Top clubs are held back by Premier League rules and things need to change if they are to avoid further embarrassment in Europe. All but two English teams have already been eliminated from the Champions League this season, with only Liverpool and Arsenal remaining. And it won’t get any easier for the struggling Reds, who will face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will recover from their FA Cup quarter-final match against Manchester City. PSG was due to play Reims at the weekend, but the match was postponed after a request was made to Ligue 1 leaders.
England have two domestic cups and the Premier League, so it would be impossible to give Liverpool a free weekend in the same way.
As a result, the Reds were at a disadvantage against PSG before a ball was even kicked. So how can we prevent similar situations from happening in the future?
The obvious answer would be to reduce the list of domestic matches, but that won’t happen while there is so much money being made.
A workaround could be to cancel the Carabao Cup, but such a move is unlikely. While it won’t help Liverpool in this particular scenario, it would reduce the number of games the team plays per season, which would help ease fatigue and prevent injuries.
The tournament doesn’t even come close to the prestige of the FA Cup, so linking up with other European leagues by hosting just one domestic cup competition might not be such a terrible idea.
Another option would be for the Premier League to increase the size of its squads, allowing clubs to add strength to help rotation when important matches come together.
Financial constraints could also be eased, allowing teams to sign the world’s best players from clubs like PSG and Real Madrid. In theory, this could help make the English team stronger in the Champions League.
It is unclear what action Premier League leaders intend to take to extend assistance to clubs. But unless something changes in the coming years, the country’s best team in Europe could be in for another humiliation.
