Premier League ‘will go against UEFA and NOT arrange play-offs to decide next season’s European spots’ with top-flight chiefs preferring to use points-per-game method
- The Premier League will not use UEFA’s play-off system to decide Europe spots
- UEFA advised leagues to use play-off matches if their seasons can’t be finished
- But Premier League chiefs fear they will not be able to put on ‘fair’ play-offs
- They, instead, want to use the points-per-game method that has been suggested
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The Premier League is reportedly planning on resisting UEFA’s demands of using a play-off system to determine next season’s European spots if the season cannot be completed due to the coronavirus crisis.
UEFA, following a meeting on Thursday, developed guidelines for clubs across the continent as the governing body look to formulate a plan to get the 2019-20 seasons finished in the coming months.
European football’s governing body is keen to see domestic leagues concluded by the start of August at the latest, with that month slated to feature the conclusion of the Champions League.
The Premier League are willing to go against UEFA and not stage European play-offs
UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin will advise leagues to use play-offs to decide European spots
But UEFA are also desperate for seasons to finish so they know the make-up of their flagship competitions next season.
And leagues that are unable to conclude will be advised to stage one-off play-off games to determine key positions in the table, which would directly affect sides like Chelsea, Manchester United and Sheffield United in the Champions League race.
But, according to The Sun, the Premier League are planning on going against UEFA’s plans to use a play-off system.
Premier League chiefs are said to believe it would be ‘unfeasible to deliver a fair play-off format’.
Here’s how the Premier League table would look based on points won per game played
UEFA wants leagues concluded by the start of August so the Champions League can finish
Another proposal that has been offered up is for leagues to make a decision based on points-per-game ratio.
It is claimed that is the preferred approach of Premier League executives and they are willing to go against UEFA if they must.
The points-per-game method would secure a Champions League spot next season for the Premier League’s current top four of Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester and Chelsea.
Manchester United and Sheffield United would take the Europa League places, while Arsenal and Tottenham would miss out on European football entirely if the current Premier League season is unable to be completed.