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{{Short description|Association football league}} | |||
{{redirect|FAPL|other uses|FAPL (disambiguation)|and|Premier League (disambiguation)}} | |||
{{about|association football|snooker|Premier League Snooker}}{{This article is about|association football|the Darts league|Premier League Darts}}{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}} | |||
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2013}} | |||
{{Featured article}} | |||
{{use British English|date=October 2012}} | |||
{{Use British English|date=May 2024}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} | |||
{{Infobox football league | {{Infobox football league | ||
| name = Premier League | | name = Premier League | ||
| image = Premier League.svg | | image = Premier League Logo.svg | ||
| pixels = |
| pixels = 280px | ||
| country = England{{refn|group=z|Between 2011 and 2019, at various intervals, the league featured two clubs from Wales, ] and ], who both play in the English football league system.}} | |||
| country = England | |||
| confed = ] | |||
| other countries = Wales | |||
| founded = {{start date and age|1992|02|20|df=y}} | |||
| confed = ] | |||
| relegation = ] | |||
| founded = 20 February 1992 | |||
| levels = ] | |||
| relegation = ] | |||
| teams = ] (since ]){{refn|group=z|22 teams between 1992–1995.}} | |||
| levels = 1 | |||
| domest_cup = {{plainlist| | |||
| teams = ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
}} | |||
| overseas_tournament = ] | |||
| league_cup = ] | | league_cup = ] | ||
| confed_cup = ] |
| confed_cup = {{plainlist| | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
| champions = ] (13th title) | |||
}} | |||
| season = ] | |||
| champions = ] (8th title) | |||
| season = ] | |||
| most_successful_club = ] (13 titles) | | most_successful_club = ] (13 titles) | ||
| most_appearances = ] (653) | |||
| tv = ] & ] (live matches)<br />] & ] (highlights) | |||
| top_goalscorer = ] (260) | |||
| website = | |||
| tv = | |||
| current = ] | |||
{{plainlist| | |||
* ] | |||
* ] / ] | |||
* ]<br>(live matches) | |||
* ]<br>(highlights) | |||
* '''International:''' | |||
* ] | |||
}} | |||
| website = {{URL|https://www.premierleague.com/|premierleague.com}} | |||
| current = ] | |||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Premier League''' is an English professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the ], it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of ] with ]. Besides English clubs, some of the ] can also qualify to play, and ] has also been mooted. | |||
The Premier League is a |
The '''Premier League''' is a professional ] league in ] and the highest level of the ]. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of ] with the ] (EFL). Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/when-will-goal-line-technology-be-introduced.html |title=When will goal-line technology be introduced? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709015312/http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/when-will-goal-line-technology-be-introduced.html |archive-date=9 July 2013 |url-status=dead }} The total number of matches can be calculated using the formula n*(n-1) where n is the total number of teams.</ref> Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.<ref>{{cite news|title=Why is there a Saturday football blackout in the UK for live streams & TV broadcasts? |url=https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/why-is-there-a-saturday-football-blackout-in-the-uk-for-live/1bs2qnkj73shx1uryui898tax6 |access-date=2 May 2022 |work=] |location=]|archive-date=2 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502104148/https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/why-is-there-a-saturday-football-blackout-in-the-uk-for-live/1bs2qnkj73shx1uryui898tax6 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
The competition was founded as the '''FA Premier League''' on 20 February 1992, following the decision of ] (the top-tier league from 1888 until 1992) clubs to break away from the English Football League. However, teams may still be relegated to and promoted from the ]. The Premier League is a corporation managed by a ], with member clubs acting as shareholders.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/09/sports/soccer/premier-league-ceo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209184006/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/09/sports/soccer/premier-league-ceo.html |archive-date=9 February 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The Long Search to Fill Soccer's Biggest, Toughest Job |newspaper=The New York Times|location=London|date=9 February 2020 |access-date=19 August 2021 |last1=Smith |first1=Rory |last2=Draper |first2=Kevin |last3=Panja |first3=Tariq }}</ref> The Premier League takes advantage of a £5 billion television rights deal, with Sky and ] securing the domestic rights to broadcast 128 and 32 games, respectively.<ref name="AP">{{cite news|url=https://news.sky.com/story/sky-and-bt-in-new-4-46bn-premier-league-deal-11249236|title=English Premier League broadcast rights rise to $12 billion|work=]|agency=Associated Press|access-date=19 August 2021|archive-date=19 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819222718/https://news.sky.com/story/sky-and-bt-in-new-4-46bn-premier-league-deal-11249236|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/sky-and-bt-in-new-4-46bn-premier-league-deal-11249236 |title=Sky and BT pay less in new £4.46bn Premier League football deal |work=Sky News|location=] |access-date=19 August 2021 |archive-date=19 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819222718/https://news.sky.com/story/sky-and-bt-in-new-4-46bn-premier-league-deal-11249236 |url-status=live}}</ref> This deal will rise to £6.7 billion for the four seasons from 2025 to 2029.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67619756 |title=Premier League agrees record £6.7bn domestic TV rights deal |website=BBC Sport |access-date=4 December 2023 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204185742/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67619756 |url-status=live }}</ref> The league is projected to earn $7.2 billion in overseas TV rights from 2022 to 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://frontofficesports.com/u-s-deal-vaults-premier-league-intl-rights-over-domestic-rights/ |title=U.S. Deal Vaults Premier League International Rights Over Domestic Rights |website=Front Office Sports |date=15 February 2022 |access-date=4 December 2023 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204202157/https://frontofficesports.com/u-s-deal-vaults-premier-league-intl-rights-over-domestic-rights/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Clubs were apportioned central payment revenues of £2.4 billion in ], with a further £343 million in ] to EFL clubs.<ref name="Premier League">{{cite press release |title=Premier League value of central payments to Clubs |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/405400 |publisher=The Football Association Premier League Limited |location=London|date=1 June 2017 |access-date=6 June 2017 |archive-date=14 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614110546/http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/press_release/0%2C1014%2Csid%3D2834%26cid%3D145152%2C00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The competition formed as the '''FA Premier League''' on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the ] to break away from the Football League, which was originally founded in 1888, and take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,626773,00.html |title=United (versus Liverpool) Nations |newspaper=The Observer |date=6 January 2002 |accessdate =8 August 2006}}</ref> This deal is worth £1 billion a year as of 2013–14, with ] and ] securing the rights to broadcast 116 and 38 games respectively.<ref>{{cite news |title=Premier League lands £bn deal |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/13/premier-league-tv-rights-3-billion-sky-bt/ |author=Gibson, Owen |newspaper=The Guardian |date=13 June 2012 |accessdate=14 June 2012 }}</ref> The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people.<ref>{{cite news |title=The World's Most Watched League |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/about/the-worlds-most-watched-league.html |work=Premier League |publisher=PremierLeague.com |date=16 November 2011 |accessdate=11 April 2012}}</ref> In the ] the average Premier League match attendance was 35,363, the second highest of any professional football league behind the German ],<ref>{{cite web|title=German Bundesliga Stats: Team Attendance – 2010–11|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/attendance/_/league/ger.1/year/2010/german-bundesliga?cc=4716|work=Soccernet|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=22 January 2013}}</ref> and stadium occupancy was 92.2% capacity.<ref name="premsitehistory"/> The Premier League ranked second in the ]s of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2013.html |title=UEFA ranking of European leagues |last=Kassies |first=Bert |publisher=Bert Kassies |date=22 November 2012 |accessdate=27 November 2012 }}</ref> | |||
The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people.<ref name="Worldviews">{{cite news |title=History and time are key to power of football, says Premier League chief |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/ceo-summit/article3804923.ece |newspaper=] |date=3 July 2013 |access-date=3 July 2013 |archive-date=9 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109224228/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/ceo-summit/article3804923.ece |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Playing the game: The soft power of sport |url=https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/policy-insight-research/insight/playing-game-soft-power-sport |access-date=9 October 2018 |publisher=] |archive-date=10 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010095411/https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/policy-insight-research/insight/playing-game-soft-power-sport |url-status=live }}</ref> For the ], the average Premier League match attendance was 38,375,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/stats/_/league/ENG.1/view/performance/season/2023/english-premier-league |title=English Premier League Performance Stats – 2023–24 |publisher=] |access-date=23 October 2024}}</ref> second to the German ]'s 39,512,<ref> {{in lang|de}} weltfussball.de, Spectator figures 2023–24 . Retrieved 23 October 2024</ref> whilst aggregated attendance across all matches in a 38-game season is the highest of any association football league.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://global.espn.com/soccer/stats/_/league/ENG.1/season/2018/view/performance |title=English Premier League Performance Stats – 2018–19 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=16 August 2018 |archive-date=16 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816130705/https://global.espn.com/soccer/stats/_/league/ENG.1/season/2018/view/performance |url-status=live }}</ref> Most stadium occupancies are near capacity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9915096/hold-hold-hold-hold |title=Your ground's too big for you! Which stadiums were closest to capacity in England last season? |first=Henry |last=Chard |work=Sky Sports |publisher=] |access-date=30 January 2016 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106185322/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9915096/hold-hold-hold-hold |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, the Premier League is ranked first in the ] based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons, ahead of Spain's ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/#/yr/2021 |title=Member associations – Country coefficients – UEFA.com |last=uefa.com |date=6 May 2021 |access-date=6 May 2021 |archive-date=4 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204125228/https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/#/yr/2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> The English top-flight has produced the ] of ] titles, with ] English clubs having won fifteen European championships in total.<ref>{{cite web |last=O |first=Gerard |title=Champions League: What Country Has Been the Most Successful |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1113021-champions-league-what-country-has-been-the-most-successful |access-date=2 May 2022 |website=Bleacher Report |archive-date=2 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502104808/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1113021-champions-league-what-country-has-been-the-most-successful |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Since 1888, a total of 23 clubs have been crowned ]. Of the ] since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, five have won the title: ] (13), ] (3), ] (3), ] (1) and ] (1). The current champions are Manchester United, who won the title in the ] season. | |||
] have competed in the Premier League since its inception in 1992: 49 ] and 2 ]. Seven of them have won the title: ] (13), ] (8), ] (5), ] (3), ] (1), ] (1), and ] (1).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.premierleague.com/premier-league-explained | title=Premier League Competition Format & History | Premier League | access-date=24 July 2022 | archive-date=24 July 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220724182645/https://www.premierleague.com/premier-league-explained | url-status=live }}</ref> Only six clubs have played in every season to date: Arsenal, Chelsea, ], Liverpool, Manchester United, and ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://talksport.com/football/1059166/everton-premier-league-relegation-record-dyche-arsenal-liverpool-man-united-tottenham-chelsea/ | title=How long have Everton been in top-flight, which other clubs have never gone down | date=14 May 2023 | access-date=9 May 2023 | archive-date=9 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509124125/https://talksport.com/football/1059166/everton-premier-league-relegation-record-dyche-arsenal-liverpool-man-united-tottenham-chelsea/ | url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
== History == | |||
== |
==History== | ||
{{see also|List of Premier League seasons}} | |||
Despite significant European success during the 1970s and early 1980s, the late '80s had marked a low point for English football. ] were crumbling, supporters endured poor facilities, ] was rife, and English clubs were banned from European competition for five years following the ] in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/31/newsid_2481000/2481723.stm |title=1985: English teams banned after Heysel |work=BBC Archive |publisher=BBC |accessdate=8 August 2006 |date=31 May 1985}}</ref> The ], which had been the top level of English football since 1888, was well behind leagues such as Italy's ] and Spain's ] in attendances and revenues, and several top English players had moved abroad.<ref name="premsitehistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/History/0,,12306,00.html |title=A History of The Premier League |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=22 November 2007}}</ref> | |||
===Origins=== | |||
However, by the turn of the 1990s the downward trend was starting to reverse; England had been successful in the ], reaching the semi-finals. ], European football's governing body, lifted the five-year ban on English clubs playing in European competitions in 1990 (resulting in Manchester United lifting the ] in 1991) and the ] on stadium safety standards, which proposed expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadia in the aftermath of the ], was published in January of that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footballnetwork.org/dev/communityfootball/violence_taylor_report.asp |title=The Taylor Report |publisher=Football Network |accessdate=22 November 2007}}</ref> | |||
Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were deteriorating, supporters endured poor facilities, ] was rife, and English clubs had been banned from ] for five years following the ] between the fans of Liverpool Football Club and the fans of ] in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/31/newsid_2481000/2481723.stm |title=1985: English teams banned after Heysel |website=BBC News |access-date=8 August 2006 |date=31 May 1985 |archive-date=8 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608132009/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/31/newsid_2481000/2481723.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The ], the top level of English football since 1888, was behind leagues such as Italy's ] and Spain's ] in attendance and revenues, and several top English players had moved abroad.<ref name="premsitehistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/History/0,,12306,00.html |title=A History of The Premier League |publisher=Premier League |access-date=22 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118121453/http://www.premierleague.com/page/History/0%2C%2C12306%2C00.html |archive-date=18 November 2011 }}</ref> | |||
