FA Asks Premier League Not To Schedule Matches Between 'Big Six' Clubs The Weekend Before World Cup

The Football Association has reportedly requested that no matches between the Premier League's 'Big Six' clubs are staged the weekend before the start of the World Cup.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup gets underway on November 21, the first time it has been held during the winter.

The unusual timing of the tournament has caused a major headache for domestic leagues in Europe.

To accommodate the tournament, the Premier League going on a mid-season break of more than six weeks.

The World Cup in Qatar gets underway on November 21 (Image: PA)

The Premier League's final round of games before the mid-season pause will take place on November 12 and 13, just eight days before England take on Iran in their first World Cup group match on the opening day of the tournament.

England boss Gareth Southgate is reportedly concerned about the quick turnaround for his players.

According to ESPN, the FA have requested that no games between Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham are staged in the final weekend of games before the World Cup.

Fixtures for the Premier League are generated at random through a system developed by Atos, a digital company used since the league's inception in 1992.

Southgate is concerned about the quick turnaround for his players (Image: PA)

However, these are subject to certain 'golden rules' which include no team playing more than two consecutive matches at home or away, and two clubs in close proximity in the same city both playing at home on the same day for policing reasons.

According to the report, the FA believe another rule can be added on a one-off basis for the Qatar World Cup, given the tournament's unusual timing.

The FA has requested no match between 'Big Six' clubs the weekend before the World Cup (Image: PA)

Back in March, Southgate spoke about the difficulties he would face if high-profile fixtures were staged immediately before the start of the World Cup.

"What would help is if we don't get a derby or those sorts of 'big six' games," said Southgate.

"But it's not the fault of the League the World Cup is being held in the winter."

Topics: England, Football World Cup, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal, Qatar

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan