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The first dates for next season’s diary were revealed today, including the opening day of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign and the end of the summer transfer window.
At a shareholders’ meeting, the Premier League confirmed that next term will start on Saturday, August 8, with further dates to be announced in due course.
This comes less than a month after the final of Euro 2020 and the Copa América, which both conclude on Sunday, July 12. This could mean a minimal amount of time off for the likes of Richarlison, Yerry Mina, Jordan Pickford, Mason Holgate, Michael Keane, Lucas Digne and Djibril Sidibé.
The fixture list for the 2020-21 season will likely be revealed in mid-June.
The dates for next season’s Champions League and Europa League, should Everton qualify for either, have also been released today, though UEFA adds these remain subject to change.
In the unlikely event of a top four finish, Everton’s Champions League campaign will kick off on September 15/16, and if they qualify straight for the Europa League group stages, their first game will take place on Thursday, September 17.
But should Everton take the final Europa League place, which will be seventh if the EFL Cup and FA Cup are both won by clubs who finish in the top six, they will enter the competition at the second qualifying round stage, which commences on Thursday, July 23.
This would mean an even tighter turnaround for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who would have to navigate three two-legged qualifying rounds by the end of August to reach the groups.
Meanwhile, the Premier League also said today that next season’s summer transfer window will close on Tuesday, September 1 at 1700 BST.
Having shut on the Thursday prior to the first round of Premier League games for the last two years, it was announced that it will revert back to its “traditional point at the end of August/early September” next season.
"It gave an advantage to other leagues."
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 6, 2020
Liverpool's Tom Werner and West Ham's David Gold react to the news the Premier League transfer window will move back in line with the rest of Europe. pic.twitter.com/6vRqb1dlFU
This was decided by a vote among all Premier League clubs at today’s meeting in London, after other major European leagues did not follow suit, making it impossible for top-flight clubs in England to replace players who moved abroad after their own deadline.
It is likely, then, that there will have been four rounds of league fixtures before next season’s summer window deadline, as opposed to none for the previous two campaigns.