https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44414487 Premier League clubs will have a winter break in February from the 2019-20 season. The break will be staggered across two weeks, with five matches on the first weekend and five the following weekend. The FA Cup fifth round will be moved to midweek to accommodate the break, with replays being scrapped at that stage. The Football Association described it as "a significant moment for English football" that "will greatly benefit club and country". "It's no secret that we have a very congested fixture calendar and over recent years we have been working with the whole game to find a solution," said FA chief executive Martin Glenn.
Is it just me or does two weeks not seem like much? Think they’ve done a lot of unnecessary shifting around to get just two weeks. The PL play hardly any midweek games up to Christmas. Just move two games to midweek before December and then you have some weekends free after it. But of course, that doesn’t sit well with the big clubs in Europe and everyone must bow to their want and need.
Yes, it will really benefit the country. And if it results in less knackered footballers come the summer tournaments, it will also benefit those countries that supply most of the Prem's stars. But it won't benefit those of us who need our regular football fix during the dark days of winter
I wouldn't worry, there will be television coverage of teams' trips to shirt shifting countries to play a couple of friendlies during their time off.
No doubt some clubs will claim its not fair all won't have their break at the same time .. Or the weather will be at least worse then !
Exactly. This is going to be laughable. Long distance tours incoming. Spurs moan about it and then 2 years ago they do a 2 week tour to Australia straight after the season.
They aren't allowed as part of the agreement. They are allowed to go on warm-weather training but no games are to be played.
Find this a bit strange. To me the fixture problem that impacts fitness and quality of play is the 4 matches in 11 days at Christmas. What's the point of a February break? At that point many clubs are already starting to have fewer fixtures as they get knocked out of the cups.
But the TV companies were keen to preserve festive football. A break between 3rd and 4th round of the Cup strikes me as more sensible.
Exactly. Amazon have bought the Dec 26 matches. Half our squad will be on a trolley in Colney by Feb.
The break's all well and good as long as the Clubs use it for just that. But we all know they'll be dragging themselves halfway around the planet to play a friendly somewhere. The Premier League should have said yes to the winter break but with the caveat that any club playing a friendly during their week off is instantly docked points.
Did you read the agreement? Or what I said above? I'm sure over time, the rules will get stretched but they aren't allowed to go on lucrative tours to play friendlies. Warm-weather training is allowed but no sanctioned matches are allowed at all.
Absolutely, plus clubs in the knock out stages of the Champions League and Europa Leagues aren't really going to see the break as such as they will have fixture at that time.
I would be against the two week break , but guess it gives us a bit more time to find the next manager
Why do we need a winter break? More than half of the players in the semifinals play in England, obviously doesn't effect thier international performance.
I uploaded an emoticon, unsuccessfully, it would appear. My emotional palette is surprised, mildly shocked, gently amused & camply resistant. Go draw that, Carlos.
With the 2022 World Cup in November - December there won't be time for a winter break in the 22/23 season.
I genuinely don't understand the winter break logic, unless there is a scientific, physiological case for it which I am not aware of. There is no move to play fewer games, just a plan to put a gap in the middle of them. How will that affect fatique? It seems like something which was mooted years ago and has snowballed into something of a story out of nothing. Perhaps when we have a winter break and our players still look tired in summer tournaments, we'll move onto some other campaign.
Is that what French players get towards the end of a game? Or the name of a large Montreal citizen of Middle Eastern origin? Or a swish clothes shop for the oversize lady? Or a newly discovered precious gem? Or maybe a Designer cream for treating cellulite? I just don't know. Help me out someone.
The winter break clearly helped the Germans at the world cup and the lack of winter break hindered the English. Oh....
