FA chief executive Martin Glenn adamant Premier League Christmas fixtures will never be cancelled
FA chiefs are adamant they will NEVER cancel the Christmas fixtures for a mid-season break.
Chief executive Martin Glenn admits he has been in talks with Premier League bosses about finding a way to give top stars a winter breather.
But he insists any rest period would only come in mid-January once the festive programme is completed.
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He said: “We would never take away the Christmas period.
“We would never change the Boxing Day and New Year’s matches because they are so much a part of what watching English football is all about.
“We have been discussing the possibility of a winter break with the leagues but it would be a mid-January idea.”
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And Glenn made it clear that it would be down to the Premier League clubs to find room in their crowded schedule to make the possibility a probability.
He said: “To make it happen we have to find a way of freeing up two Saturdays in the season.
“Everyone has to come together for that but we’ve already made a bit of a gesture by stopping FA Cup replays after the quarter-finals.
“So we are doing our bit for fixture congestion.
“The winter break won’t just benefit the England national team, it will also benefit the elite clubs.
“When I look at the other European nations, Germany, Holland, France and Spain all have winter breaks of quite a few weeks.
“We play more games in England than they do and the games we play are more intense.
“The great thing about the Premier League is that anyone can win it and every game means something.
“So there is an argument that a mid- winter break could benefit everyone.”