By the turn of the 1990s, the downward trend was starting to reverse. At the ], England reached the semi-finals; ], European football's governing body, lifted the five-year ban on English clubs playing in European competitions in 1990, resulting in Manchester United lifting the ] in ]. The ] on stadium safety standards, which proposed expensive upgrades to create ] stadiums in the aftermath of the ]; between the fans of Liverpool and the fans of Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, Yorkshire on 15 April 1989, was published in January 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footballnetwork.org/dev/communityfootball/violence_taylor_report.asp |title=The Taylor Report |publisher=Football Network |access-date=22 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016222436/http://www.footballnetwork.org/dev/communityfootball/violence_taylor_report.asp |archive-date=16 October 2006 }}</ref> | |||
Television money had also become much more important; the Football League received £6.3 million for a two-year agreement in 1986, but when that deal was renewed in 1988, the price rose to £44 million over four years.<ref name="leicester_tv">{{cite web |url=http://www.le.ac.uk/sociology/css/resources/factsheets/fs8.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110606080220/http://www.le.ac.uk/sociology/css/resources/factsheets/fs8.html|archivedate=6 June 2011 |title=Fact Sheet 8: British Football on Television |publisher=Centre for the Sociology of Sport, University of Leicester |last=Crawford |first=Gerry |accessdate=10 August 2006}}</ref> The 1988 negotiations were the first signs of a breakaway league; ten clubs<ref>{{cite news|title=Super Ten Losing Ground|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZmFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7001%2C3212387|date=14 July 1988|newspaper=New Straits Times|accessdate=9 September 2013}}</ref> threatened to leave and form a "super league", but were eventually persuaded to stay.<ref name="FLhistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10794,00.html |title=The History of the Football League |publisher=Football League |accessdate=12 September 2010 |archivedate=11 April 2008 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080411034859/http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10794,00.html |deadurl=yes}}</ref> As stadia improved and match attendance and revenues rose, the country's top teams again considered leaving the Football League in order to capitalise on the growing influx of money being pumped into the sport.<ref name="FLhistory"/> | |||
During the 1980s, major English clubs began to transform into business ventures, applying commercial principles to club administration to maximise revenue. ] of ], ] of ], and ] of ] were among the leaders in this transformation.<ref name="taylor1" /> The commercial imperative led to the top clubs seeking to increase their power and revenue: the clubs in Division One threatened to break away from the Football League, and in doing so, they managed to increase their voting power and gain a more favourable financial arrangement, taking a 50% share of all television and sponsorship income in 1986.<ref name="taylor1">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZ6MAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA342 |title=The Association Game: A History of British Football |first=Matthew |last=Taylor |page=342 |publisher=] |date=18 October 2013 |isbn=9781317870081 |access-date=9 July 2017 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716074812/https://books.google.com/books?id=YZ6MAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA342 |url-status=live }}</ref> They demanded that television companies should pay more for their coverage of football matches,<ref>{{cite book |last=Tongue |first=Steve |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l67VDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT180 |title=Turf Wars: A History of London Football |publisher=Pitch Publishing |date=2016 |isbn=9781785312489 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and revenue from television grew in importance. The Football League received £6.3 million for a two-year agreement in 1986, but by 1988, in a deal agreed with ], the price rose to £44 million over four years, with the leading clubs taking 75% of the cash.<ref name="taylor">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZ6MAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA343 |title=The Association Game: A History of British Football |first=Matthew |last=Taylor |page=343 |publisher=Routledge |date=18 October 2013 |isbn=9781317870081 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-date=19 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219042334/https://books.google.com/books?id=YZ6MAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA343#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="leicester_tv">{{cite web |url=http://www.le.ac.uk/sociology/css/resources/factsheets/fs8.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606080220/http://www.le.ac.uk/sociology/css/resources/factsheets/fs8.html |archive-date=6 June 2011 |title=Fact Sheet 8: British Football on Television |publisher=Centre for the Sociology of Sport, University of Leicester |last=Crawford |first=Gerry |access-date=10 August 2006}}</ref> According to Scholar, who was involved in the negotiations of television deals, each of the ] clubs received only around £25,000 per year from television rights before 1986, this increased to around £50,000 in the 1986 negotiation, then to £600,000 in 1988.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sO1zDQAAQBAJ |title=White Hart Lane: The Spurs Glory Years 1899–2017 |first=Martin |last=Lipton |chapter=Chapter 15: Mr Chairman |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |date=5 October 2017 |isbn=9781409169284 |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716075316/https://books.google.com/books?id=sO1zDQAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 1988 negotiations were conducted under the threat of ten clubs leaving to form a "super league", but they were eventually persuaded to stay, with the top clubs taking the lion's share of the deal.<ref name="taylor"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Super Ten Losing Ground |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZmFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=7001%2C3212387 |date=14 July 1988 |newspaper=] |access-date=9 September 2013 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128173610/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZmFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=7001,3212387 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="FLhistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10794,00.html |title=The History of the Football League |publisher=The Football League |access-date=12 September 2010 |archive-date=11 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411034859/http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10794%2C00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The negotiations also convinced the bigger clubs that, in order to receive enough votes, they needed to take the whole of the First Division with them instead of a smaller "super league".<ref name=king /> By the beginning of the 1990s, the big clubs again considered breaking away, especially now that they had to fund the cost of stadium upgrades as proposed by the Taylor Report.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8kBaOkPg8z0C&pg=PA103 |title=End of the Terraces: The Transformation of English Football |first=Anthony |last=King |publisher=Leicester University Press |date=2002 |page=103 |isbn=978-0718502591}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left:1em; float:right;" | |||
In 1990, the managing director of ] (LWT), ], met with the representatives of the '''"big five"''' football clubs in England (Manchester United, ], Tottenham Hotspur, ], and Arsenal) over a dinner.<ref name="Conn">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2013/sep/04/greg-dyke-premier-league-history |title=Greg Dyke seems to forget his role in the Premier League's formation |first=David |last=Conn |date=4 September 2013 |work=The Guardian |access-date=18 January 2018 |archive-date=16 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816234154/https://www.theguardian.com/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2013/sep/04/greg-dyke-premier-league-history |url-status=live }}</ref> The meeting was to pave the way for a breakaway from ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/1180279.stm |title=The Men who Changed Football |date=20 February 2001 |website=BBC News |access-date=20 December 2018 |archive-date=17 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317154011/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/1180279.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Dyke believed that it would be more lucrative for LWT if only the larger clubs in the country were featured on national television and wanted to establish whether the clubs would be interested in a larger share of television rights money.<ref name="Rodrigues">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/from-the-archive-blog/2012/feb/02/20-years-premier-league-football-1992 |title=Premier League football at 20: 1992, the start of a whole new ball game |first=Jason |last=Rodrigues |date=2 February 2012 |work=The Guardian |access-date=18 January 2018 |archive-date=3 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103025124/https://www.theguardian.com/football/from-the-archive-blog/2012/feb/02/20-years-premier-league-football-1992 |url-status=live }}</ref> The five clubs agreed with the suggestion and decided to press ahead with it; however, the league would have no credibility without the backing of ], and so David Dein of ] held talks to see whether the FA were receptive to the idea. The FA did not have an amicable relationship with the Football League at the time and considered it a way to weaken the ]'s position.<ref>{{cite news |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jul/23/deceit-determination-murdochs-millions-how-premier-league-was-born |title=Deceit, determination and Murdoch's millions: how Premier League was born |date=23 July 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=18 January 2018 |archive-date=24 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224224653/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jul/23/deceit-determination-murdochs-millions-how-premier-league-was-born |url-status=live }}</ref> The FA released a report in June 1991, ''Blueprint for the Future of Football'', that supported the plan for the Premier League, with the FA as the ultimate authority that would oversee the breakaway league.<ref name=king>{{cite book |last=King |first=Anthony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8kBaOkPg8z0C&pg=PA65 |title=End of the Terraces: The Transformation of English Football |publisher=Leicester University Press |date=2002 |pages=64–65 |isbn=978-0718502591 |access-date=4 July 2019 |archive-date=19 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219042334/https://books.google.com/books?id=8kBaOkPg8z0C&pg=PA65 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Founding and Manchester United dominance (1990s)=== | |||
{{see also|Foundation of the Premier League}} | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;float:right;margin-left:1em" | |||
|+ 1990s, foundations and early Manchester United dominance | |||
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! Season !! Champions !! Runners-up | |||
!style="width:85px"|Season | |||
!style="width:135px"|Champions | |||
!style="width:135px"|Runners-up | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#FFFFFF"| ''']''' ||style="background:#FFFFFF"| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#FFFF8D"| ''']''' ||style="background:#FFFFFF"| ] | |||
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|colspan="3"| {{color box|#FFFF8D}} ]<br />{{color box|#FFE34D}} ] | |||
| ] | |||
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At the close of the 1990–1991 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991, by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/judgmentsfiles/j9/pljmtint.htm |title=In the matter of an agreement between the Football Association Premier League Limited and the Football Association Limited and the Football League Limited and their respective member clubs |publisher=] |year=2006 |access-date=8 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222536/http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/judgmentsfiles/j9/pljmtint.htm |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The newly formed top division was to have commercial independence from the Football Association and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own ] and ] agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe.<ref name="premsitehistory"/> Although Dyke played a significant role in the creation of the Premier League, he and ITV (of which LWT was part) lost out in the bidding for broadcast rights: ] won with a bid of £304 million over five years, with the ] awarded the highlights package broadcast on '']''.<ref name="Conn"/><ref name="Rodrigues"/> | |||
], ], and ] were the three teams relegated from the old First Division at the end of the 1991–92 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Premier League season. They were replaced by ], ], and Blackburn Rovers, promoted from the old Second Division.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lovejoy |first=Joe |title=Glory, Goals and Greed: Twenty Years of the Premier League |publisher=Random House |year=2011 |chapter=3. The Big Kick-Off |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HUFeEjq4hZkC&pg=PT18 |isbn=978-1-78057-144-7}}</ref> The 22 First Division clubs resigned en masse from the Football League in 1992, and on 27 May that year, the FA Premier League was formed as a ], working out of an office at the Football Association's then headquarters in ].<ref name="premsitehistory"/> The 22 inaugural members of the new Premier League were:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/tournaments/tournament.sd?tourn_id=121 |title=Premiership 1992/93 |work=Soccerbase |access-date=16 October 2020 |archive-date=21 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021043912/https://www.soccerbase.com/tournaments/tournament.sd?tourn_id=121 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
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This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions; the Premier League would operate with a single division and the Football League with three. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Premier League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and ]s, with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted.<ref name="FLhistory"/> | |||
The league held its first season in ]. It was composed of 22 clubs for that season (reduced to 20 in the ]). The first Premier League goal was scored by ] of ] in a 2–1 win against Manchester United.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football--the-premier-kickoff-fergusons-false-start-1540915.html |title=The Premier Kick-Off: Ferguson's false start |first=Phil |last=Shaw |newspaper=The Independent |date=17 August 1992 |access-date=24 August 2010 |archive-date=28 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128161035/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football--the-premier-kickoff-fergusons-false-start-1540915.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Manchester United won the inaugural edition of the new league, ending a twenty-six year wait to be crowned champions of England. Bolstered by this breakthrough, United immediately became the competition's dominant team, winning seven of the first nine trophies, two League and FA Cup 'doubles' and a European treble, initially under a team of hardened veterans such as ], ], ], ], and ], before Cantona, Bruce, and ] led a young, dynamic new team filled with the ], a group of young players including ] who came through the Manchester United Academy. | |||
Between 1993 and 1997, ] and ] came close to challenging Manchester United's early dominance; Blackburn won the ] and Newcastle led the title charge over United for much of the ]. As the decade closed, ] replicated Manchester United's dominance by winning the League and FA Cup double in ], and together they would form a duopoly over the league between 1997 and 2003. | |||
