Hey football fans! Get ready for some major changes in English football. The FA Cup is set to undergo reforms that could see the end of third and fourth round replays. But that’s not all! The two-legged EFL Cup semi-finals might also be scrapped. These changes are being made to address the pressure on the domestic calendar, especially with the expansion of European competitions.
One exciting change is the restoration of the FA Cup fifth round to a weekend slot. This means more action-packed matches for fans to enjoy. However, we don’t know exactly when these changes will take effect. We’ll have to wait until the new TV contract kicks in, which is set to begin in 2025-26.
But hold on, there’s more! Starting next season, the Champions League and Europa League first phases will expand to include 36 clubs. This will put even more strain on the domestic calendar. The Uefa match calendar has also been altered, with the opening phase now covering 10 midweeks instead of the current six.
With all these changes, there’s a limited number of midweeks available for domestic matches. The international match calendar won’t change until 2026, so there’s a maximum of 12 spare midweeks for domestic games. This is to avoid clashes with European club competitions, which Uefa doesn’t like.
The Premier League has already confirmed that they will offer five midweek rounds per season in their new TV contract. That’s one more than this season, which will see matches played in November, January, April, and the traditional Boxing Day slot.
But here’s the problem: there’s not enough space in the calendar to accommodate matches that need to be rearranged due to clashes with the FA Cup sixth round, semi-finals, and the EFL Cup final. These matches are all played on weekends used by the Premier League.
So, what’s the solution? Well, it looks like the FA Cup might give up third and fourth round replays in exchange for a return to a weekend date for the fifth round. This hasn’t happened since the 2019-20 season, so it’s definitely something to look forward to.
While some people might be sad to see the end of FA Cup replays for top-flight teams, it’s important to note that they were already scrapped in the past two seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, last season had six replays in both the third and fourth rounds. The fifth round replays were removed from the schedule back in 2017-18.
The FA has chosen not to comment on these proposed changes. Their current broadcast deal with the BBC and ITV will run until 2025. On the other hand, the EFL has just announced a five-year agreement with Sky that will end in 2029 and align with the next Premier League contract.
So, football fans, get ready for a new era in English football. Exciting changes are on the horizon, and we can’t wait to see how they unfold. Stay tuned for more updates!