Premier League English

23 Premier League teams next season and League Cup axed

The blietzkrieg effect of the coronavirus crisis has had devastating effect on this season with leagues around Europe in helter skelter and some even calling for closure but the Premier League has yet to make their decision on what will happen next.

The latest news is out that the League could have 23 teams next season with 44 games being played throughout the term. Additionally, there is a possibility of the League Cup being scrapped for the year to make room for all the next fixtures.

The current predicament is totally unprecedented and has never been seen before in the Premier League era where no football has been played for nearly two months, which has left the likes of Liverpool dangling in limbo, still waiting anxiously to lay their hands on their first Premier League title in 30 years. The Reds are three wins away from clinching the trophy and are 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

Further down the table another problem has reared its menacing head.

Three teams currently sit in the relegation zone with uncertainty over their future. If the season were to be halted now, there would be an uproar and rage if they relegated to the Championship despite having the chance to survive.

Yet, if they are allowed to remain in the top tier, this would be unfair on the teams who could have got promoted from the second division on merit.

This has subsequently led to Premier League officials discussing the possibility of a 23-team division, according to the Daily Mail.

What this would mean is that no teams are relegated and the best three teams from the Championship are promoted, based on a points-per-game situation.

The following season would then see six teams relegated to even matters up and bring normality to the league pyramid. The only drawback that would stem from this, however, would be a drastic increase in matches with the usual 38 upped to 44.

The Daily Mail adds that this could see the scrapping of the League Cup, a move that has already gone ahead in other European countries.

Another possible competition that could be seeing its last days could be the FA Cup although this may not eventually happen as the history and love of the tournament should merit it being kept alive.

The same fondness is not felt so much for the League Cup, with UEFA president Alexsander Ceferin demanding for it to be canned.

“The League Cup is off in France already,” he said earlier this year. “Only England remains. I think that everybody knows that it would be better for everyone if that were not played anymore.”