Report: English FA to Introduce of Winter Break Ahead of 2019-20 Season
English football is on the cusp of implementing a winter break for the 2019/20 season after an agreement was reached between the country's three major governing bodies.
In what is a landmark victory for the Football Association, the Telegraph has reported that the Premier League and Football League have shaken hands with the FA over the proposal.
The decision is expected to be officially announced before the current campaign ends, but the Telegraph has claimed that the agreement is already in place following a meeting between the FA and its fellow bodies.
The FA has been trying to introduce a winter break for many years now after seeing the success it brings to other European nations such as Germany, Spain and Italy.
Those nations have fared better than the senior English national team at major international tournaments in recent times, and it is this main reason as to why the FA is so keen to bring in a potential break midway through the season.
With Euro 2020 set to be used as a basis behind the implementation of the move, the FA will argue that the Three Lions' best players will be refreshed and ready to attack the second half of the league season and, therefore, be better prepared and fitter to take part in the summer competition later that year.
The festive fixture period will not be hampered by the introduction of a winter break, however. Many football fans had cried foul over the possibility of missing out on watching their clubs over Christmas, and the FA have heeded those wishes and opted to bring the break in during January and into the start of February.
The break will not be a traditional one in the same way as Europe's other leagues too, with games set to be staggered over the period and not lead to a full league shutdown for two weeks.
That move will also appease broadcasters such as Sky and BT, who still want to show live matches during that time and argue that an increase in TV revenue streams should allow them to do so.
