- All FA Cup rounds will return to weekend slots but replays will be scrapped
- It follows UEFA’s expansion of their competitions from next season
- Liverpool have been ‘hungover’ since Man United dumped them out of the FA Cup – where has their energy gone? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
FA Cup replays will be scrapped from next season in a major shake-up of the world’s oldest knockout competition – but each round will return to being played on a weekend and without Premier League games.
The expansion of the Champions League means additional midweek slots are required, so the fifth round – played in midweek for the last five seasons – will return to a weekend.
FA Cup weekends in the fourth and fifth rounds, plus the quarter-finals, will also now be totally free of Premier League matches. This also applies to FA Cup final weekend.
The mid-season break is also to be removed from the calendar to allow for a mid-August start date for the Premier League.
The new agreement between the FA and the Premier League will last for at least six years.
It says all rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will now be played on weekends, including the fifth round which has been midweek since 2019.
The fourth and fifth rounds, plus the quarter-finals, will be exclusive of Premier League fixtures for the first time. The fourth round will be played over six days from Friday to Wednesday.
As Mail Sport revealed last month, replays will be consigned to history from the first round proper onwards in light of calendar changes forced by UEFA’s expanded competitions from next season.
There are currently no replays from the fifth round of the competition onwards.
In addition, the FA Cup final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season on a Saturday without top-flight fixtures.
It is also hoped the calendar changes will enable a longer summer break for the benefit of players amid widespread concerns about their welfare in an ever-busier schedule.
The FA Cup first round sees League One and League Two clubs join those from non-league who have made it through the qualifying rounds.
Premier League and Championship clubs join the competition in the third round.
UEFA is expanding the Champions League group stage from 32 to 36 teams and introducing a ‘Swiss Model’ format from next season.
The 36 clubs will participate in a single league competitions and play eight matches instead of the current six with their opponents decided based on seedings.
The Premier League will increase its funding to the football pyramid from £100million each season to £133m from 2025-26.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: ‘The Emirates FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future.
‘This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.
‘The new schedule ensures the magic of the Cup is protected and enhanced, while working for the whole of the English game. The longer summer period also allows a much-needed player break before the start of the next season.
‘We have also agreed new funding for the grassroots game, disability football and the women’s and girls’ game.
‘All football begins at the grassroots, and this is recognised by the Premier League with very welcome additional financial support.’
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: ‘The Premier League is proud of the investment it provides to all levels of the game and this new agreement with the FA will see us enhance our support into grassroots football.
‘This will improve facilities for communities and lower league clubs across the country, through the Football Foundation and Premier League Stadium Fund.
‘Throughout our discussions, both parties have been committed to enhancing the scheduling of the Emirates FA Cup, a hugely important domestic competition with a storied history.
‘The FA and the Premier League have worked in partnership to deliver more exclusive weekends without compromising the excitement of knockout football and this has been achieved at the same time as allowing us to ease fixture congestion generally.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
