League Cup may go as part of EPL rescue deal

ENGLISH Premier League clubs are ready to demand the abolition of the League Cup as the price for providing a rescue package to the lower divisions. Under the agreement signed by the Premier League, FA and Football League in 1992, all top-flight clubs must enter the League Cup every season. However, the competition is coming under pressure due to fixture congestion, exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis. UEFA’s announcement this week that next season’s Champions League and Europa League group stage will take place between October 20 and December 10 has brought the issue into focus, as many of those dates are used for the League Cup, raising doubts as to whether leading clubs would be able to enter next season. EFL sources say staging it without the elite may not be viable as it would lose much of its value to broadcasters and sponsors. One option is an earlier start to next season to allow early rounds to be played in August, but the EFL know its fate may be tied into talks over a Premier League-funded rescue deal for struggling clubs. With the League Cup worth around £85million a year in broadcast, sponsorship and ticketing income, however, the EFL would demand a package in excess of £120m a year from the Premier League to compensate for the loss of revenue.