EFL slam UEFA in furious statement after being forced to move matches

The EFL has taken aim at UEFA over their "unwillingness to co-operate" given the scheduling conflicts that have arisen between the Carabao Cup and the Champions League with a meeting between the two organisations leading to no progress.

Teams playing in Europe will enter the Carabao Cup in the third round, which is scheduled to take place in mid-September. The draw was altered so that those involved in European football would not able to face each other.

But just three days after the EFL confirmed the dates and times of the third round games, they have been forced into a number of changes which, they claim, is down to UEFA's refusal to meet them halfway or attempt to find any solutions.

Liverpool's clash with Tottenham, originally scheduled for Wednesday September 16, but will now be played 24 hours earlier. Merseyside rivals Everton were due to host Wolves on Wednesday September 9, but will now play them a week later.

That is because the Reds are playing Atletico Madrid on September 9 and they and Everton cannot play on the same evening due to policing reasons.

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The fixtures changes meant that Wolves have seen two games rescheduled. The change to their clash with Everton means their Championship game with Portsmouth, originally scheduled for Wednesday September 16 will now be delayed by more than a month with Tuesday October 20 its new date.

And the EFL has laid the blame firmly at the door of Europe's governing body, stating: "Over recent seasons the League has made a number of changes to accommodate the expansion of UEFA Club competitions – a decision which was made without adequate consultation with domestic leagues. These changes have included splitting Carabao Cup Round Three ties across two weeks, and implementing draw conditions for Round Three which prevent scheduling conflicts for clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

"This makes UEFA’s unwillingness to co-operate all the more frustrating, not least for the supporters of the five impacted clubs, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused."

They also added: "The EFL met with UEFA officials on Monday morning to explore available options, however in those discussions it was made clear that they were unwilling to consider rescheduling the Liverpool v Atletico Madrid fixture due to the impact on supporters travelling from overseas. Disappointingly, the League has therefore been forced to make changes."

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