The Premier League has agreed to a winter break next season, in order to avoid games clashing with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament is the first ever to be held in winter with things kicking off on 21 November and ending on 18 December.
Among the many controversies surrounding the World Cup is how the domestic football calendar across Europe will be affected. As reported by Sky Sports, we finally have some clarity on the situation in England.
It is understood that the 2022/23 Premier League season will halt after the weekend beginning November 12, giving players just over a week to prepare with their national teams before the World Cup begins.
The campaign is then set to resume on Boxing Day. This means that any players who reach the final will have just eight days before they may have to play again.
The decision was made during a meeting between executives from all 20 Premier League clubs on Wednesday.
Interviewed afterwards, Aston Villa chairman Christian Purslow was highly critical of playing the World Cup part way through the club season.
"Next season when we play in an equally crazy idea, which is a winter World Cup, we won't see any Premier League football at the peak of our season between November and December, which is something that people are going to have to get used to.
"These are decisions that get taken a long time ago. They bite, quite soon. Next season we'll all see that.
"I always have concerns about player welfare but I have more concerns for our fans missing Premier League football in the winter for five weeks, which is our great national tradition and our great national heritage."
As well as implementing a break, the Premier League season will also begin a week earlier, on Saturday 6 August, and finish slightly later than usual.
Source : 90min