LONDON (AP) — The Premier League has blamed the expansion of European club competitions for the decline in Boxing Day fixtures, which affects “an important tradition of English football.”
Only one match will be played on December 26th, between Manchester United and Newcastle. Last year there were eight games.
The league said on Friday that the expansion of competitions such as the Champions League was creating “several challenges”.
“Weekend availability will be reduced and the league will be tied to what the calendar looks like,” it said in a statement. “As in previous years, and in line with our commitment to our clubs, special arrangements have been made to allow for longer intervals between matches played during the festival period.”
The league said it could guarantee more matches would be played as Boxing Day 2026 fell on a Saturday.
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