EFL forced to reschedule three matches as they launch scathing attack on UEFA over fixture chaos

The EFL has been forced into a fixture shake-up following confirmation of Liverpool’s Champions League schedule.

A total of three matches have been moved in order to accommodate the Reds’ European commitments.

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It follows the draw for the third round of this season’s Carabao Cup.

Everton had been due to host Wolves on Wednesday, September 9.

However, UEFA have scheduled Liverpool’s league phase opener against Atletico Madrid at Anfield for the same night.

Rules currently prevent both Merseyside clubs from playing at home on the same night.

As a result, the Toffees will now meet Wolves on Wednesday, September 16.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s own third round tie, a home clash with Tottenham Hotspur will be played the day before at 8pm.

A third fixture has also been moved in order to accommodate the Carabao Cup matches.

Wolves had previously been set to host Portsmouth in the Championship at Molineux on September 9.

The fixture was pushed back to September 16 after their trip to Everton was given a date.

That Championship match will now be played at 7:45pm on Tuesday, October 20.

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EFL statement

In a statement confirming the news, the EFL said: “The EFL has been left with no option than to rearrange a number of its fixtures following the announcement of fixture details for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.

“On 28 August, we confirmed that the Carabao Cup Round Three tie between Everton and Wolves had been scheduled for Wednesday 9 September.

“This was confirmed with local stakeholders as per usual practice ahead of announcement.

“On Saturday, UEFA announced that it had scheduled Liverpool v Atletico Madrid for the same date, despite it being clear that Everton and Liverpool cannot play home fixtures on the same evening.

“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, and avoiding the consequences for other fixtures as a result.”

The EFL added: “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.

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“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 cooperate all the more frustrating, not least for the supporters of the five clubs that will now be inconvenienced as a result.”

A separate statement from Portsmouth explained: “The knock-on effect of this is that disappointingly, our visit to Molineux has been postponed for a second time and will now take place on Tuesday, October 20 (7.45pm kick-off).

“Due to the extremely late notice of these changes, Wolves are unable to host the game on the original date of September 9.

“Portsmouth Football Club are extremely frustrated that our fans, many of whom will have twice made arrangements for this game, are adversely affected.”

Pompey had only announced the previous date change for their trip to Wolves on Friday.