English football
Historically: Second legs in the FA Cup are canceled
There will be fewer games in the FA Cup in the future. photo
© Jon Super/AP/dpa/Archive
Tradition is important in the FA Cup, which makes it even more difficult for those responsible to make changes. But these are necessary given the competition calendar. The lower leagues are threatening trouble.
In a historic move, return matches will be held in England FA Cup canceled. From next season onwards, there will be no replay in the world’s oldest football competition if there is a draw after 90 minutes, as the FA announced.
Many coaches had been calling for the measure for a long time in order to reduce the strain on the players. The FA justified the agreement with the Premier League with the larger competition calendar of the European football association UEFA.
So far, only the cup games from the fifth round – the round of 16 – were played directly with extra time and penalty shootouts in the event of a draw. Previously, if there was a draw, a replay was required, in which the away team enjoyed home advantage. If the game ended in a draw after 90 minutes, there would be extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.
The association and the elite league also agreed on further measures to strengthen the cup competition. In the future, all rounds will be held on weekends. From the fourth round onwards, there will no longer be any Premier League games taking place at the same time. The final is scheduled for the Saturday before the last matchday of the league. No Premier League games will be scheduled on that day or the evening before.
Criticism from the EFL
The agreement is initially set for six years. The Premier League also wants to make a further 33 million pounds (around 38.6 million euros) available per season for amateur football from the 2025/26 season. The sum would be in addition to the £100 million the league was paying for charity, it said.
Criticism of the abolition of replays comes from the EFL (English Football League), which is responsible for the second to fourth leagues. Their clubs were reportedly surprised by the decision. EFL chief executive Trevor Birch called it “frustrating and disappointing”. The abolition means “another lost traditional revenue stream” for clubs “at a time when the financial gap between the biggest clubs and those further down the pyramid is widening than ever before.” Birch announced that it would discuss the impact and look for “appropriate compensation arrangements”.