The EFL announced changes to the League Cup and Championship schedules following UEFA’s scheduling of the Liverpool-Atlético Madrid match for the Champions League group stage.
The problem arose when UEFA scheduled the Liverpool-Atlético match for Wednesday, September 9, a date on which the Everton-Wolves match had already been scheduled for the third round of the League Cup. As the EFL points out, Liverpool and Everton cannot play home games on the same night.
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The English league met with UEFA officials on Monday to explore possible solutions. However, according to its statement, the European federation was not willing to change the date of Liverpool’s match against Atlético Madrid.
As a result, the EFL was forced to make a total of three changes to its schedule.
The Everton-Wolves match in the third round of the League Cup, which was scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at 7:45 p.m., has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 16, also at 7:45 p.m.
This rescheduling, in turn, has led to a change in the Liverpool vs. Tottenham match for the third round of the League Cup. The match, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, at 8:00 p.m., will ultimately be played one day earlier, on Tuesday, September 15, at 8:00 p.m.
There’s also a change in the Championship. The Wolves vs. Portsmouth match, which was scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, at 7:45 p.m., has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 20, at 7:45 p.m.
The EFL did not hide its frustration with UEFA’s stance, noting that in recent years it has already made several adjustments to its schedule due to the expansion of European competitions.
Among these changes are the scheduling of the third round of the League Cup over two separate weeks, as well as the implementation of special conditions in the draw to limit scheduling conflicts for English teams participating in the Champions League and the Europa League.
The EFL emphasizes that UEFA’s refusal to cooperate in this specific case is even more disappointing, as the forced changes affect five teams, as well as fans who had already planned their attendance and travel based on the original dates.
*Photo source: AP
