Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester City will “not be given space” to start the 2025-26 season later if they get to the final of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, despite a “break of potentially just 33 days and minimal pre-season,” according to Miguel Delaney of the London INDEPENDENT. Premier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes said that this is “simply down” to the fact the “calendar is squeezed as much as it can be,” as he “attributed the issue to a problem ‘imposed upon us, particularly by FIFA.’” Scholes also stated that “there are no conversations taking place” about “potential 39th games or fixture moves to the country.” Delaney writes progress through the Club World Cup could “create complicated decisions” around the contracted minimum break for players of three weeks. Scholes “similarly insisted” that there are no discussions about a 39th game, despite the expanded Champions League “potentially setting a precedent for leagues that are no longer round-robin formats” (London INDEPENDENT, 2/5).
BACK TO THE TABLE: In London, Jason Burt noted Scholes “criticised” UEFA for increasing the number of matches in European club competitions. Scholes indicated that was why the Premier League “supported the controversial scrapping of FA Cup replays” and would “like to talk again” to the English Football League about finally ending the two-legged semi-finals of the Carabao Cup (London TELEGRAPH, 2/4).
TALK TO ME LATER: Scholes when asked yesterday about the Premier League playing regular-season games in the U.S. said that it is not “happening any time soon.” Scholes said, “We don’t feel the need to come and play in the U.S. during the season.” He added, “You’ll understand the challenges that that would present in the U.K. as well. So it’s not on our agenda. No discussions are taking place on it.” In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald wrote that does not mean there will not “be discussions again someday.” Scholes: “Our position as the Premier League is that we’ve got no intention of playing games abroad” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/4).
