A majority of the Premier League’s 20 clubs have opted against retaining the rule which allows each side to make five substitutions per match for the 2020/21 season in a second vote on the matter.
The rule was brought in when the 2019/20 top-flight campaign resumed in June after a three-month break to prevent mass injuries as the fixture list was completed following a compressed schedule.
Premier League News: The vote for 5 subs, as predicted, was defeated at today’s meeting and there will be 3 subs next season. Also: Looks positive for behind-closed-doors matches to be televised but final decision at meeting early next week.
— Martin Ziegler (@martynziegler) September 3, 2020
Football’s world governing body FIFA announced that five alternative rules could be used in competitions until August 2021, but Premier League sides previously voted against the amendment at a meeting on August 6.
However, there was a repeat vote on Thursday that produced the same result again, according to The Times’ chief sports correspondent Martin Ziegler.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come out in favor of extra substitutions after losing to Premier League champions Arsenal in the Community Shield. Speaking on Saturday ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Klopp said: “We have 38 Premier League games in a short four-week season, that says it all,” as quoted by Liverpool’s official website. Is. “All the other competitions will be the same as far as I know, so that means these things will help.
“But I can imagine other teams look at it differently… it’s really, how do we get through the season. I think to get through the season well, the football players and For the sake of the performance level, I think it makes sense.”
Jurgen Klopp made it clear he was in favor of the five-substitute rule earlier in the week / Poll/Getty Images
On the same day as the Premier League decision, Germany’s top flight – the Bundesliga – voted to retain the five-substitution rule for next season as DW’s Jonathan Crane reports.
The same Premier League meeting also reportedly offered positive news for fans hoping to broadcast live matches while the competition is played behind closed doors, although the subject will be revisited next week.
Given the lack of fans in stadiums, every Premier League match was televised since football returned last season. Despite the continued absence of fans for the start of 2020/21, only a handful of matches will be broadcast next season as things stand, although that could change.