The Premier League could be reduced to 18 teams in a radical shake-up reportedly being driven by Manchester United and Liverpool.
Both clubs are said to be the driving force behind what The Telegraph report is called ‘Project Big Picture’ – a proposal to revitalise English football.
The plans will reshape the finances of the game and would see the Premier League hand out a £250m rescue package to the EFL to help see them through the coronavirus crisis.
Alongside this, the League Cup and Community Shield would both be scrapped, with the controlling power of the Premier League handed to the division’s biggest clubs.
![[FILE] Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (L) runs with the ball as Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel closes in during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/000_97B779-scaled-e1703231851386-120x86.jpg "Liverpool host Arsenal in battle for Premier League Christmas No. 1 4")
There is a chance that the League Cup could survive the shake-up, provided that clubs in Europe would no longer take part.
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have written the working document for the plans and have support from their Old Trafford rivals, with both clubs expecting the rest of the big six to back the proposals.
Twenty-five per cent of the Premier League’s annual revenue would go to EFL clubs in the proposals, alongside the proposed rescue package.
The FA would also be gifted £100m to see them through the coronavirus.
Yet the one-club, one-vote principle, which sees every Premier League side get an equal say in proceedings, would be scrapped alongside the minimum threshold of 14 votes to pass regulation changes.
The nine clubs who have been in the Premier League the longest would then dictate how the competition is run.
These nine clubs are currently the big six alongside Everton, Southampton and West Ham.
Just six of them would be required to vote in favour in order to make changes to Premier League regulation
The Premier League would also shrink to 18 teams, with two being automatically relegated to the Championship.
Teams finishing in 16th place would enter the Championship play-offs in order to fight for their survival.
Other proposals include a later start to the Premier League season to allow greater scope for pre-season friendlies, changes to the loan system that would allow clubs to send 15 players out on loan domestically, and a women’s professional league independent of the Premier League and the FA.
The plans are supported by EFL chairman Rick Parry, who has held talks with both Liverpool and Manchester United’s owners.
Parry believes that many of the EFL’s 72 members would also back the plans.
He said: “What do we do? Leave it exactly as it is and allow the smaller clubs to wither? Or do we do something about it?
“And you can’t do something about it without something changing. And the view of our clubs is if the big six get some benefits but the 72 also do, we are up for it.”
Relegated clubs from the Premier League would no longer receive parachute payments, with Premier League revenue now being shared more equally among EFL clubs.
Alongside this, there would be a new model of distribution for TV revenue in the Premier League, although FSG argue that there would be no greater share for the top six and the main aim is to eliminate the huge gap in earnings between the Premier League and the EFL.
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
