Is there a winter break in the Premier League this season? Top-flight clubs face hectic schedule over festive period and beyond
In the Premier League the hectic winter period is approaching and that means a lot of football.
As good as it is for the fans, it means a lot of physical work for the players and increases the risk of injury.
That is why a winter break was introduced in January last season to give teams more time to recover and rest safely.
However, things have now changed again, and the top flight has already abandoned its plan…
Are there winter holidays this season?
There will be no pause in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Last season, during the winter break, five games were played on the weekend of January 13 and the other five on January 20.
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It allowed the teams to have some free time during a busy schedule while still maintaining top-notch action at the same time.
But the breakup will not happen this year after its removal.
It was removed to allow for a longer summer vacation before the season began later. Euro 2024 and America's Cup instead.
An FA statement in April said: “The mid-season break is being removed from the calendar to allow for a Premier League start date in mid-August.
“This longer summer break allows all Premier League clubs to be in a better position to ensure players have a consecutive three-week break in the summer.
“This takes into account expert advice from the medical and technical departments, who value a longer period of complete rest in summer than a short break in winter.”
This means there will be no free time for teams during normal hours. hectic Christmas and New Year schedule.
However, even though there was no rest, the matches were spread out to help the players have enough recovery time.
In December and January, no club will play within 60 hours of another match to provide a longer recovery period.
As mentioned above, last season all 20 teams played during the winter, but in staggered game weeks.
Ten would play one weekend and then the other ten a week later.
Last season's break was the first since the 2019/20 season, and a strange schedule prevented it from happening before.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the following season, and then the 2022 World Cup that began in November disrupted the usual plan.
Arsenal They enjoyed the winter break in 2023/24, winning eight consecutive Premier League matches during that period.
Mikel Arteta He praised the impact of resting a little more, but he won't do it this time.
And that could be a big problem for the Gunners, who have already been devastated by injuries this campaign.
It will be the same for city of manchester Additionally, his unfortunate injury history has clearly impacted his success thus far.
Liverpool On the other hand, they will be happy not to stop, as they will want their momentum to continue.