Why the Premier League winter break is back for 2024 – and when your club is off
Remember the Premier League winter break? Debated for years before it was finally introduced for the 2019-20 campaign, it hasn’t been seen since.
But this season it is back, meaning all clubs in the English top flight will get a minimum of 10 days without a league game, giving them a chance to manage the workloads of weary players.
As it did before, the Premier League winter break will be staggered over two weeks in January, in between the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup.
Half of teams will have no fixture on the weekend of 13-14 January, while the other half will be off for the weekend of 20-21 January.
This format is seen as a good compromise that ensure rest for players while also making sure Premier League football remains available for live broadcast throughout.
When is my club’s winter break?
The 10 teams who will not play on 13-14 January are: Arsenal, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, West Ham and Wolves.
Aston Villa, Burnley, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Luton, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham therefore have the following weekend off.
For the most up-to-date fixture list, see the Premier League website here.
Why did the Premier League winter break vanish?
Shortly after it was first implemented, the world was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the season to be suspended and finish much later than usual.
As a result, the 2020-21 campaign started late, meaning that there was less space in the calendar for a winter break, so it was dropped.
Meanwhile the following two seasons — 2021-22 and 2022-23 — were both condensed to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was played in the northern hemisphere’s winter for the first time.
This season, however, scheduling has returned to normal, so the Premier League winter break is back in the calendar.
What do teams do during the winter break?
It is at their discretion. Some will give players a few days off training to recharge before bringing them back in for practice on specific aspects of their play.
Others may also choose to fly to the Middle East or southern Europe for warm-weather training, which may or may not come with some commercial engagements.
Is there any way it can be cancelled?
Barring another pandemic or unprecedented weather disruption that causes swathes of matches to be postponed, the Premier League winter break will go ahead in 2023-24.
But there is a way that it can be cut short for some clubs. Those who draw their FA Cup third round ties on the weekend of 6-7 January will be required to replay them on 16-17 January, and that could mean just eight days off for teams.
Is the winter break here to stay?
Premier League clubs are strongly in favour of retaining the break, so it looks highly likely to remain in place next year and beyond.
So keen are they to keep it that they have proposed doing away with replays in the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup from next season, as part of wide ranging negotiations with the English Football League.