January 04, (THEWILL) – To alleviate the fixture congestion caused by COVID-19-enforced postponements, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is set to allow English Premier League matches to be scheduled on Champions League nights.
THEWILL recalls that due to the epidemic, 18 Premier League games have so far been postponed, as teams struggle to cope with forced seclusion and injuries that have left them unable to fulfil their fixture commitments.
UEFA’s rules include a “memorandum of understanding” that prevents domestic matches, including league and cup matches, from being played on the same day as its competitions. However, the organisation has now stated that if no other option is available, it will consider relaxing its stance on a case-by-case basis.
There is growing hope that UEFA would effect this change, as it had done during the previous two seasons when the COVID-19 virus wreaked havoc to the standard fixture calendar of local leagues.
On Tuesday, an official statement from UEFA made its position clear: “UEFA is aware of the difficulty of the situation and that the match calendar is highly impacted by COVID.
“As a general principle, the (memorandum of understanding) MoU applies, but we will of course discuss this issue with our stakeholders in order to find an amicable solution for all parties involved, in the event that a clash should occur.”
Some of the rescheduled matches that will require rescheduling include:
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Arsenal vs Wolves
Aston Villa vs Burnley
Brentford vs Manchester United
Brighton vs Chelsea
Brighton vs Totttenham
Burnley vs Everton
Burnley vs Watford
Burnley vs Tottenham
Chelsea vs Arsenal
Everton vs Newcastle
Leeds vs Aston Villa
Leicester vs Tottenham
Leicester vs Norwich
Liverpool vs Leeds
Manchester United vs Brighton
Southampton vs Newcastle
Watford vs Crystal Palace
Wolves vs Watford
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
