LONDON, June 17 (ABC) English Premier League’s (EPL) new season is beginning on the weekend of August 6/7. Here are some key facts you need to know about the PL season.
The Premier League season will begin on the weekend of August 6/7. This is one week earlier than the 2021/22 campaign started, and means teams will have an 11-week break between the seasons.
However, the Premier League will take a breather in the middle of the season to accommodate a winter World Cup for the first time.
Aside from a winter World Cup bringing Europe’s major leagues to a halt mid-season, the biggest change currently on the horizon is the return of five substitutes to the Premier League.
The rule was brought in when the league returned from the Covid-enforced hiatus in the 2019/20 season, but managers were once again limited to just three subs last season after clubs voted to revert to the status quo.
However, the Premier League sides voted in favour of bringing back five subs on a permanent basis in March, with the rule coming into effect from the start of the new season.
Premier League clubs will officially be able to register new players from Friday June 10.
The transfer window will remain open for just under 12 weeks before closing on Thursday September 1.
The FA Cup third round will take place on the weekend of January 8/9 – the same time as in the 2021/22 season – but the final will take place three weeks later on Saturday June 3.
The EFL’s 2022/23 season will start a week earlier than usual, with the first fixtures taking place on the weekend of July 30/31.
The Championship will pause on the weekend of November 12/13 for the World Cup group stage, before resuming on the weekend of December 10/11. League One and League Two will continue as normal throughout the tournament.
The Champions League group stage begins on September 6/7 – one week earlier than in the 2021/22 season. Group matches will be played on back-to-back weeks, rather than in two and three-week intervals, to ensure they are completed before the World Cup.
The knockout rounds commence on February 14/15, while the final will take place on June 10 in Istanbul.
The Europa League and Europa Conference League group stages begin on September 8 and finish on November 3, while the knockout rounds start on February 16.
The Europa League final will be on May 31 in Budapest, while the Europa Conference League final will be on June 7 in Prague.
The World Cup is one of the main events on the calendar in the upcoming season. The tournament will take place in Qatar and begin on November 21 – just over a week after the Premier League takes a break. The World Cup final is scheduled for December 18.
The winter World Cup has necessitated a shake-up of the international match calendar. The September international break will be moved from the beginning to the end of the month, while there will be no international fixtures in October.