What do you mean by ‘what is the winter break? Well, it is worth noting that prior to this year, the English Premier League has never had a winter break.

You might wonder why the need for a winter break in the first place? The Football calendar is jam packed. Countless competitions, cups, and international fixtures mean that recovery times for players have significantly shortened.

In fact, certain managers (such as Klopp) have decided not to attend some fixtures due to congestion. But why is this the case? To put it simply, Football is a great money spinner. It’s not just the clubs that seek increased revenue. Players wages have become astronomical, albeit over what might be considered a very short career span.

So, the authorities have seen fit to put a two week break into the Football calendar. But is it truly a 2 week break?

 

The Schedule For The ‘Break’

You might think that the winter break means 2 weeks of complete rest for footballers, sunning themselves on a beach in the Middle East. In fact, the break is really not that at all for some. For instance, on the weekend of February 8-9 there are still 4 fixtures, and on the weekend of Feb 14-17 there are 6 fixtures.

Here are the fixtures that still occur despite there being a ‘break’:

 

Saturday Feb 8th

Everton v Crystal Palace(12.30)

Brighton v Watford(17.30)

 

Sunday Feb 9th

Sheffield United v Bournemouth(14.00)

Manchester City v West Ham(16.30)

 

Friday Feb 14th

Wolves v Leicester(20.00)

Saturday Feb 15th

Southampton v Burnley(12.30)

Norwich v Liverpool(17.30)

Sunday Feb 16th

Aston Villa v Tottenham(14.00)

Arsenal v Newcastle(16.30)

Monday Feb 17th

Chelsea v Man Utd(20.00)

 

So, if you are a Football die-hard fan, the two week ‘break’ may be sufficiently weak as to ensure no withdrawal symptoms!