No FA Cup replays or two-legged Carabao Cup semifinals as Premier League confirms 2020-21 schedule

As the footballing world continues to deal with schedule constraints during the coronavirus pandemic, England’s cup competitions have announced some format changes. For the 2020-21 season, the FA Cup will scrap replays and the Carabao Cup will no longer play two-legged semifinals.

Additionally, the FA announced prize money for the FA Cup would be half of last season’s total, going from £3.6 million to £1.8 million for the 2020-21 season. The move comes after the FA claimed financial struggles during the coronavirus pandemic; in June, the governing body laid off 124 people.

The news comes on the day the Premier League confirmed the schedule for its 20 clubs, including cup competition. The domestic season will begin on August 29 with the Community Shield and the Carabao Cup first round, and end on May 23 with the final round of Premier League matches. The changes for the FA Cup and Carabao Cup lighten the load slightly, but teams are still scheduled to play about the same number of games as usual in a season that will be about a month shorter than it normally is.

Tottenham Hotspur’s season is scheduled to start with the Premier League’s first round on September 12, and then will begin Europa League qualifying on September 17. The team is expected to enter the Carabao Cup in the third round on September 22, making for a very busy start to Spurs’ 2020-21 season. Premier League teams are expected to enter the FA Cup on January 9, when the third round begins.