July 25, (THEWILL) – Officials of the England Football Association have assured fans that they will keep them informed regarding any potential future modifications to the FA Cup.
This assurance came after four representatives of supporters met with senior leadership from the FA to address concerns about the recent agreement with the English Premier League regarding the sale of overseas FA Cup rights. There have been speculations that this deal could lead to significant changes in the knockout competition, such as the elimination of replays, scheduling the FA Cup final on a midweek basis instead of its exclusive end-of-season slot, and other alterations.
The FA representatives reiterated their commitment to protecting the FA Cup and promised to engage in detailed discussions once a concrete proposal is available for sharing. The talks come in the context of broader negotiations known as the “New Deal For Football,” which encompasses financial distribution matters involving the EPL, the FA, and the EFL, as well as cost controls.
The potential changes to both domestic knockout competitions appear likely due to various factors, including the expansion of UEFA’s club competitions from 2024/2025 and FIFA’s introduction of a new 32-team Club World Cup in 2025, along with an extended World Cup from 2026, affecting players’ off-season breaks. However, the FA clarified that these considerations should be viewed separately from the ongoing process of selling overseas FA Cup rights. The Infront Sports and Media agency has taken legal action over the FA’s handling of the initial tender process for a portion of the international rights.
The FA had previously granted preferred bidder status to Infront for some overseas rights in early May, but this process was halted to assess a “third-party offer,” as stated by Infront. The FA later opened a new tender from July 4 to 17, during which Infront reportedly did not submit an offer. The FA has not yet commented on the status of the overseas FA Cup rights tender.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