===Emergence of the "Big Four" (2000s)=== | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;float:right;margin-left:1em" | |||
|+ Results of the 'Big Four' during the 2000s | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Season !! {{abbr|]|Arsenal}} !! {{abbr|]|Chelsea}} !! {{abbr|]|Liverpool}} !! {{abbr|]|Manchester United}} | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 4 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 | |||
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| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#E8FFD8"| 5 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
|- style="border-top:3px solid black" class="sortbottom" | |||
| ] | |||
| '''{{abbr|Top four|Number of times that each side finished in the top four}}''' || '''10''' || 7 || 8 || '''10''' | |||
| ] | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
|- | |||
|colspan="5"| out of 10 | |||
| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
| ] | |||
|colspan="5"| {{color box|#FFE34D}} League champions<br />{{color box|#ACE1AF}} Champions League group stage<br />{{color box|#D0F0C0}} Champions League third qualifying / play-off round<br />{{color box|#E8FFD8}} Champions League first qualifying round<br />{{color box|#97DEFF}} UEFA Cup / Europa League | |||
| ] | |||
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| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
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| style="text-align:center"|] | |||
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|- | |||
| style="text-align:center" colspan="2"|{{Further2|<br />]}} | |||
| style="text-align:center" colspan="2"|{{Further2|<br /> See section: "Big Four" dominance}} | |||
|} | |} | ||
The 2000s saw the rise of ] alongside the "Big 2", followed by Chelsea finally breaking the Arsenal–Man United duopoly by winning the league in ]. The dominance of the so-called '''"Big Four"''' clubs{{snd}}Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3908394.ece |title=Breaking up the Premier League's Big Four |date=11 May 2008 |last=Northcroft |first=Jonathan |newspaper=] |access-date=26 May 2011 |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810183028/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3908394.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Bestofrest>{{cite news |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=405515&root=england&&cc=5739 |title=The best of the rest |date=29 January 2007 |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN |access-date=27 November 2007 |archive-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223070645/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=405515&root=england&&cc=5739 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{snd}}saw them finish at the top of the table for most of the decade, thereby guaranteeing qualification for the ]. Only three other clubs managed to qualify for the competition during this period: ] (] and ]), ] (]), and ] (]) – each occupying the final Champions League spot, with the exception of Newcastle in the 2002–03 season, who finished third. | |||
=== Foundation === | |||
{{See also|Foundation of the Premier League}} | |||
At the close of the 1991 season, a proposal for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall was tabled. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991 by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/judgmentsfiles/j9/pljmtint.htm |title=In the matter of an agreement between the Football Association Premier League Limited and the Football Association Limited and the Football League Limited and their respective member clubs |work=HM Courts Service |publisher=HM Government |year=2006 |accessdate=8 August 2006 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070927222536/http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/judgmentsfiles/j9/pljmtint.htm |archivedate=27 September 2007|deadurl=yes}}</ref> The newly formed top division would have commercial independence from ] and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own ] and ] agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe.<ref name="premsitehistory"/> | |||
Following the ] season, Arsenal acquired the nickname "]" as they became the first and, to date, only club to complete a Premier League campaign without losing a single game.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3696197.stm |title=Arsenal make history |date=15 May 2004 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=16 September 2015 |archive-date=27 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327151252/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3696197.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Arsenal Invincibles: How Wenger's 2003–04 Gunners went a season without defeat |first=Oli |last=Platt |work=Goal |date=11 December 2018 |access-date=10 January 2019 |url=https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/arsenal-invincibles-how-wengers-2003-04-gunners-went-a/1xkm3tgyvsbjj1wzrewhqz0liu |archive-date=11 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111055011/https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/arsenal-invincibles-how-wengers-2003-04-gunners-went-a/1xkm3tgyvsbjj1wzrewhqz0liu |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The managing director of ] (LWT), ], met with the representatives of the "big five"<ref>The big five were Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefilter.blogs.com/thefilter/Sports/page/2/ |title=Kerry Packer (1937-2005)|first=Anthony |last=Evans |coauthors=Conolly, Thomas; Lai, Stephen; Whitfield, Matthew; Bainbridge, James; and Mellor, Andrew |date=27 December 2005 |work=The Filter^ }}</ref> football clubs in England in 1990. The meeting was to pave the way for a break away from ]. Dyke believed that it would be more lucrative for LWT if only the larger clubs in the country were featured on national television and wanted to establish whether the clubs would be interested in a larger share of television rights money. The five clubs decided it was a good idea and decided to press ahead with it; however, the league would have no credibility without the backing of ] and so ] of ] held talks to see whether the FA were receptive to the idea. The FA did not enjoy an amicable relationship with the Football League at the time and considered it as a way to weaken the Football League's position. | |||
In May 2008, ] stated that "Big Four" dominance threatened the division: "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."<ref>{{cite news |title=Power of top four concerns Keegan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7384247.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=6 May 2008 |access-date=6 May 2008 |archive-date=9 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509032622/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7384247.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Premier League chief executive ] said in defence: "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle, or at the bottom that make it interesting."<ref>{{cite news |title=Scudamore defends 'boring' League |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7388360.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=7 May 2008 |access-date=9 May 2008 |archive-date=10 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510173358/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7388360.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In 1992, the First Division clubs resigned from the Football League '']'' and on 27 May 1992 the FA Premier League was formed as a ] working out of an office at the Football Association's then headquarters in ].<ref name="premsitehistory"/> This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions; the Premier League would operate with a single division and the Football League with three. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Premier League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and Second Divisions with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted.<ref name="FLhistory"/> | |||
Between 2005 and 2012, there was a Premier League representative in seven of the eight ], with only the "Big Four" clubs reaching that stage. Liverpool (]), Manchester United (]), and Chelsea (]) won the competition during this period, with Arsenal (]), Liverpool (]), Chelsea (]), and Manchester United (] and ]) all losing Champions League finals.<ref name="ChampionsFinals">{{cite web |title=UEFA Champions League – History: Finals by season |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/champions/ |publisher=UEFA |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=10 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710160213/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/champions/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Leeds United were the only non-"Big Four" side to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, in the ]. There were three Premier League teams in the Champions League semi-finals in ], ], and ], a feat only ever achieved five times (along with ] in ] and ] in ]). | |||
The league held its first season in ] and was originally composed of 22 clubs. The first ever Premier League goal was scored by ] of Sheffield United in a 2–1 win against Manchester United.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football--the-premier-kickoff-fergusons-false-start-1540915.html |title=The Premier Kick-Off: Ferguson's false start |first=Phil |last=Shaw |newspaper=The Independent |date=17 August 1992 |accessdate=24 August 2010}}</ref> The 22 inaugural members of the new Premier League were ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/league2.sd?competitionid=1&seasonid=122 |title=Final 1992/1993 English Premier Table |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Racing Post |accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> ], ] and ] were the three teams relegated from the old first division at the end of the 1991–92 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Premier League season. | |||
Additionally, between the 1999–2000 and 2009–10 seasons, four Premier League sides reached the ] finals, with only Liverpool managing to win the competition in ]. Arsenal (]), ] (]), and ] (]) all lost their finals.<ref>{{cite web |title=UEFA Europa League – History: Finals by season |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/champions/index.html |publisher=UEFA |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=25 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625050132/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/champions/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=== Development === | |||
{{See also|List of Premier League seasons}} | |||
Due to insistence by the ] (FIFA), the international governing body of football, that domestic leagues reduce the number of games clubs played, the number of clubs was reduced to 20 in 1995 when four teams were relegated from the league and only two teams promoted. On 8 June 2006, FIFA requested that all major European leagues, including Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga be reduced to 18 teams by the start of the 2007–08 season. The Premier League responded by announcing their intention to resist such a reduction.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fifa wants 18-team Premier League |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5061302.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=8 June 2006 |accessdate=8 August 2006 }}</ref> Ultimately, the 2007–08 season kicked off again with 20 teams. | |||
Although the group's dominance was reduced to a degree after this period with the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham, in terms of all-time Premier League points won, they remain clear by some margin. As of the end of the 2021–22 season – the 30th season of the Premier League – Liverpool, in fourth place in the all-time points table, were over 300 points ahead of the next team, Tottenham Hotspur. They are also the only teams to maintain a winning average of over 50% throughout their entire Premier League tenures.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702173850/https://www.statbunker.com/alltimestats/AllTimeLeagueTable?comp_code=EPL |date=2 July 2020 }}. Statbunker.com. Retrieved 1 February 2020</ref> | |||
The league changed its name from the ''FA Premier League'' to simply the ''Premier League'' in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/22/65/0,,12306~91426,00.pdf|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090304205428/http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/22/65/0,,12306~91426,00.pdf|archivedate=4 March 2009 |title=Premier League and Barclays Announce Competition Name Change |publisher=Premier League |accessdate =22 November 2006 |format=PDF}}</ref> | |||
===Emergence of the "Big Six" (2010s)=== | |||
== Corporate structure == | |||
{{main|Big Six (Premier League)}} | |||
The Premier League is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a ], with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts. The clubs elect a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to oversee the daily operations of the league.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2861&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |title=Our relationship with the clubs |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=8 August 2006 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061114102011/http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2861&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who+We+Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |archivedate=14 November 2006 }}</ref> The current chairman is ], who was appointed in April 1999, and the chief executive is ], appointed in November 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/10/premierleague.englandfootballteam1|title=Premier League v England time-line|first=Sachin|last=Nakrani|newspaper=The Guardian|date=10 June 2008|accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> The former chairman and chief executive, ] and ], were forced to resign in March 1999 after awarding consultancy contracts to former Sky executives ] and ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2003/feb/25/broadcasting3|title=Timeline: a history of TV football rights|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 February 2003|accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> The Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Premier League, but has veto power as a special shareholder during the election of the chairman and chief executive and when new rules are adopted by the league.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2851&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |archivedate=18 March 2006 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060318214006/http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2851&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who+We+Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |deadurl=yes |title=The Premier League and Other Football Bodies |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=12 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;float:right;margin-left:1em;clear:right" | |||
|+ Results of the 'Big Six' during the 2010s | |||
|- | |||
! Season !! {{abbr|]|Arsenal}} !! {{abbr|]|Chelsea}} !! {{abbr|]|Liverpool}} !! {{abbr|]|Manchester City}} !! {{abbr|]|Manchester United}} !! {{abbr|]|Tottenham Hotspur}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 7 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 || 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 6 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 8 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 4 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 || 7 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' || 7 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 || 10 || 8 ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#D0F0C0"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 4 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 4 | |||
|- style="border-top:3px solid black" class="sortbottom" | |||
| '''{{abbr|Top four|Number of times that each side finished in the top four}}''' || 7 || 7 || 4 || 9 || 6 || 6 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
| '''{{abbr|Top six|Number of times that each side finished in the top six}}''' || 10 || 9 || 6 || 10 || 9 || 10 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
|colspan="7"| out of 10 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
|colspan="7"| {{color box|#FFE34D}} League champions<br />{{color box|#ACE1AF}} Champions League group stage<br />{{color box|#D0F0C0}} Champions League play-off round<br />{{color box|#97DEFF}} Europa League | |||
|} | |||
