England: Premier League and FA discuss reducing the number of domestic cup matches

The Premier League and the English FA have recently held discussions to consider reducing the number of domestic cup matches for first division teams, according to multiple British media outlets on 16/02/2016.

Items discussed include eliminating replays in the FA Cup, which would then go to extra time and penalties after the first 90 minutes, and eliminating the two-legged ties in the Capital One Cup semi-finals. The League Cup semi-finals would then be disputed in one match, in line with the rest of the competition.

The goal of these potential changes is to eliminate fixture congestion for Premier League teams, especially around the late December and January period, while potentially also helping top English clubs compete better in European cups.

• According to British media, the Football League English Football League, the professional league that manages the English 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th divisions. would oppose any changes to the format of English cup competitions, as many lower division clubs rely on additional cup matches and replays as a welcome source of revenue.
• The Premier…