UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says England should scrap its League Cup to avoid a packed fixture list.
Teams from all the divisions in England compete for the FA Cup and the League Cup every season but the latter’s scheduling is under fire, with two-leg semi-finals adding to the calendar.
Also Read: Championship: Balogun Cleared For Wigan’s Home Clash Against Luton Town
Liverpool were forced to play their Under-23 team in this season’s quarter-finals as the senior side travelled to Qatar for the Club World Cup.
Reds boss Juergen Klopp had appealed for football authorities to rethink the scheduling of their big events.
Ceferin told the Times: “The League Cup is off in France already. Only England remains.
“I think that everybody knows that it would be better for everyone if that were not played any more.”
The French professional football league decided in September the League Cup would not be held from next season.
It came after they failed to secure a broadcaster for the 2020-2024 period while Germany, Spain and Italy only have one cup competition.
Ceferin added: “But the problem is that, through that cup, you finance a lot of clubs that are quite disadvantaged.
“So I understand the problem. The English are also quite traditionalist, you like things that have been there for ages.”
His comments have added to complaints from managers over the congested fixture schedule.
Klopp branded the Premier League’s Christmas schedule a ‘crime’ and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has also slammed his side’s timetable.
He said: “People want it. None of the managers have a problem playing on Boxing Day, but playing on the 26th and 28th, this is a crime.”
City have faced a host of fixture congestion issues, spearheaded when their Premier League clash with West Ham United had to be rearranged due to a storm.
Their match against Arsenal will go ahead on March 11 after they convinced UEFA to give them the green light.
The game has been approved by UEFA and the Premier League to take place next Wednesday, much to the relief of Pep Guardiola’s side, who are short of midweek slots for the rest of the season.
The game – which will see Mikel Arteta return to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since leaving City to become Gunners boss – was scheduled for last Sunday, but City were involved in the Carabao Cup Final against Aston Villa at Wembley.
City won the League Cup for the third consecutive season last weekend after beating Aston Villa 2-1 at Wembley.