The years following 2009 marked a shift from the "Big Four" with ] and ] breaking into the top four places on a regular basis, turning the "Big Four" into the "'''Big Six'''".<ref name="Jolly">{{cite web |title=Changing dynamics of the 'Big Six' in Premier League title race |last=Jolly |first=Richard |url=http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/changing-dynamics-of-the-big-six-in-premier-league-title-race |work=The National |date=11 August 2011 |access-date=18 August 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304115516/http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/changing-dynamics-of-the-big-six-in-premier-league-title-race |url-status=live }}</ref> In the ], Tottenham finished fourth and became the first new team to finish in the top four since ] five years prior.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 July 2010 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/7907619/Champions-League-defeat-could-ruin-Tottenhams-season-says-Vedran-Corluka.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/7907619/Champions-League-defeat-could-ruin-Tottenhams-season-says-Vedran-Corluka.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Champions League defeat could ruin Tottenham's season says Vedran Corluka|last=Smith|first=Rory|work=]|access-date=14 August 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Criticism of the gap between an elite group of "super clubs" and the majority of the Premier League has continued, nevertheless, due to their increasing ability to spend more than the other Premier League clubs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alex McLeish says Aston Villa struggle to compete with top clubs |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14844717.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=8 September 2011 |access-date=8 September 2011 |archive-date=19 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219042247/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/14844717 |url-status=live }}</ref> Manchester City won the title in the ], becoming the first club outside the "Big Four" to win since ] in the ]. That season also saw two of the "Big Four" (Chelsea and Liverpool) finish outside the top four places for the first time since that season.<ref name="Jolly" /> | |||
The Premier League sends representatives to UEFA's ], the number of clubs and the clubs themselves chosen according to ]. For the 2012–13 season the Premier League has 10 representatives in the Association: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecaeurope.com/eca-members/eca-members/ |title=ECA Members |publisher=European Club Association |accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref> The European Club Association is responsible for electing three members to UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, which is involved in the operations of UEFA competitions such as the ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecaeurope.com/Default.aspx?id=1085058 |title=European Club Association: General Presentation |publisher=European Club Association |accessdate=7 September 2010 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100809132539/http://www.ecaeurope.com/Default.aspx?id=1085058 <!-- Added by H3llBot --> |archivedate=9 August 2010}}</ref> | |||
With only four UEFA Champions League qualifying places available in the league, greater competition for qualification now exists, albeit from a narrow base of six clubs. In the five seasons following the 2011–12 campaign, ] and ] both found themselves outside of the top four three times, whilst Chelsea finished 10th in the 2015–16 season. Arsenal finished 5th in ], ending their record run of 20 consecutive top-four finishes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arsenal secure top-four finish for 20th straight season to reach Champions League after Manchester United defeat |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-secure-top-four-finish-for-20th-straight-season-to-qualify-for-champions-league-after-a7024176.html |first=Jack |last=De Menezes |newspaper=] |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=1 June 2016 |archive-date=18 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618010433/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-secure-top-four-finish-for-20th-straight-season-to-qualify-for-champions-league-after-a7024176.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
== Competition format == | |||
In the ], underdogs ] won the Premier League. With 5000/1 odds of winning the league at the beginning of the season, Leicester became the first club outside the "Big Six" to win the Premier League since ] in the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Leicester City win Premier League title after Tottenham draw at Chelsea |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35988673 |website=BBC Sport |date=2 May 2016 |access-date=22 March 2018 |archive-date=24 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024122852/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35988673 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=== Competition === | |||
There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double ]), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive ] and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ] by total points, then ], and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sporting-life.com/football/live/tables/premiership.html |title=Barclays Premier League |work=Sporting Life |publisher=365 Media Group |accessdate=26 November 2007}}</ref> The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the ], and the top two teams from the Championship, together with the winner of ] involving the third to sixth placed Championship clubs, are promoted in their place.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=294727 |title=Huge Stakes For Championship Play-Off Contenders |work=Goal |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=26 November 2007 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071203202007/http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=294727 <!-- Added by H3llBot --> |archivedate=3 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
Off the pitch, the "Big Six" wield significant financial power and influence, with these clubs arguing that they should be entitled to a greater share of revenue due to the greater stature of their clubs globally and the attractive football they aim to play.<ref>{{cite news|title=Premier League clubs aim to block rich six's bid for a bigger share of TV cash|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/27/premier-league-clubs-block-big-six-tv-cash|last=Conn|first=David|work=The Guardian|date=27 September 2017|access-date=21 December 2017|archive-date=8 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808202734/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/27/premier-league-clubs-block-big-six-tv-cash|url-status=live}}</ref> Objectors argue that the egalitarian revenue structure in the Premier League helps to maintain a competitive league which is vital for its future success.<ref>{{cite news |title=The changing shape of the Premier League: how the 'big six' are pulling away |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/02/changing-shape-premier-league-big-six-pulling-away/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/02/changing-shape-premier-league-big-six-pulling-away/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |last=Tweedale|first=Alistair|work=] |date=2 October 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ] ] report showed the financial disparity between the "Big Six" and the rest of the division. All of the "Big Six" had revenues greater than €350 million, with Manchester United having the largest revenue in the league at €676.3 million. Leicester City was the closest club to the "Big Six" in terms of revenue, recording a figure of €271.1 million for that season – helped by participation in the Champions League. The eighth-largest revenue generator, ] – who did not play in European competition – had revenues of €213.3 million, less than half of those of the club with the fifth-largest revenue, Liverpool (€424.2 million).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42767374 |title=Manchester United remain football's top revenue-generator |last=Wilson |first=Bill |website=BBC News |date=23 January 2018 |access-date=13 March 2018 |archive-date=5 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305042925/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42767374 |url-status=live }}</ref> A substantial part of the clubs' revenue by then came from television broadcast deals, with the biggest clubs each taking from around £150 million to nearly £200 million in the 2016–17 season from such deals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/06/premier-league-finances-club-guide-2016-17 |title=Premier League finances: the full club-by-club breakdown and verdict |first=David |last=Conn |date=6 June 2018 |work=The Guardian |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-date=9 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209053228/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/06/premier-league-finances-club-guide-2016-17 |url-status=live }}</ref> In ]'s 2019 report, all the "Big Six" were in the top ten of the world's richest clubs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/deloitte-football-money-league-2019-real-madrid-richest-ahead-of-barcelona-and-manchester-united-11615915 |title=Deloitte Football Money League 2019: Real Madrid richest ahead of Barcelona and Manchester United |date=24 January 2019 |publisher=] |access-date=10 May 2019 |archive-date=24 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524194643/https://news.sky.com/story/deloitte-football-money-league-2019-real-madrid-richest-ahead-of-barcelona-and-manchester-united-11615915 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=== Qualification for European competitions === | |||
] against ] in the ] in 2011]] | |||
As of the 2009–10 season qualification for the UEFA Champions League changed, the top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the ], with the top three teams directly entering the group stage. Previously only the top two teams qualified automatically. The fourth-placed team enters the Champions League at the play-off round for non-champions and must win a ] in order to enter the group stage.<ref>{{cite news |title=UEFA Executive Committee approves changes to UEFA club competitions |url=http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/630630.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=UEFA |date=30 November 2007 |accessdate=15 August 2008}}</ref> The team placed fifth in the Premier League automatically qualifies for the ], and the sixth and seventh-placed teams can also qualify, depending on the winners and runners-up of the two domestic cup competitions. Two Europa League places are reserved for the winner of each of the domestic cup competitions; if the winner of the FA Cup qualifies for the Champions League, then that place will go to the runner-up, and if the runner-up is also already qualified, then that place will go to the next-best placed finisher in the Premier League. If the winner of the League Cup has already qualified, that place goes to the next-best placed team in the league.<ref>{{cite web |title=Regulations of the UEFA Europa League |url=http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/competitions/Regulations/01/62/69/60/1626960_DOWNLOAD.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=UEFA |accessdate=28 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/fans/faqs/who-qualifies-to-play-in-europe/ |publisher=Premier League |title=Who qualifies to play in Europe? |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> A further place in the UEFA Europa League is also available via the ]. If the Premier League has one of the three highest Fair Play rankings in Europe, the highest ranked team in the Premier League Fair Play standings which has not already qualified for Europe will automatically qualify for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=8/newsid=795065.html |title=Norway lead Respect Fair Play league |date=26 January 2009 |accessdate=29 August 2010 |publisher=UEFA}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:300px" | |||
An ] happened in 2005, after ] won the Champions League the year before, but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the Premier League that season. UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4613695.stm |title=Liverpool get in Champions League |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=10 June 2005 |accessdate=11 December 2007}}</ref> UEFA subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this meant that if the Champions League winner finished outside the top four in its domestic league, it would qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed team in the league. No association can have more than four entrants in the Champions League.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=64/newsid=698237.html?cid=rssfeed&att=index |title=EXCO approves new coefficient system |publisher=UEFA |date=20 May 2008 |accessdate=12 September 2010 |archivedate=21 May 2008 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080521053931/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=64/newsid=698237.html?cid=rssfeed&att=index |deadurl=yes}}</ref> This occurred in 2012, when Chelsea – who had won the Champions League the previous year, but finished sixth in the league – qualified for the Champions League in place of Tottenham Hotspur, who went into the Europa League.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/20/sport/football/football-chelsea-champions-league/index.html |title=Jubilant Chelsea parade Champions League trophy |publisher=CNN International |date=21 May 2012 |accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref> | |||
|+ Number of top 6 finishes during 2010s | |||
|- | |||
In 2007, the Premier League became the highest ranking European League based on the performances of English teams in European competitions over a five-year period. This broke the eight-year dominance of the Spanish league, ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/index.html#part3 |title=UEFA European Cup Coefficients Database |last=Kassies |first=Bert |publisher=Bert Kassies |year=2010 |accessdate=9 September 2010 }}</ref> In 2013, ] regained the number one ranking, relegating the Premier League to number two. | |||
! Club !! Top 6 finishes | |||
|- | |||
== Sponsorship == | |||
| Manchester City ||align="center"| 10 | |||
{{see also|English football sponsorship}} | |||
|- | |||
] | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur ||align="center"| 10 | |||
The Premier League has been sponsored since 1993. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. There have been three sponsors since the league's formation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5384750.stm |title=Barclays nets Premier League deal |date=27 September 2006 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| Arsenal ||align="center"| 10 | |||
* 1992–1993: No sponsor (FA Premier League) | |||
|- | |||
* 1993–2001: ] (FA Carling Premiership)<ref name="premsitehistory"/> | |||
| Chelsea ||align="center"| 9 | |||
* 2001–2004: ] (Barclaycard Premiership)<ref name="premsitehistory"/> | |||
|- | |||
* 2004–present: ] (Barclays Premier League; Barclays Premiership until 2007)<ref name="premsitehistory"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Barclays renews Premier sponsorship |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1835324,00.html |work=premierleague.com |publisher=Premier League |date=23 October 2009 |accessdate=23 October 2009 }}</ref> | |||
| Manchester United ||align="center"| 9 | |||
|- | |||
As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Premier League has a number of official partners and suppliers.<ref name="partners">{{cite web |title=Partners |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Partners/0,,12306,00.html |work=premierleague.com |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=7 September 2010 }}</ref> The official ball supplier for the league is ] who have had the contract since the 2000–01 season when they took over from ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Northcroft |title=The Premier League's goal rush |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article6860188.ece |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=4 October 2009 |accessdate=7 September 2010 }}</ref> | |||
| Liverpool ||align="center"| 6 | |||
|- | |||
== Finances == | |||
| Everton ||align="center"| 2 | |||
{{See also|List of English football club owners#Premier League|l1=List of Premier League football club owners}} | |||
|- | |||
