LONDON • The 2020-21 English Premier League season will begin on Sept 12 and the final round of matches will be held on May 23, the league announced yesterday.
The new season, originally scheduled to begin on Aug 8, has been delayed this year after the Premier League suspended the 2019-20 season for three months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The current season will end with a final round of fixtures tomorrow, giving teams about seven weeks to prepare for the next campaign.
However, teams still in the Champions League and Europa League will have less time to prepare should they advance deeper into the knockout stages, with the finals of the two competitions on Aug 23 and Aug 21 respectively.
The new season kicks off after the international break, with European football's governing body Uefa announcing last month that Nations League matches would be played between Sept 3-8.
The Premier League added that they would continue to consult with the Football Association and the English Football League regarding the scheduling of domestic competitions.
Separately, Liverpool's Premier League title-winning captain Jordan Henderson was named England's Footballer of the Year yesterday in the annual vote of the Football Writers' Association.
Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Liverpool pair Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane made up the rest of the top five.
Henderson, 30, has been central to Liverpool's success under manager Jurgen Klopp through his leadership and tireless midfield work.
"I don't feel like anything I've achieved this season or in fact during my whole career has been done on my own," said Henderson.
"I owe a lot to so many different people - but none more so than my current teammates - who have just been incredible and deserve this every bit as much as I do."
Two other Liverpool players - Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker - also received votes.
City manager Pep Guardiola believes de Bruyne's impact on the Premier League cannot be overstated after the playmaker, who has 11 goals and 19 assists in the league this season, was snubbed.
"The numbers are incredible, not just this season but also the year when we won the league (in 2018)," said the Spaniard.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
