England set to play triple headers
GARETH SOUTHGATE has been warned England could have to play three matches in two-week international breaks next season as part of FIFA’s plan to revive the global calendar following the pandemic.
In a radical move that would encounter strong resistance from Premier League clubs, the world governing body are considering making three-game international windows mandatory to make up for matches that have been lost this year. All international football has been suspended until September, and that date is also under threat as the month has been earmarked as the most likely start date for the 2020-21 club season. FIFA recognise the need to give clubs breathing space before restarting the international game, but are committed to completing all major tournaments and will demand any other postponed matches are rescheduled.
England were due to play six Nations League matches against Belgium, Denmark
stage that competition, although are yet to say when the finals, originally scheduled for next summer, will take place. Euro 2020 has been put back 12 months, so there is the prospect of a clash. If the September international break is lost, all six Nations League games could be crammed into the October and November windows.
The FA are also understood to be keen to stage friendly internationals to recoup lost revenue. Southgate (below) is sanguine about such a prospect and would pick larger squads to cope. This may not be enough, though, to allay the concerns of Premier League managers, who will be facing fixture backlogs themselves.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told a conference call of the 55 European FAs yesterday he is planning for a June restart of leagues across Europe, but competitions could be cancelled in ‘special cases’.
The Champions League final is scheduled for August 29. UEFA said in a statement: ‘There was a strong recommendation to finish domestic top division and cup competitions, but special cases will be heard once guidelines concerning participation in European competitions — in case of a cancelled league — have been developed.’