The Premier League has the highest revenue of any football league in the world, with total club revenues of €2.479 billion in 2009–10,<ref>{{cite news |title=Premier League wages keep on rising, Deloitte says |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13679632 |work=BBC News |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=9 June 2011 |accessdate=13 August 2012 }}</ref> and is the second most profitable after the German ].<ref name="Revenues">{{cite news |title=English Premier League generates highest revenue, German Bundesliga most profitable |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/06/08/football.finance.deloitte.bundesliga/index.html |newspaper=The Observer |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=10 June 2010 |accessdate=20 September 2010 }}</ref> In 2010 the Premier League was awarded the ] in the International Trade category by Her Majesty ]. The Premier League was recognised for its outstanding contribution to international trade and the value it brings to English football and the ] broadcasting industry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2030479,00.html |title=Prestigious Award for Premier League |publisher=Premier League |date=21 April 2010 |accessdate=21 April 2010}}</ref> The Premier League's gross revenue is regularly the fourth highest of any sports league worldwide, behind the annual revenues of the three most popular North American ] (the ], ] and the ]).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Theory of the Perfect Game: Competitive Balance in Monopoly Sports Leagues |url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/faculty/Vrooman/vrooman-rio-sports-special.pdf |year=2009 |last=Vrooman |first=John |journal=Review of Industrial Organization |volume=34|issue=1|pages=5–44|doi=10.1007/s11151-009-9202-7}}</ref> | |||
| Leicester City ||align="center"| 1 | |||
|- | |||
In terms of world football, the Premier League clubs are some of the richest in the world. Deloitte, who annually release figures on club revenues through its "]", listed seven Premier League clubs in the top 20 for the 2009–10 season.<ref name=Deloitte0809>{{cite web |url=http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/c774a9e481a7d210VgnVCM1000001a56f00aRCRD.htm |title=Top 20 clubs Deloitte Football Money League 2011 |publisher=Deloitte |accessdate=22 January 2013}}</ref> No other league has more than four clubs in this table. Premier League teams have dominated the list for many years, and even topped the list for almost a decade until the 2004–05 season. After the Premier League's new TV deal went into effect, the league-wide increase in revenues is expected to increase the Premier League clubs' standing in the list, and there is a possibility that a Premier League club will be top of the list.<ref name=Deloitte0506>{{cite web |url=http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/news/news-releases/ab51ae59be0fb110VgnVCM100000ba42f00aRCRD.htm |title=Real Madrid stay at the top |publisher=Deloitte |date=2 August 2007 |accessdate=29 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7009944.stm |title=Arsenal bullish over £200m income |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=24 September 2007 |accessdate=24 September 2007 }}</ref> | |||
| Newcastle United ||align="center"| 1 | |||
|- | |||
On 18 December 2012, the Premier League clubs agreed in principle to radical new cost controls. The two proposals consist of a break-even rule and a cap on the amount clubs can increase their wage bill by each season. With the new television deals on the horizon, momentum has been growing to find ways of preventing the majority of the cash going straight to players and agents.<ref>{{cite news |first=Simon |last=Austin |title=Premier League clubs agree new cost controls |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20773526 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=18 December 2012 |accessdate=8 July 2013 }}</ref> | |||
| Southampton ||align="center"| 1 | |||
|- | |||
== Media coverage == | |||
| Aston Villa ||align="center"| 1 | |||
{{See also|List of Premier League broadcasters}} | |||
=== United Kingdom and Ireland === | |||
{{See also|English football on television}} | |||
{|class="wikitable" style="float: right;" | |||
|+ Matches broadcast in the United Kingdom | |||
|- style="font-size: 85%;" | |||
!Seasons | |||
!BSkyB | |||
!Setanta | |||
!ESPN | |||
!BT | |||
!{{tooltip|Total|Total number of games broadcast}} | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|1992–1997||60||–||–||–||60 | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|1997–2001||60||–||–||–||60 | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|2001–2004||110||–||–||–||110 | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|2004–2007||138||–||–||–||138 | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|2007–2010||96||42||–||–||138 | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|2010–2013||115||–||23||–||138 | |||
|- style="font-size: 75%;" | |||
|2013–2016||116||–||–||38||154 | |||
|} | |} | ||
] and ].]] | |||
Television has played a major role in the history of the Premier League. The money from television rights has been vital in helping to create excellence both on and off the field. The League's decision to assign broadcasting rights to ] in 1992 was at the time a radical decision, but one that has paid off. At the time pay television was an almost untested proposition in the UK market, as was charging fans to watch live televised football. However, a combination of Sky's strategy, the quality of Premier League football and the public's appetite for the game has seen the value of the Premier League's TV rights soar.<ref name="leicester_tv"/> | |||
===Manchester City dominance (2020s)=== | |||
The Premier League sells its television rights on a collective basis. This is in contrast to some other European Leagues, including La Liga, in which each club sells its rights individually, leading to a much higher share of the total income going to the top few clubs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8545202.stm|title=Why TV is the key to Real success|first=Nils|last=Blythe|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=2 March 2010|accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> The money is divided into three parts:<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Faqs/0,,12306,00.html |title=Frequently asked questions about the F.A. Premier League, (How are television revenues distributed to Premier League clubs?) |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=11 December 2007}}</ref> half is divided equally between the clubs; one quarter is awarded on a merit basis based on final league position, the top club getting twenty times as much as the bottom club, and equal steps all the way down the table; the final quarter is paid out as facilities fees for games that are shown on television, with the top clubs generally receiving the largest shares of this. The income from overseas rights is divided equally between the twenty clubs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-nets-16314bn-tv-rights-bonanza-1925462.html |title=Premier League nets £1.4bn TV rights bonanza |newspaper=The Independent |last=Harris |first=Nick |date=23 March 2010 |accessdate=12 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;float:right;margin-left:1em;clear:right" | |||
|+ Results of the 'Big Six' during the 2020s | |||
The first Sky television rights agreement was worth £304 million over five seasons.<ref name="fgrc">{{cite web |url=http://corporate.sky.com/about_sky/timeline.htm |title=BSkyB Timeline |publisher=BSkyB |accessdate=20 October 2009}}</ref> The next contract, negotiated to start from the 1997–98 season, rose to £670 million over four seasons.<ref name="fgrc"/> The third contract was a £1.024 billion deal with BSkyB for the three seasons from 2001–02 to 2003–04. The league brought in £320 million from the sale of its international rights for the three-year period from 2004–05 to 2006–07. It sold the rights itself on a territory-by-territory basis.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/160604/premier-league-launches-international-rights-tender |title=Premier League launches international rights tender |work=SportBusiness |publisher=SBG Companies Ltd. |accessdate=12 September 2010}}</ref> Sky's monopoly was broken from August 2006 when ] was awarded rights to show two out of the six packages of matches available. This occurred following an insistence by the ] that exclusive rights should not be sold to one television company. Sky and Setanta paid a total of £1.7 billion, a two-thirds increase which took many commentators by surprise as it had been widely assumed that the value of the rights had levelled off following many years of rapid growth. Setanta also hold rights to a live 3 pm match solely for Irish viewers. The ] has retained the rights to show highlights for the same three seasons (on '']'') for £171.6 million, a 63 per cent increase on the £105 million it paid for the previous three-year period.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/match_of_the_day/5060828.stm |title=BBC keeps Premiership highlights |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=8 June 2006 |accessdate=8 August 2006}}</ref> ] broadcast the ] in Ireland. Sky and ] have agreed to jointly pay £84.3 million for delayed television rights to 242 games (that is the right to broadcast them in full on television and over the internet) in most cases for a period of 50 hours after 10 pm on matchday.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2006/05/26/sfntv26.xml |title= TV deal pays another £84m |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 May 2006 |accessdate=8 August 2006 |first=David |last=Bond}}</ref> Overseas television rights fetched £625 million, nearly double the previous contract.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6273617.stm |title=Premiership in new £625m TV deal |accessdate=3 June 2007 |date=18 January 2007 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref> The total raised from these deals is more than £2.7 billion, giving Premier League clubs an average media income from league games of around £40 million-a-year from 2007 to 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8595655.stm |title=Premier League clubs benefit from new overseas TV deal |date=30 March 2010 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
! Season !! {{abbr|]|Arsenal}} !! {{abbr|]|Chelsea}} !! {{abbr|]|Liverpool}} !! {{abbr|]|Manchester City}} !! {{abbr|]|Manchester United}} !! {{abbr|]|Tottenham Hotspur}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 8 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 4 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 | |||
The TV rights agreement between the Premier League and Sky has faced accusations of being a cartel, and a number of court cases have arisen as a result.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-high-court-countdown-battle-begins-for-footballs-future-1046614.html |title=Football: High Court countdown: Battle begins for football's future |last=Harris |first=Nick |date=12 January 1999 |newspaper=The Independent |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref> An investigation by the ] in 2002 found BSkyB to be dominant within the pay TV sports market, but concluded that there were insufficient grounds for the claim that BSkyB had abused its dominant position.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.oft.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D36BD282-3F52-410E-86EA-F494E41BC199/0/bskybfinal1.pdf |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060823170841/http://www.oft.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D36BD282-3F52-410E-86EA-F494E41BC199/0/bskybfinal1.pdf |archivedate=23 August 2006 |title=BSkyB investigation: alleged infringement of the Chapter II prohibition |work=Office of Fair Trading |publisher=HM Government |date=17 December 2002 |accessdate=11 September 2010 |format=PDF}}</ref> In July 1999 the Premier League's method of selling rights collectively for all member clubs was investigated by the UK Restrictive Practices Court, who concluded that the agreement was not contrary to the public interest.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/speeches/text/sp1999_019_en.pdf |format=PDF |title=Sport and European Competition Policy |publisher=European Commission Directorate-General IV – Competition|year=1999 |accessdate=8 August 2006}}</ref> The BBC's highlights package on Saturday and Sunday nights, as well as other evenings when fixtures justify, will run until 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18205519 |title=BBC renews Match of the Day deal |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=25 May 2012 |accessdate=25 May 2012}}</ref> Television rights alone for the period 2010 to 2013 have been purchased for £1.782 billion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7875478.stm |title=New Television Rights |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=6 February 2009 |accessdate=6 January 2010}}</ref> On 22 June 2009, due to troubles encountered by Setanta Sports after it failed to meet a final deadline over a £30 million payment to the Premier League, ] was awarded two packages of UK rights containing a total of 46 matches that were available for the 2009–10 season as well as a package of 23 matches per season from 2010–11 to 2012–13.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1698362,00.html |title=ESPN win Premier League rights |publisher=Premier League |date=22 June 2009 |accessdate=22 June 2009}}</ref> On 13 June 2012, the Premier League announced that ] had been awarded 38 games a season for the 2013–14 through 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year. The remaining 116 games were retained by ] who will pay £760 million-a-year. The total rights have raised £3.018 billion, an increase of 70.2% over the 2010–11 to 2012–13 rights.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18430036 | work=BBC News | title=Premier League rights sold to BT and BSkyB for £3bn | date=13 June 2012}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| ] || 8 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 4 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#C39BD3"| 7 | |||
=== Worldwide === | |||
|- | |||
Promoted as "The Greatest Show On Earth",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/8687540.stm |title=Wales lines up for identity parade |date=19 May 2010 |work=BBC Wales |publisher=BBC |accessdate=7 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://worldsport.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/16/which-football-league-is-the-worlds-best/ |title=Who is the Premier League's best? |publisher=FIFA |date=11 December 2007 |accessdate=7 April 2011}}</ref> the Premier League is broadcast to over 600+ million people in over 200 countries worldwide,<ref name="Telegraph6Nov2007">{{cite news |title=Premier League is world's favourite league |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2325057/Premier-League-is-worlds-favourite-league.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=6 November 2007 |first=Jeremy |last=Wilson |accessdate=7 November 2007}}</ref> often on networks owned and/or controlled by ] (which owns about 39.1% of BSkyB in the UK). The Premier League's production arm, Premier League Productions, is operated by ] and is responsible for producing all content for its international television partners. | |||
| ] ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 4 | |||
|- | |||
In the United States, coverage for most of the 2000s and early 2010s was shared between ]/] (which are also owned by News Corporation) and ], with ] and ] holding Spanish language rights.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/61334 |title=Bidders line up for U.S. rights to Premiership |work=Sports Business Journal |publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group |date=26 January 2009 |accessdate=8 April 2009}}</ref> ] (primarily through ]) replaced ESPN and Fox Soccer as the exclusive broadcaster of the league in the US (in both English and Spanish; ] and ] now carry Spanish-language coverage) beginning in the 2013–14 season, as the result of a new three-year, $250 million ] deal with the league, including 20 matches that start at 5 p.m. UK time on Saturdays free-to-air on the main ] network (12 noon American ]). Other games are carried through gametime-only channels known as "Premier League Extra Time", and all games are carried through NBC Sports' website and the "NBC Sports Live Extra" tablet/smartphone app with ] authentication, with ] carrying matches in lieu of NBCSN during the ].<ref name=nbc-epl-guardian>{{cite news|title=NBC wins $250m rights to broadcast English Premier League in US|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/oct/29/nbc-250m-english-premier-league-epl-broadcast-us?newsfeed=true|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=29 October 2012|work=The Guardian|date=29 October 2012}}</ref> ] coverage (under the banner ''Championship Sunday'') will be carried on May 10, 2014 by ten NBCUniversal networks, along with Telemundo and mun2.<ref>{{cite press release|title=NBCUNIVERSAL PRESENTS UNPRECEDENTED COVERAGE OF PREMIER LEAGUE’S "CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY" ON MAY 11|publisher=] Group|date=17 April 2014|url=http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2014/04/16/nbcuniversal-presents-unprecedented-coverage-of-premier-leagues-championship-sunday-on-may-11/|accessdate=19 April 2014}}</ref> | |||
| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 || 12 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 || 8 | |||
|- | |||
In Canada, ] owned the Premier League rights for three years from the 2010–11 season. Select games (particularly those aired by ESPN) were sub-licensed to ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2009/12/04/sportsnet_epl/ |title=EPL returns to Sportsnet |date=4 December 2009 |work=Sportsnet |publisher=Rogers Digital Media |accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref> Starting in the 2013–14 season, the matches will be divided equally between Sportsnet and TSN. | |||
| ] ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 2 ||style="background:#C39BD3"| 6 ||style="background:#ACE1AF"| 3 ||style="background:#FFE34D"| '''1''' ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 8 ||style="background:#97DEFF"| 5 | |||
|- style="border-top:3px solid black" class="sortbottom" | |||
| '''{{abbr|Top four|Number of times that each side finished in the top four}}''' || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 3 || 1 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
| '''{{abbr|Top six|Number of times that each side finished in the top six}}''' || 3 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 3 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
|colspan="7"| out of 5 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
|colspan="7"| {{color box|#FFE34D}} League champions<br />{{color box|#ACE1AF}} Champions League<br />{{color box|#97DEFF}} Europa League <br />{{color box|#C39BD3}} Conference League | |||
|} | |||
From the ], ]s were used in the league.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/09/var-premier-league-season |title=VAR VAR voom! The Premier League gets set for video referees |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |newspaper=] |issn=0261-3077 |date=9 August 2019 |access-date=16 November 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108003210/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/09/var-premier-league-season |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2019–20 season saw Liverpool win their first Premier League trophy, their first top-flight trophy in 30 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Liverpool win Premier League: Reds' 30-year wait for top-flight title ends |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53183857 |website=BBC Sport |date=25 June 2020}}</ref> | |||
In Australia, ] broadcasts all of the season's 380 matches live,<ref>https://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/foxtel-insider/barclays-premier-league-returns-saturday-on-fox-sports-218261.htm</ref> using their 'Viewers Choice' service to give subscribers the option of selecting which Saturday 3pm match to watch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/58663,never-miss-an-epl-moment.aspx |title=Never Miss An EPL Moment... |work=Australian Four Four Two |publisher=Haymarket Media |date=10 August 2007 |accessdate=8 April 2009}}</ref> | |||
] was announced in October 2020 that described a plan to reunite the top Premier League clubs with the ], proposed by leading Premier League clubs ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=MacInnes|first1=Paul|last2=Hytner|first2=David|date=11 October 2020|title=Project Big Picture: leading clubs' plan to reshape game sparks anger|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/11/project-big-picture-premier-league-and-efl-plan-radical-reform-to-avoid-crisis|access-date=12 October 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012052144/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/11/project-big-picture-premier-league-and-efl-plan-radical-reform-to-avoid-crisis|url-status=live}}</ref> It has been criticised by the Premier League leadership and the UK government's ].<ref>{{Cite news|date=11 October 2020|title='Project Big Picture' condemned by government as EFL chief launches defence of secret talks|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-project-big-picture-efl-rick-parry-liverpool-man-united-government-b967130.html|access-date=12 October 2020|last=de Menezes|first=Jack|work=]|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017180522/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-project-big-picture-efl-rick-parry-liverpool-man-united-government-b967130.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The Premier League is particularly popular in Asia, where it is the most widely distributed sports programme.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blonnet.com/2004/03/21/stories/2004032101440300.htm |title=ESPN-Star extends pact with FA Premier League |work=Business Line |date=21 March 2004 |accessdate=9 August 2006}}</ref> In India, the matches are broadcast live on ESPN and Star Sports. In China, data from 2003 suggested that matches were attracting television audiences between 100 million and 360 million, more than any other foreign sport.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3207829.stm |title=Chinese phone maker's fancy footwork |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=27 October 2003 |accessdate=9 August 2006 |first=Mary |last=Hennock}}</ref> However, when the Chinese rights to Premier League matches were sold to a subscription channel in 2007, the number of viewers proved to be in the tens of thousands.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article6256033.ece|title=Premier League targets China|newspaper=The Sunday Times|location=London|first=Nick|last=Harris|date=10 May 2009|accessdate=9 November 2010}}</ref> Due to its popularity in Asia, the league has held four pre-season tournaments there, the only Premier League affiliated tournaments ever to have been held outside England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://premierskills.britishcouncil.org/learn-english/premier-league-around-world|title=The Premier League around the world|work=Premier Skills|publisher=British Council|accessdate=22 January 2013}}</ref> The ] has been played in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and China and involves three Premier League clubs playing against a prominent team from the host nation, often the national side.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sports.globaltimes.cn/editor-picks/2009-06/436161.html|title=English Premier League stars to shine in Beijing|first=Peter|last=Simpson|newspaper=The Global Times|date=10 June 2009|accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
On 26 April 2021, play was stopped during a match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace to allow players ] and ] to break ]. It is believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a game was paused to allow Muslim players to eat and drink after the sun had set in accordance with the rules of the faith.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11706/12288322/wesley-fofana-leicester-defender-thanks-premier-league-after-being-allowed-to-break-ramadan-fast-mid-game |title=Wesley Fofana: Leicester defender thanks Premier League after being allowed to break Ramadan fast mid-game |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210427110446/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11706/12288322/wesley-fofana-leicester-defender-thanks-premier-league-after-being-allowed-to-break-ramadan-fast-mid-game |archive-date=27 April 2021 |date=26 April 2021 |publisher=Sky Sports |last1=Dorsett |first1=Rob |last2=Trehan |first2=Dev }}</ref> | |||
Figures from UK tourism body ] suggest that 750,000 visitors to Britain attended a Premier League match in 2010, spending a total £595 million and an average of £766. Visitors from ] are most likely to come to watch Premier League football, with one in 13 Norwegian tourists travelling specifically to attend matches. Second on the list is the ]. For those visiting family and friends, the most likely to watch a football match are from Japan, China and Australia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/08/18/uk-soccer-premier-league-idUKTRE77H7KG20110818|title=Premier League draws 750,000 visitors a year|publisher=Reuters|date=19 August 2011}}</ref> | |||
The ] was the first to take a six-week break between November and December 2022 to allow for the ],<ref>{{Cite news |title=Premier League set for mid-season break |website=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59253994 |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-date=2 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102225119/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59253994 |url-status=live }}</ref> with a return for the ] fixtures.<ref>{{cite news |date=2 April 2022 |title=How the 2022 World Cup will affect the 2022/23 Premier League season |url=https://talksport.com/football/924633/how-will-2022-world-cup-affect-premier-league-fixtures-schedules-qatar-boxing-day-start-end-date/ |access-date=8 May 2022 |website=talkSPORT |archive-date=2 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102225119/https://talksport.com/football/924633/how-will-2022-world-cup-affect-premier-league-fixtures-schedules-qatar-boxing-day-start-end-date/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Premier League players decided to take the knee at selected "significant moments". They assured to "remain resolutely committed to eradicate racial prejudice".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4712201/premier-league-players-agree-to-stop-taking-a-knee-before-every-game|title=Premier League players agree to stop taking a knee before every game|access-date=3 August 2022|publisher=ESPN|date=3 August 2022|archive-date=3 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803103442/https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4712201/premier-league-players-agree-to-stop-taking-a-knee-before-every-game|url-status=live}}</ref> That season was notable for ] and ] breaking the traditional "Big Six" as they finished fourth and sixth, respectively, whilst "Big Six" teams ] and Chelsea finished eighth and twelfth.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas-Humphreys |first=Harry |date=23 May 2023 |title=The last time Newcastle United played in the Champions League |url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/22/when-was-the-last-time-newcastle-played-in-the-champions-league-18824401/ |access-date=28 May 2023 |website=Metro |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528224923/https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/22/when-was-the-last-time-newcastle-played-in-the-champions-league-18824401/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65704321 |title=Brighton qualify for Europa League: 'Special times at a club on the rise' |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 May 2023 |access-date=29 May 2023 |archive-date=1 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601060431/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65704321 |url-status=live }}</ref> Meanwhile, 2015–16 champions Leicester City were relegated, becoming the second league-winning club to suffer relegation since 1992, after ] in the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65622943|title=What went wrong for Leicester City?|first=Shamoon|last=Hafez|publisher=BBC Sport|date=28 May 2023|access-date=30 May 2023|archive-date=29 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529084253/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65622943|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
== Criticisms == | |||
In the ], Manchester City won the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years to become the first top-flight team to win four consecutive league titles in English football history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Man City take greatness to new heights with fourth straight Premier League title |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40178380/manchester-city-make-history-fourth-straight-premier-league-title |website=ESPN.com |date=19 May 2024}}</ref> Meanwhile, non-Big Six club ] finished fourth and qualified for the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Aston Villa qualify for Champions League: Unai Emery leads side into competition for first time since 1983 |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11677/13135404/aston-villa-qualify-for-champions-league-unai-emery-leads-side-into-competition-for-first-time-since-1983 |website=Sky Sports }}</ref> | |||
=== "Big Four" dominance (2003–04 to 2008–09) === | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%; float:right; margin-left:1em" | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:300px" | |||
|+ Number of top 6 finishes during 2020s | |||
|- | |- | ||
! Club !! Top 6 finishes | |||
! Season !! ] !! ] !! ] !! ] | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Liverpool ||align="center"| 5 | |||
| ] || style="background:#badaff"|10 || style="background:#badaff"|11 || style="background:#badaff"|6 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Manchester City ||align="center"| 5 | |||
| ] || 4 || style="background:#badaff"|14 || style="background:#badaff"|8 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Manchester United ||align="center"| 4 | |||
| ] || style="background:#badaff"|12 || style="background:#badaff"|11 || 4 || 2 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Chelsea ||align="center"| 4 | |||
| ] || style="background:#badaff"|5 || style="background:#badaff"|11 || 3 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Arsenal ||align="center"| 3 | |||
| ] || 3 || style="background:#badaff"|6 || 4 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur ||align="center"| 3 | |||
| ] || style="background:gold"|1 || 4 || 3 || 2 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Leicester City ||align="center"| 2 | |||
| ] || 2 || 3 || style="background:#badaff"|7 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Aston Villa ||align="center"| 1 | |||
| ] || 2 || style="background:#badaff"|5 || 4 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion ||align="center"| 1 | |||
| ] || 2 || style="background:#badaff"|6 || 3 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Newcastle United ||align="center"| 1 | |||
| ] || style="background:gold"|1 || style="background:#badaff"|6 || 2 || 3 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| West Ham United ||align="center"| 1 | |||
| ] || 2 || 4 || style="background:#badaff"|5 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|} | |||
==Corporate structure== | |||
The Football Association Premier League Ltd (FAPL)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-403/08&language=en |website=curia.europa.eu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225121702/http://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-403/08&language=en |archive-date=25 December 2011 |url-status=live |title=C-403/08 – Football Association Premier League and Others }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/toolbar/terms-conditions.html |website=Premier League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018120546/http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/toolbar/terms-conditions.html |archive-date=18 October 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Terms & Conditions }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/toolbar/privacy-policy.html |website=Premier League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701042947/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/toolbar/privacy-policy.html |archive-date=1 July 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Privacy Policy }}</ref> is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a ], with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts. The clubs select a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to oversee the daily operations of the league.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2861&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |title=Our relationship with the clubs |publisher=Premier League |access-date=8 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114102011/http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2861&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |archive-date=14 November 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Premier League, but has veto power as a special shareholder during the election of the chairman and chief executive and when new rules are adopted by the league.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2851&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |archive-date=18 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318214006/http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enSimpleStories&id=2851&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are&breadcrumb=about_breadcrumb |url-status=dead |title=The Premier League and Other Football Bodies |publisher=Premier League |access-date=12 September 2010 }}</ref> | |||
