Matt Maher: Big boys given more as Europe causes squeeze

The sight of four clubs who have qualified for Europe being guaranteed home ties was too much for many.

“I worry about where English football is heading,” Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, among the biggest voices advocating the introduction of an independent regulator, wrote on X.

Others went further, declaring the whole thing a fix.

It wasn’t, of course. Rather than conspiracy, this was mere necessity thanks to the expansion of this season’s European competitions leaving the domestic game with a major logistical headache.

To celebrate their new Swiss-style league system, Uefa has given each competition its own dedicated starting week.

The Europa League begins in the same week the Carabao Cup third round is scheduled, meaning neither Manchester United or Tottenham (who will play in the Europa League this season) could be drawn against a Champions League club, as it would be impossible to find a date for the tie to actually take place. What didn’t help, admittedly, was the Carabao Cup going further than it needed. They didn’t have to keep the Champions League clubs apart, just as there would have been no issue had Spurs and United been paired together.

Neither did those guaranteed home draws help the optics. A separate draw had taken place beforehand, off camera, to decide how many home and away ties there would be for our European clubs.

Yet there is surely an argument, if these are the strongest teams in the country, they should all be drawn away? They have, after all, already benefited from qualifying for Europe by skipping a round.

Above everything, however, this was most importantly another example of how European football is squeezing the domestic schedule ever tighter.

Already it has led to the axing of FA Cup replays, to the disappointment of many and the benefit of only the few. Wednesday night was just the latest unhappy compromise and in the future, there will be more of them.

One confident prediction to make is these European competitions won’t be getting any smaller.