Liverpool fixture clash prompts EFL Cup reshuffle as EFL criticises UEFA

The English Football League (EFL) has criticised UEFA after a Champions League fixture involving Liverpool and Atletico de Madrid forced changes to the schedule for the third round of the EFL Cup.

Everton’s home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, originally set for 9 September, will now be played on 16 September after UEFA scheduled Liverpool’s Champions League league-phase meeting with Atletico de Madrid for the same evening.

The change was required because security and policing arrangements do not allow Liverpool and Everton to host home matches on the same day.

The EFL confirmed the rearrangement in an official statement on Monday. Moving the Everton-Wolverhampton Wanderers match to 16 September meant that Liverpool’s EFL Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur, which had been due to take place on that date, also had to be moved.

That match will now be played 24 hours earlier than originally planned.

The EFL said it had discussed possible solutions with UEFA officials but claimed European football’s governing body was unwilling to move the Liverpool-Atletico de Madrid fixture. According to the EFL, UEFA’s position was influenced by the effect any change would have on supporters travelling from outside the country.

The scheduling dispute comes as the expansion of UEFA’s club competitions continues to create additional demands for domestic leagues and cup competitions.

In its statement, the EFL said: “Over recent seasons, the EFL has made a number of changes to accommodate the expansion of UEFA club competitions, a decision taken without sufficient consultation with domestic leagues.”

It added: “This makes UEFA’s unwillingness to cooperate extremely frustrating, particularly for the supporters of the five affected clubs, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

The rescheduling affects five clubs, although the statement did not provide further details about the other fixture changes beyond the switch involving Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

The original change was triggered by the decision to stage Liverpool’s Champions League match against Atletico de Madrid on the same night as Everton’s home fixture. With both clubs based in the same city and the two matches requiring police and security resources, the EFL said the games could not go ahead simultaneously at their respective grounds.

The league therefore moved the Everton fixture first, before adjusting the Liverpool-Tottenham Hotspur tie to prevent a further clash in the EFL Cup calendar.

The EFL’s criticism centres on what it describes as a lack of willingness from UEFA to find a solution that would limit disruption for domestic clubs and their supporters. It said it had already made repeated changes in previous seasons to help accommodate the growth of UEFA competitions, but believed domestic competitions had not been sufficiently consulted before the latest scheduling decisions were made.