The FA Cup will no longer have a play-off match

The English Football Association (FA) announced this Thursday (18) the end of play-off or ‘replay’ games from the first phase of the FA Cup from next season onwards, due to the increasing number of games in European competitions.

The ‘replay’ was played in the event of a draw after regulation time. Instead of adding extra time or deciding on penalties, the match was repeated on a different date, adding yet another commitment to the calendar of the teams involved.

These play-off games had already been eliminated from the round of 16 onwards, the FA recalled in a statement, highlighting that the new change was made in agreement with the Premier League “taking into account the changes to the calendar implicit in expanded UEFA competitions”. .

The FA and The @premierleague have reached an agreement to strengthen the #EmiratesFACup format and increase support for grassroots football.

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— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 18, 2024

From next season onwards, the new Champions League format will feature 64 extra matches, increasing pressure on already busy sporting calendars.

Among other changes announced, there will also be no championship games on weekends in which FA Cup matches are played from the round of 16 onwards. Teams from the Premier League and Championship (2nd division) enter the competition from the previous round (round of 32).

This agreement, signed between the FA and the Premier League for a period of six years, is accompanied by an annual payment of almost 38 million additional euros (R$ 212.2 million at current prices) from the first division championship to the federation, in addition to the 117 million euros (R$653.4 million) currently paid.

Playoff matches were traditionally an important source of income for small teams when they managed to draw against much larger teams, thanks to television rights and ticket sales.