Premier League understood to have offered £125m a year in additional EFL funding
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The Premier League is understood to have offered £125million a year in additional funding to the EFL in a bid to end a long-running dispute over financial distribution between the competitions.
The leagues, along with the Football Association, are trying to agree a ‘New Deal For Football’ covering distribution, cost controls, calendar issues and work permits.
The PA news agency understands a £95m offer was made in December which has now been increased by a further £30m annually.
The Government has warned a new independent regulator will have powers to settle the financial dispute between the Premier League and EFL through arbitration, although the regulator could still be at least two seasons away.
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Approximately £450m will be provided to EFL clubs under an existing deal – excluding parachute payments – over the current broadcast cycle from 2022 to 2025. That is part of an overall package of support to the wider pyramid totalling £1.6billion to the end of the cycle.
The Premier League and EFL have declined to comment, with talks between the governing bodies ongoing.
The EFL has called for a 25 per cent share of pooled broadcast revenues between itself and the Premier League, the abolition of parachute payments which it says creates a cliff edge between the top flight and the second tier, and the introduction of merit-based payments at a ratio of two to one to be applied in the Premier League and the Championship.
Fair Game, a group which has called for the reform of football’s financial flows and supports the introduction of a regulator, described the new offer as “crumbs”.
“In a year, when we saw £100m spent on a single player, £45m given to Burnley in parachute payments and the Premier League’s TV deal pass £3bn a year – this deal is not even worth a moment’s thought,” Fair Game chief executive Niall Couper said.
This is simply a case of crumbs being thrown in the direction of the rest of the football pyramid
“The £30m represents just one per cent of that TV deal. This is simply a case of crumbs being thrown in the direction of the rest of the football pyramid.
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“According to the EFL’s articles of association, the £30m would give Championship clubs £1m each, League One clubs £150,000 each and League Two clubs around £100,000 each – that is barely enough to cover clubs’ energy bills.
“This is just another reason why football’s financial flow needs to be in the hands of an independent regulator.”
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