4 Aug 2008Midseason break could take clubs abroad

Football Clubs News | Football Finance News | Football Leagues/ Association and Governance

Premier League clubs could be taking a midseason break in order to play tournaments abroad.

The plans would come in for January 2011 and could represent an alternative to the controversial 39th game plans.

According to reports from the Daily Telegraph, players would stop playing Premier League games during January - the busiest period of the season - to play mini leagues abroad.

It would see cities such as Dubai, Sydney, Johannesburg and Los Angeles enjoy money-spinning tournaments while English fans would lose a traditional period of their season.

Boxing Day and New Year's Day fixtures could be under threat by the plans in the latest money-making scheme.

A spokesman from the Premier League told the newspaper that there was a huge appetite for English football across the globe.

Sir Garth Crooks, who joined Manchester United for their game against Portsmouth in Nigeria at the request of the Premier League, said the concept would work.

He said the interest would "explode" if prize money or "meaning" was added to the games.

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