Premier League: Richard Masters warns of calendar ‘tipping point’

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says the football calendar is “getting to a tipping point” with the amount of matches teams are being asked to play.

An expanded Champions League and Club World Cup could see a hefty increase in matches for some clubs in the 2024-25 season.

The Football Association has scrapped FA Cup replays from the first round onwards due to the increase in matches.

“It stands to reason if you overload the calendar and the players, at some point, something has to give,” said Masters.

“It is getting to a tipping point. The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion.”

The Champions League will expand to 36 teams next season and the group stage will be replaced by a league format, resulting in teams playing an extra two matches.

The Club World Cup, which is currently held annually and features seven teams from six confederations, will become a 32-team tournament to be held every four years.

Chelsea and Manchester City will feature in the Club World Cup, which will run from 15 June to 13 July 2025 in the United States.

Masters, who was appointed to his Premier League post in 2019, warned: “If you pour more liquid into a cup that is already full, it will overflow.”