Premier League chief warns proposed changes to extend Champions League could ‘fundamentally alter trajectory’ of Carabao Cup and force top teams to abandon the competition
- Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has spoken out on changes
- Alterations to the Champions League could add four extra games each season
- Masters says some teams could abandon the Carabao Cup as a result
New Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has hinted that mooted changes to the Champions League that could add four extra games each season could force some clubs to dump the Carabao Cup.
‘In the end, there isn’t enough space [in the calendar],’ he said. ‘It’s not an absolute that if somehow the shape of the European competitions changes, the Carabao Cup is terminally damaged.
‘There are some clever fixture people out there that may be able to slot the thing together. But I think it would fundamentally alter its trajectory.’
The Carabao Cup could be seriously hampered by proposed Champions League changes
Speaking about another seismic change on the horizon, Masters indicated the Premier League will lobby during Brexit negotiations with the Football Association for top-flight clubs to be allowed 16 foreign players in their 25-man squads.
The Government is understood to be happy to let the governing bodies effectively decide upon the post-EU immigration policy for professional footballers in England – but for now they remain some distance apart.
The FA want as many as 12 home-grown players per squad and as few as 13 ‘foreign’ players, although even this is complicated depending on definition. The current definition of home-grown players (HGPs) is a player of any nationality developed for at least three years between 16 and 21 by an English club. An England-qualified player (EQP) is a player eligible to play for England.
HGPs have accounted for 47 per cent of Premier League starts this season, while EQPs are closer to 35 per cent. The latter is actually the FA’s target for the long-term.
Masters says the logic in wanting up to 16 foreign players is that data shows this number is found in the world’s best teams.
Top teams may be forced to abandon the cup, claims Premier League chief Richard Masters
‘I think the average number of foreign players that the most likely winner of the Champions League have is 16,’ he said. ‘So if our clubs were lower than that it would be a disadvantage to them.’
Masters added whatever new measures come into force – by the end of this year, or more optimistically by the summer – will need to be based on a ‘holistic’ approach.
‘There’s no reason why that system can’t be reviewable over time, so you measure the success of the system over time and, if it isn’t working, the system corrects itself. I think if we can create a model like that, that is acceptable for both parties, that’s a model worth pursuing.’