Should the Premier League have a winter break?

This is a question asked time and time again, by the players, the managers and the viewers themselves. Why or rather, why not?

The Premier League is the most watched domestic football league in the world. It is a league which witnesses the best players in the world (most of them), it is also the league which is the most entertaining, both in terms of competition and in terms of the pace and skill. And, it is a financial boon to broadcasters and advertisers. Here’s a look at the major stakeholders and possible solutions.

The Players

The players in the Premier League are subjected to intense scrutiny, simply because they have to be at their very best, week in, week out. It takes a physical and a mental toll on the players’ body. A player from the traditional ‘Big Four’ usually has to make himself available for 38 Premier League games, 10 Champions League games (assuming his side reaches atleast the quarters), 5 FA Cup games , and 5 League Cup games which makes it a total of 58 games in a season. This, without taking into account the FA Cup replays , international friendlies and World Cup/Euro qualifying games.

The Managers

Most managers have vouched for a winter break simply because of the amount of games their stars play. A two week break in their opinion would not only rejuvenate themselves and their players, it would allow them to go back to the drawing board in the middle of the season and reassess their goals for the rest of the campaign. It would also give them time to complete deals for recruits during the January transfer window.

The Broadcasters

The broadcasters (Sky in the UK) would lose out big time if a break is imposed. This is because, a host of matches are held in the two weeks during Christmas and the New Year, where four League games are cramped inside 12 days, and broadcasters cash in as their viewership is the maximum than during any other time of the season as folks take their annual vacation during this festive period.

Is it possible to have a break at all?

Well, as the current scenario stands, the season begins in the third weekend of August , if one does not account for a couple of clubs playing Europa League qualification matches and the Community Shield, and ends in the second weekend of May. In a Euro or a World Cup year, it is not possible to extend the end of the season beyond this point. And one cant start the season earlier, as players would be fatigued and not fully charged for the season ahead.

A possible solution may be to cancel the League Cup altogether. No other European nation plays two domestic cups, and I for one, feel that it is completely irrelevant unless you want to add to the trophy cabinet. In any case, the top sides do not play their best eleven, before the quarters atleast. A school of thought may argue that it gives the fringe players a chance, but for that there are a lot of reserve games or they may be sent out on loan.

A second solution may be to cancel the replay when an FA Cup ends in a draw. End it on the night, with extra time and penalties, although I seriously doubt if anyone would want to tinker with tradition of the oldest cup competition in the world. But, if a break is what is warranted, then you must lose something to gain something.

A third solution, and this may be the most drastic and least feasible option, is to restructure the entire league and make it a 18 team league like the Bundesliga. Competition is bound to increase, two fewer teams means four less league games for every club and a winter break may be imposed without tampering other cup competitions.

There really is no point in shouting for a winter break, without any real consideration as to how to cram all the games in to the limited time frame of a season. A break may do everyone some good, but it also depends on when the break is taken. It does not have to be during the festive period, it can be a week either side, to keep everyone happy. Unless that happens, it will continue to function in the same manner, and top Premier League footballers would play more matches than any other league’s footballer.