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Liverpool And Manchester United Produce Plans To Reduce Premier League To 18 Teams

Liverpool And Manchester United Produce Plans To Reduce Premier League To 18 Teams

The two big Premier League clubs want to bring a huge shakeup to how football in England is structured.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Liverpool and Manchester United are leading what could be the biggest shake up in English football since the Premier League started in 1992.

The two clubs, the biggest in English football, are at the forefront of attempting to change football in the country, in what is essentially a power grab from the biggest teams.

A document by the Premier League champion's owners Fenway Sports Group, called 'Revatilastion', has been backed by their fierce rivals United, according to the Telegraph.

The biggest change that is being proposed is reducing the top division from 20 clubs down to 18 and the biggest clubs would also get more say in the regulation of the league with the abolishment of one club one vote system.

Instead of needing 14 teams to vote in favour of any changes it would fall to the nine clubs who'd been in the top tier for the longest to make decisions.

Current champions Liverpool are the ones pushing the new regulations. Image: PA Images
Current champions Liverpool are the ones pushing the new regulations. Image: PA Images

That would of course include the big six of Liverpool, United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, all of whom are expected to back the plans.

In exchange there would be a £250 million rescue package for the Football League amidst the current Covid-19 crisis, whilst the FA would also get a £100 million gift.

However there would also be no more parachute payments and there would also be one less 'automatic' promotion spot from the Championship.

The top two would still go through but the play-offs would be changed with fourth, fifth and sixth going into the 'tournament' with the 16th placed Premier League side, meaning potentially only two sides going up every year.

Instead of parachute payments, 25 per cent share of Premier League revenue would be distributed more evenly.

The play-offs could be very different. Image: PA Images
The play-offs could be very different. Image: PA Images

There would also only be 90 league clubs, with the Championship, League One and League Two staying with 24 teams in each.

EFL chairman Rick Parry, who is the former chief executive of Liverpool, is said to have backed the plans that could also see the League Cup and Community Shield axed.

There could be some room for the Carabao Cup to remain but not include the sides who are in Europe.

The plans would reportedly not see the big sides get more revenue share, just power, and are in theory just to stop the huge gap between the top two tiers.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Carabao Cup, Manchester United, football league, Premier League, championship