The current chief executive is ], who was appointed in December 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50756062 |title=Premier League chief executive Richard Masters given job on permanent basis |website=BBC Sport |access-date=12 August 2021 |archive-date=12 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812195020/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50756062 |url-status=live }}</ref> The chair is currently ], who took over the role in early 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/2690490|title=Clubs vote unanimously to appoint Whitbread PLC CEO to the position from early 2023|publisher=Premier League|access-date=27 October 2022|archive-date=27 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027131348/https://www.premierleague.com/news/2690490|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The Premier League sends representatives to UEFA's ], the number of clubs and the clubs themselves chosen according to ]s. For the ], the Premier League has 13 representatives in the Association: Arsenal, Aston Villa, ], Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecaeurope.com/eca-members/eca-members/ |title=ECA Members |publisher=European Club Association |access-date=5 March 2024 |archive-date=11 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311220453/http://www.ecaeurope.com/eca-members/eca-members/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The European Club Association is responsible for electing three members to UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, which is involved in the operations of UEFA competitions such as the ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecaeurope.com/Default.aspx?id=1085058 |title=European Club Association: General Presentation |publisher=European Club Association |access-date=7 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809132539/http://www.ecaeurope.com/Default.aspx?id=1085058 <!-- Added by H3llBot --> |archive-date=9 August 2010}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |- | ||
|+Office holders | |||
| ] || style="background:gold"|1 || 2 || 4 || 3 | |||
|- | |- | ||
!Office | |||
| ] || 2 || style="background:gold"|1 || style="background:#badaff"|5 || 3 | |||
!No. | |||
!Name | |||
!Tenure | |||
|- | |- | ||
|rowspan="3"|Chief Executive | |||
| ] || 4 || style="background:gold"|1 || 3 || 2 | |||
|1 | |||
|] | |||
|1991–1997 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2 | |||
| ] || 4 || 2 || 3 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|] | |||
|1999–2018 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|'''3''' | |||
| ] || 3 || 2 || 4 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|''']''' | |||
|'''2019–''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|rowspan="6"|Chair | |||
| ] || 4 || 3 || 2 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|1 | |||
|] | |||
|1991–1999 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2 | |||
| ] || 3 || style="background:gold"|1 || style="background:#badaff"|7 || 2 | |||
|] | |||
|1999–2013 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|3 | |||
| ] || 4 || 2 || style="background:#badaff"|6 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|] | |||
|2013–2014 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|4 | |||
| ] || 3 || style="background:#badaff"|6 || style="background:#badaff"|8 || 2 | |||
|] | |||
|2014–2018 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|5 | |||
| ] || 4 || 3 || style="background:#badaff"|7 || style="background:gold"|1 | |||
|] | |||
|2020–2022 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|'''6''' | |||
| ] || 4 || || || style="background:#badaff"| | |||
|''']''' | |||
|- style="border-top:3px solid black" class="sortbottom" | |||
|'''2023–''' | |||
| '''Top four<br />finishes''' || 19 || 13 || 13 || 21 | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
| colspan="5"|out of 22 | |||
|- style="border-top:3px solid black" class="sortbottom" | |||
!rowspan=3|Key: | |||
| colspan="4" style="background:gold"|Champions | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
| colspan=4 class="sortbottom"|2nd, 3rd or 4th place | |||
|- class="sortbottom" | |||
| colspan="4" style="background:#badaff"|5th or below | |||
|} | |} | ||
===Criticism of governance === | |||
A major criticism of the Premier League in the mid-2000s was the emergence of the so-called "Big Four" clubs: ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3908394.ece |title=Breaking up the Premier League's Big Four |date=11 May 2008 |last=Northcroft |first=Jonathan |newspaper=The Sunday Times |accessdate=26 May 2011}}</ref><ref name=Bestofrest>{{cite news |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=405515&root=england&&cc=5739 |title=The best of the rest |date=29 January 2007 |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=27 November 2007}}</ref> With the exception of Blackburn Rovers in ] and Manchester City in ], only three clubs have won the Premier League title – Manchester United (13 titles), Arsenal and Chelsea (three titles each). Since the summer of 2002, they dominated the top four spots, thus places in the ], winning all but one of the top four places between 2003–04 and 2008–09. In May 2008, ] stated that "Big Four" dominance threatened the division, "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."<ref>{{cite news |title=Power of top four concerns Keegan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7384247.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=6 May 2008 |accessdate=6 May 2008 }}</ref> Premier League chief executive ] said in defence "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle or at the bottom that make it interesting."<ref>{{cite news |title=Scudamore defends 'boring' League |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7388360.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=7 May 2008 |accessdate=9 May 2008 }}</ref> | |||
The Premier League has faced criticism of its ] due to an alleged lack of ] and ]. | |||
Following the Premier League's blocking of the ] through the league's ], many MPs, ] fans and related parties to the deal denounced the Premier League for its perceived lack of transparency and accountability throughout the process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11678/12359153/newcastle-fans-kept-in-the-dark-by-premier-league-amid-ongoing-takeover|title=Newcastle fans 'kept in the dark' by Premier League amid ongoing takeover|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=8 August 2021|archive-date=9 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809234724/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11678/12359153/newcastle-fans-kept-in-the-dark-by-premier-league-amid-ongoing-takeover|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://theathletic.co.uk/1996879/2020/08/14/newcastle-richard-masters-letter-newcastle-takeover/ |title=Explained: the Premier League's letter about Newcastle's failed takeover |work=The Athletic |access-date=14 August 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805143550/https://theathletic.co.uk/1996879/2020/08/14/newcastle-richard-masters-letter-newcastle-takeover/ |url-status=live |last1=Waugh |first1=Chris |last2=Slater |first2=Matt }}</ref><ref name="SkySports3">{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12349465/newcastle-takeover-amanda-staveley-wants-uk-government-and-premier-league-to-make-arbitration-transparent|title=Newcastle takeover: Amanda Staveley wants UK Government and Premier League to make arbitration transparent|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=8 August 2021|archive-date=9 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809234724/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12349465/newcastle-takeover-amanda-staveley-wants-uk-government-and-premier-league-to-make-arbitration-transparent|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 July 2021, consortium member ] of PCP Capital Partners said that "fans surely deserve absolute transparency from the regulators across all their processes – to best ensure that they act responsibly. They (the Premier League) are performing a function like that of a government regulator – but without the same systems for accountability."<ref name=SkySports3/> | |||
The years following 2009 marked a shift in the structure of the "Big Four" with two new clubs, ] and ] vying for place in top four. In the ], Tottenham pipped Manchester City to finish fourth and become the first team to break the top four since ] in 2005, with both Manchester City and ] also finishing above Liverpool, formerly a "Big Four" team. In ], Manchester City finished third – the first time a team has broken into the top three since Newcastle did so in the 2002–03 season. This has continued into the ], with Manchester City winning the title for the first time since ], becoming the first club outside of the "Big Four" to win since ], Tottenham again finishing 4th. Chelsea finished 6th, outside the top four for the first time since ] (though they retained their place in the ] at the expense of 4th-placed ], having won the trophy the previous season), while Liverpool finished 7th, outside the top four for the third season in a row. | |||
On 22 July 2021, ] – chair of the fan-led review into the UK's football governance – announced in the review's interim findings that the Premier League had "lost the trust and confidence" of fans. The review also recommended that a new independent regulator be created to oversee matters such as club takeovers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57929695 |title=Dangers to English football 'very real', says chair of fan-led review into game |website=BBC Sport |access-date=8 August 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809234719/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57929695 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jul/22/english-football-needs-independent-regulator-says-chair-of-fan-led-review-tracey-crouch|title=English football needs independent regulator, says chair of fan-led review|work=The Guardian|date=22 July 2021|access-date=8 August 2021|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807192625/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jul/22/english-football-needs-independent-regulator-says-chair-of-fan-led-review-tracey-crouch|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Criticism of the gap between an elite group of "super clubs" and the majority of the Premier League has continued, nevertheless, due to their increasing ability to spend more than the other Premier League clubs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alex McLeish says Aston Villa struggle to compete with top clubs |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14844717.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=8 September 2011 |accessdate=8 September 2011 }}</ref> Manchester City, Everton and Tottenham's ascendancy since 2009–10 and Liverpool returning to the top four spots for much of the 2013-2014 campaign has begun to change the complexion from just a league with a four team powerhouse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Changing dynamics of the 'Big Six' in Premier League title race |last=Jolly |first=Richard |url=http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/changing-dynamics-of-the-big-six-in-premier-league-title-race |work=The National |date=11 August 2011 |accessdate=18 August 2013 }}</ref> | |||
Premier League chief executive ] had earlier spoken out against the implementation of an independent regulator, saying in May 2021, "I don't think that the independent regulator is the answer to the question. I would defend the Premier League's role as regulator of its clubs over the past 30 years."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/17/time-to-act-former-players-demand-independent-regulator-for-football |title='Time to act': Former players demand independent regulator for football |work=The Guardian |date=17 May 2021 |access-date=14 August 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814045522/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/17/time-to-act-former-players-demand-independent-regulator-for-football |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=== Widening gap with lower leagues === | |||
{{See also|Premier League–Football League gulf}} | |||
One of the main criticisms levelled at the Premier League is the increasing gulf between the Premier League and the Football League. Since its split with the ], many established clubs in the Premier League have managed to distance themselves from their counterparts in lower leagues. Owing in large part to the disparity in revenue from television rights between the leagues,<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1771399,00.html |title=Rich clubs forced to give up a sliver of the TV pie |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=8 August 2006 |first=David |last=Conn |date=10 May 2006}}</ref> many newly promoted teams have found it difficult to avoid relegation in their first season in the Premier League. In every season except ] (], ] and ]) and 2011–12 (], ] and ]), at least one Premier League newcomer has been relegated back to the Football League. In ] all three promoted clubs were relegated at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news |title=1997/98 – Season Review |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=333233&root=extratime&cc=5739 |last=Brewin |first=John |date=4 July 2005 |accessdate=29 November 2007 |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN}}</ref> | |||
==Competition format== | |||
The Premier League distributes a small portion of its television revenue to clubs that are relegated from the league in the form of "parachute payments". Starting with the ] season, these payments are in excess of £60 million over four seasons.<ref name="BBC Sport">{{cite web|title=Premier League's relegated clubs to receive £60m boost|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22171365}}</ref> Though designed to help teams adjust to the loss of television revenues (the average Premier League team receives £55 million<ref name="Mail Sport">{{cite news|title=Hull set for £120m cash windfall if they win promotion to Premier League|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2315255/Hull-set-make-extra-120m-win-promotion-Premier-League.html | work=Daily Mail | first=Paul|last=Collins|date=26 April 2013}}</ref> while the average ] club receives £2 million<ref name="Guardian Sport">{{cite web |title=Richard Scudamore takes big stick to Championship over parachute money |url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/may/16/premier-league-championship-parachute-payments }}</ref>), critics maintain that the payments actually widen the gap between teams that have reached the Premier League and those that have not,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1837801,00.html |title=Why clubs may risk millions for riches at the end of the rainbow |date=5 August 2006 |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=13 August 2006 |first=Stuart |last=James}}</ref> leading to the common occurrence of teams "]" soon after their relegation. For some clubs, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] who have failed to win immediate promotion back to the Premier League, financial problems, including in some cases ] or even liquidation have followed. Further relegations down the footballing ladder have ensued for several clubs unable to cope with the gap.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23664566-details/Premier+League+casualties+-+clubs+that+have+struggled+since+relegation/article.do |title=Premier League casualties – clubs that have struggled since relegation |newspaper=Evening Standard |publisher=Daily Mail & General Trust |first1=Ben |last1=Bailey |first2=Patrick |last2=Whyte |date=19 March 2009 |accessdate=7 April 2009 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090322034918/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23664566-details/Premier+League+casualties+-+clubs+that+have+struggled+since+relegation/article.do <!-- Added by H3llBot --> |archivedate=22 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2299511/Down-again-Leicesters-relegation-horror.html |title=Down again: Leicester's relegation horror |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 May 2008 |accessdate=7 April 2009}}</ref> | |||
