Greater Manchester (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Mayor Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester has expressed his concerns about “where English football is heading” following modifications to the Carabao Cup.
How Will the New Seeding System in the Carabao Cup Affect Fixture Congestion?
A fresh seeding mechanism has been presented to the competition in a bid to reduce fixture congestion prompted by the growth of both the Champions League and Europa League.
For the first time since 1992, the Champions League structure is around to change, with 36 teams competing in a league phase. The number of games in the new format will grow from 125 to 189, which will naturally increase the already intense workload on many top clubs around Europe.
Following circumstances surrounding the pressures of this season’s calendar, the Carabao Cup will assume a seeding system. To ensure there is no conflict with European and Cup fixtures, the EFL have implemented new rules for the third round of the draw which will cause teams playing in Europe to avoid each other in the early rounds.
Six of the seven teams contesting in Europe – Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Spurs and Manchester United – cannot be drawn against each other. The overhead clubs took part in a pre-draw before Newcastle’s victory over Nottingham Forest to determine if they would be at home or away in the third round.
Andy Burnham responded to the changes ahead of the draw. He noted: “I worry about where English football is heading.”
How Are Fans Reacting to the Carabao Cup’s New Rules and Seeding Mechanism?
Fans on social media stated: “Hideous this. The beauty of cups in England is the fact it isn’t seeded. This is embarrassing,” while another commented: “I thought this was a joke at first.”
“What a joke of a draw system. If the UCL lot don’t wanna play the league cup (they don’t) just don’t enter, job done.”
“More to do with UEFA cramming two more games in so it makes scheduling two teams in Europe against each other impossible,” and a fifth added: “That’s dreadful.”
What Are the Implications of UEFA’s Schedule Changes on English Football’s Cup Tournaments?
Crises have previously been introduced around the fixture schedule. After they reached the FA Cup final last season following a victory over Chelsea, Pep Guardiola cited the potential repercussions of the busy period. He stated: “When we play the Champions League [then] – hopefully we will qualify – it is the same week as the Carabao Cup. How are we going to play? Will we play EDS [development squad] in the Carabao Cup? After next season we go to the Club World Cup [too].”