Premier League scheduling does not favour English clubs in Europe, but whose fault is it?

It is just as well that Tottenham take a three-goal advantage into tonight’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, given their testing week in the lead-up to the last 16 second-leg match.

While Spurs battle fatigue following hard-fought games against Burnley, Chelsea and Arsenal, Dortmund come into the fixture having had four days’ recovery. Such is the support that the Bundesliga, and the majority of leagues, afford their clubs ahead of European ties.

It is a situation that undoubtedly puts English clubs at a disadvantage. Dortmund played Augsburg on Friday night last week in order to maximise their recovery time, just as Bayern Munich played on a Friday two weeks ago ahead of their trip to Liverpool.

Italian giants Juventus have Friday games before both legs of their tie with Atletico Madrid, as do Roma and Porto prior to facing each other in the Champions League.

That luxury is not afforded in Spain, but of the major European leagues it is only there and England where clubs’ European exploits are not more willingly accommodated.

In France an even more striking precedent has been set, with Rennes granted a postponement of their Ligue 1 match with Nimes, scheduled for last weekend, in order to give them a week off to prepare for their Europa League last-16 date with Arsenal on Thursday.

It is not yet clear whether Rennes will also be allowed to postpone their next league match, this weekend against Caen, ahead of the second leg with Arsenal. What is certain, however, is that the Gunners will have to travel to Manchester United on Sunday in between their matches with Rennes – and a week after playing Tottenham.

Obstacles

This problem that has frustrated a Premier League managers over the years. Maurizio Sarri complained earlier this season that Chelsea had to contend with two games, against West Ham and Liverpool, in the week following their Europa League trip to play PAOK in Greece.

“In Italy, if you are playing in the Champions League you can ask to play the match before on a Friday or Saturday,” said former Napoli boss Sarri.

“If you play in the Europa League away, you can ask to play on the Monday night. In England we cannot ask this so we have to play after 64 hours. For an English team, it is very difficult to play in the Europa League with the Premier League rules.”

For Tottenham, it means facing Dortmund not only with a day’s less rest than their opponents but also on the back of draining derbies against Arsenal and Chelsea in the six days prior. They then return to Premier League action with minimal delay on Saturday when they visit Southampton.

It must also be noted that the Bundesliga, with two fewer teams and thus four fewer games per year, also has a three-week winter break. In fact, all other major European leagues take at least 11 days off in the middle of their seasons. The absence of a break has been blamed for the comparative lack of success of English clubs on the continent in recent years, and Premier League teams have voted to introduce their own version from next season.

While that has been an issue in itself, it has been the obstacles to rearranging kick-off times in the interest of clubs rather than broadcasters that has irked managers.

Jose Mourinho has repeatedly called on the Premier League to do more to help clubs, and on his way to winning the Europa League with Manchester United in 2017 took exception to a match being scheduled for 12pm on a Sunday when it could have been later that day or on Monday while still being available on live broadcast.

“I don’t understand why we don’t receive any help from the Premier League,” Mourinho said. “Every other country gives its support to teams playing in Europe but I don’t think the Premier League gives an ‘S’.”

Grievances

Last season then-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said there was “no point talking to the Premier League because it is the television [companies] that decides” when games are played and, echoing Mourinho, claimed that some matches on TV could have been easily swapped.

Managers might be better served taking up these grievances with their employers, however; after all, it is the clubs who agree on the terms of the packages that are sold to broadcasters.

If clubs wished to include provisions for rearranging fixtures to suit their European schedules then they could – although it would likely reduce the world-leading value of their rights.

“Scheduling Premier League fixtures is complex and includes having to ensure twinned clubs do not play at home at the same time, and take into account police requests, local events, broadcast selections and several other factors,” a Premier League spokesperson said. “For matches selected for live broadcast in the UK, the options available to the broadcasters in terms of days and kick-off times were agreed by the Premier League prior to the rights being sold.”

This is a situation of the clubs’ own making, then, to some degree. And with the number of Premier League games shown live only set to increase, putting more influence in the hands of the broadcasters, European clubs look likely to continue to enjoy an advantage.