UEFA Announces Fresh Plan Ahead Of EURO 2024

UEFA has announced plans to expand the squad size for this year’s European Champions to 26 players.

Naija News reports that this decision comes after a recent vote that approved the idea of larger squads.

The proposal was initially discussed during a meeting of all the national coaches in Dusseldorf two weeks ago. Subsequently, during a meeting of the UEFA National Competitions Committee on Monday, delegates voted in favour of increasing the squad limit from 23 to 26 players.

The use of enlarged squads at Euro 2021 was deemed necessary to assist teams in dealing with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, it is important to note that the decision is not yet final, as it still requires approval from the UEFA Executive Committee (EXCO).

Nevertheless, it is anticipated that this approval will be a mere formality.

FA Cup Replays Scrapped From Next Season, 2024-2025 EPL To Start Mid-August

Meanwhile, the English Football Association said it has agreed with the Premier League to scrap FA Cup replays from the first round until the end of the campaign.

This means that from next season, there wouldn’t be room for double-legged affairs in the FA Cup, according to the FA announcement on Thursday, April 18.

A statement from the FA explained that this development is “in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA (European) competitions”.

Note that the UEFA Champions League has 64 more games next season, causing more congestion in the domestic football calendar.

To adjust to the congestion, the FA Cup would now be played at weekends including the fifth round, which used to be played in midweek for the past five seasons.

This means that Premier League matches on weekends set aside for the fourth and fifth rounds, as well as the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, will not be held.

Based on this arrangement, there won’t be a mid-season break in the domestic calendar from next season. The agreement for these changes is expected to last for six years.

Following the new arrangement, the 2024-2025 Premier League season will commence in mid-August. This will allow the players to enjoy at least a three-week break from football after this season.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “The FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future.

“This new agreement between The FA and the Premier League strengthens the FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.”

He added: “The longer summer period also allows a much-needed player break before the start of the next season.”

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