the semi-finals at Wembley.

"The money generated from the competition is distributed among all the clubs who take part in the competition."

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