These matches to be replayed had already been abandoned from the round of 16, recalls the federation (FA) in a press release, stressing that this new change had been developed as part of an agreement with the Premier League “in light of the changes of the calendar implied by the expanded UEFA competitions. Starting next season, the new Champions League format will include 64 additional matches, increasing pressure on already very busy sporting calendars.
Among the other changes announced, the fact that there will be no championship matches on weekends where Cup matches will be organized from the round of 16 of the FA Cup. The Premier League and Championship (2nd division) teams enter the competition during the round of 32.
This agreement, signed between the FA and the Premier League for six years, is accompanied by the annual payment of around 38 million additional euros by the first division championship to the federation, in addition to the 117 currently paid.
Replay matches were traditionally an important source of revenue for smaller clubs when they faced bigger teams, thanks to television broadcasts and stadium tickets.