{{quote box |width=33% |author={{ndash}}], on the competitiveness of the Premier League.<ref>{{cite web |title=Antonio Conte calls Tottenham's January departures 'strange' and points to past mistakes made in the transfer window |work=Sky Sports |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/12532709/antonio-conte-calls-tottenhams-january-departures-strange-and-points-to-past-mistakes-made-in-the-transfer-window |location=UK |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220204174537/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/12532709/antonio-conte-calls-tottenhams-january-departures-strange-and-points-to-past-mistakes-made-in-the-transfer-window |archive-date=4 February 2022 |access-date=4 February 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|quote= is very tough and is different. If you compare this league to another league, it's like playing another sport. | |||
}} | |||
{{quote box |width=33% |author={{ndash}}]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://talksport.com/football/40727/i-wouldnt-go-another-premier-league-team-barcelona-forward-luis-suarez-refuses-rule-out/|title='I wouldn't go to another Premier League team' – Barcelona forward Luis Suarez refuses to rule out Liverpool return|website=talksport.com|publisher=talkSport|date=12 February 2016|access-date=4 August 2022|archive-date=4 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804171602/https://talksport.com/football/40727/i-wouldnt-go-another-premier-league-team-barcelona-forward-luis-suarez-refuses-rule-out/|url-status=live}}</ref> |quote=In you never really know what is going to happen, there is very little between the teams. | |||
== Clubs == | |||
}} | |||
{{Main|List of Premier League clubs}} | |||
{{See also|List of English football champions|All-time FA Premier League table}} | |||
A total of 46 clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992, up to and including the ] season. Seven clubs have been members of the Premier League for every season since its inception: ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=493532&in_page_id=1779 |title=It's official – Tottenham have the worst defence in Premier League history |newspaper=Daily Mail |date=14 November 2007 |accessdate=1 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
===Competition=== | |||
The following 20 clubs will compete in the Premier League during the ] season. | |||
There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double ]), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 38 games. Teams receive ] and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ] by total points, then ], and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, the head-to-head record between the tied teams is taken into consideration (points scored in the matches between the teams, followed by away goals in those matches.) If two teams are still tied, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://resources.premierleague.com/premierleague/document/2021/09/17/d9c834df-0f2c-454c-85bf-bf0da7586980/PL_Handbook_2021_22_DIGITAL_17.09.pdf |chapter=Premier League Rule C.17 p.107 |title=Premier League Handbook Season 2021/22 |publisher=The Football Association Premier League Limited |access-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921070808/https://resources.premierleague.com/premierleague/document/2021/09/17/d9c834df-0f2c-454c-85bf-bf0da7586980/PL_Handbook_2021_22_DIGITAL_17.09.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Promotion and relegation=== | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
A system of ] exists between the Premier League and the ]. The three lowest placed teams in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship, and the top two teams from the Championship promoted to the Premier League,<ref>{{cite news |last=Baxter |first=Kevin |title=There are millions of reasons to want a promotion and avoid relegation in the English Premier League |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer-baxter-20160515-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=14 May 2016 |access-date=11 January 2018 |archive-date=11 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211083031/http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer-baxter-20160515-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with an additional team promoted after a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Ben |title=Fulham lead march of heavyweights in £200m Championship play-offs |work=The Guardian |date=9 May 2018 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/may/09/fulham-heavyweights-200m-chmapionship-play-offs |access-date=19 July 2018 |archive-date=20 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720052038/https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/may/09/fulham-heavyweights-200m-chmapionship-play-offs |url-status=live }}</ref> The number of clubs was reduced from 22 to 20 in ], when four teams were relegated from the league and only two teams promoted.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barclay |first=Patrick |title=F.A. Premiership: Free spirits set to roam |work=The Guardian |date=14 August 1994 |id={{ProQuest|293505497}}}}</ref><ref name="evolved">{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Nick |title=How the Premier League has evolved in 25 years to become what it is today |publisher=ESPN |date=15 August 2017 |url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/23/blog/post/3180115/how-the-premier-league-has-evolved-in-25-years-to-become-what-it-is-today |access-date=5 July 2018 |archive-date=6 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706103848/http://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/23/blog/post/3180115/how-the-premier-league-has-evolved-in-25-years-to-become-what-it-is-today |url-status=live }}</ref> The top flight had only been expanded to 22 teams at the start of the ] – the year prior to the formation of the Premier League.<ref name="evolved"/> | |||
On 8 June 2006, ] requested that all major European leagues, including Italy's ] and Spain's ], be reduced to 18 teams by the start of the ]. The Premier League responded by announcing their intention to resist such a reduction.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fifa wants 18-team Premier League |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5061302.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2006 |access-date=8 August 2006 |archive-date=28 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628044931/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5061302.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Ultimately, the 2007–08 season kicked off again with 20 teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=English Premier League Table 2007-08 |url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/standings/_/league/eng.1/season/2007 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=11 January 2018 |archive-date=6 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706103932/http://www.espn.com/soccer/standings/_/league/eng.1/season/2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Video Assistant Referee=== | |||
] (VAR), was introduced to the Premier League at the beginning of the ]. It uses technology and officials to assist the ] in making decisions on the pitch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video Assistant Referees Explained {{!}} VAR |url=https://www.premierleague.com/VAR |access-date=13 March 2023 |website=Premier League |date=1 June 2020 |archive-date=24 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824201415/https://www.premierleague.com/VAR |url-status=live }}</ref> However, its use has been met with mixed receptions from fans and pundits, with some praising its accuracy whilst others criticise its impact on the flow of the game and consistency of decision-making. | |||
The on-field referee still makes the final decision, but VAR can assist the referee in the decision-making process. VAR can only be used for four types of decisions: goals, ] decisions, direct ] incidents, and cases of mistaken identity. VAR officials review the video footage and communicate with the on-field referee via a headset. The VAR officials are located in a central control room, which is equipped with multiple camera angles and the ability to replay footage at various speeds. | |||
A study evaluating fan reception of VAR in the Premier League was made by Otto Kolbinger and Melanie Knopp and was done by analysing ] data.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kolbinger |first1=Otto |last2=Knopp |first2=Melanie |date=9 December 2020 |title=Video kills the sentiment—Exploring fans' reception of the video assistant referee in the English premier league using Twitter data |bibcode-access=free |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=15 |issue=12 |pages=e0242728 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0242728 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=7725346 |pmid=33296406 |bibcode=2020PLoSO..1542728K |doi-access=free }}</ref> The researchers used sentiment analysis to measure the overall positive or negative attitudes towards VAR, as well as topic modelling to identify specific issues that fans are discussing related to VAR. The study found that the reception of VAR on Twitter is largely negative, with fans expressing frustration and criticism of the technology's impact on the flow of the game and the inconsistency of decisions. The researchers also identified specific issues, such as handball and offside decisions, that fans are particularly critical of. The study concludes that VAR has not been well received by fans in the Premier League, and that efforts to improve the technology and increase transparency in decision-making are needed to address these concerns. | |||
==Clubs== | |||
{{main|List of Premier League clubs}} | |||
{{see also|Performance record of clubs in the Premier League|All-time Premier League table}} | |||
Fifty-one clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992, up to and including the ] season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clubs |url=https://www.premierleague.com/clubs |publisher=Premier League |access-date=25 January 2018 |archive-date=3 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203140113/https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Champions=== | |||
{{see also|List of English football champions}} | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
|- | |- | ||
!Club | !Club | ||
!Winners | |||
!Position<br />in ] | |||
!{{nowrap|Runners-up}} | |||
!Winning seasons | |||
|- | |||
|{{nowrap|]}} | |||
|style="text-align:center"|13 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|7 | |||
|], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
|] | |||
|style="text-align:center"|8 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|3 | |||
|], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
|] | |||
|style="text-align:center"|5 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|4 | |||
|], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
|] | |||
|style="text-align:center"|3 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|8 | |||
|], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
|] | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|5 | |||
|] | |||
|- | |||
|'']'' | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 | |||
|] | |||
|- | |||
|] | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 | |||
|style="text-align:center"|0 | |||
|] | |||
|} | |||
{{Pie chart | |||
|caption = Titles won by club (%) | |||
|label1 = Manchester United– 13 | |||
|value1 = 40.6 | |||
|color1 = #DA291C | |||
|label2 = Manchester City - 8 | |||
|value2 = 25.0 | |||
|color2 = #6CABDD | |||
|label3 = Chelsea – 5 | |||
|value3 = 15.7 | |||
|color3 = #034694 | |||
|label4 = Arsenal – 3 | |||
|value4 = 9.4 | |||
|color4 = #EF0107 | |||
|label5 = Liverpool - 1 | |||
|value5 = 3.1 | |||
|color5 = #C8102E | |||
|label6 = Blackburn Rovers - 1 | |||
|value6 = 3.1 | |||
|color6 = #009EE0 | |||
|label7 = Leicester City - 1 | |||
|value7 = 3.1 | |||
|color7 = #003090 | |||
}} | |||
''Italics'' indicate former Premier League champions that are currently outside the Premier League. | |||
===2024–25 season=== | |||
Twenty clubs are competing in the ] – top seventeen from the ] and three promoted from the ]. | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
|- | |||
!]<br />Club | |||
!]<br />Position | |||
!First season in<br />top division | !First season in<br />top division | ||
! |
!First season in<br />Premier League | ||
! |
!Seasons<br />in top<br />division | ||
!Seasons<br />in Premier<br />League | |||
!First season of<br />current spell in<br />top division | !First season of<br />current spell in<br />top division | ||
!No. of seasons<br />of current spell<br />in Premier League | |||
!Top division<br />titles | |||
! |
!Top<br />division<br />titles | ||
!Most<br />recent top<br />division title | |||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found|Founding member of the Premier League}}{{refn|group=v|name=rel|Never been relegated from the Premier League}} || {{ntsh|2}}2nd || 1904–05 || 1992–93 || 108 || 33 || 1919–20 (99 seasons{{refn|group=v|name=WW2|Reduced from 106 seasons due to WW2.}}) || 33 || 13 || 2003–04 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}{{refn|group=v|name=fl|One of the original twelve Football League teams}} || {{ntsh|4}}4th || 1888–89 || 1992–93 || 111 || 30 || 2019–20 (6 seasons) || 6 || 7 || 1980–81 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ] || {{ntsh|12}}12th || 2015–16 || 2015–16 || 8 || 8 || 2022–23 (3 seasons) || 3 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=rel}} || {{ntsh|16}}16th|| 1935–36 || 2021–22 || 9 || 4 || 2021–22 (4 seasons) || 4 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=rel}} || {{ntsh|11}}11th || 1979–80 || 2017–18 || 12 || 8 ||2017–18 (8 seasons) || 8 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}{{refn|group=v|name=rel}} ||{{ntsh|6}}6th || 1907–08 || 1992–93 || 90 || 33 || 1989–90 (36 seasons) ||33 || 6 || 2016–17 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}} || {{ntsh|10}}10th || 1969–70 || 1992–93 || 25 || 16 || 2013–14 (12 seasons) || 12 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}{{refn|group=v|name=rel}}{{refn|group=v|name=fl}} || {{ntsh|15}}15th || 1888–89 || 1992–93 || 122 || 33 || 1954–55 (71 seasons) || 33 || 9 || 1986–87 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ] || {{ntsh|13}}13th || 1949–50 || 2001–02 || 30 || 18 || 2022–23 (3 seasons) || 3 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}|| {{ntsh|22}}2nd (])|| 1961–62 || 1992–93 || 27 || 6 || 2024–25 (1 season) || 1 || 1 || 1961–62 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]|| {{ntsh|21}}1st (])|| 1955–56 || 1994–95 || 56 || 18 || 2024–25 (1 season) || 1 || 1 || 2015–16 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}{{refn|group=v|name=rel}} || {{ntsh|3}}3rd || 1894–95 || 1992–93 || 110 || 33 || 1962–63 (63 seasons) || 33 || 19|| 2019–20 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}} || {{ntsh|1}}1st || 1899–1900 || 1992–93 || 96 || 28 || 2002–03 (23 seasons) || 23 || 10 || 2023–24 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}{{refn|group=v|name=rel}} || {{ntsh|8}}8th || 1892–93 || 1992–93 || 100 || 33 || 1975–76 (50 seasons) || 33 || 20 || 2012–13 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]|| {{ntsh|7}}7th || 1898–99 || 1993–94 || 93 || 30 || 2017–18 (8 seasons) || 8 || 4 || 1926–27 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}} || {{ntsh|17}}17th|| 1892–93 || 1992–93 || 59 || 8 || 2022–23 (3 seasons) || 3 || 1 || 1977–78 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}} || {{ntsh|24}}4th playoffs (])|| 1966–67|| 1992–93 || 47 || 25 || 2024–25 (1 season) || 1 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=found}}{{refn|group=v|name=rel}} || {{ntsh|5}}5th || 1909–10 || 1992–93 || 90 || 33 || 1978–79 (47 seasons) || 33 || 2 || 1960–61 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ] || {{ntsh|9}}9th || 1923–24 || 1993–94 || 67 || 29 || 2012–13 (13 seasons) || 13 || 0 || – | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| ]{{refn|group=v|name=fl}} || {{ntsh|14}}14th || 1888–89 || 2003–04 || 70 || 11 || 2018–19 (7 seasons) || 7 || 3 || 1958–59 | ||
|} | |} | ||
{{ |
{{Clear}} | ||
* |
*], ] and ] were relegated to the ] for the ], whilst ], ], and ], as winners, runners-up and play-off final winners, respectively, were promoted from the ]. | ||
*Only two clubs have remained in the Premier League since their first promotion: ] and ], who have been in 4 and 8 season(s) (out of 33), respectively. | |||
{{reflist|group=v|colwidth=25em}} | |||
<sup>a</sup>: Founding member of the Premier League<br /> | |||
<sup> |
<!-- <sup>d</sup>: Club based in Wales --> | ||
{{transcluded section|source=Template:Premier League labelled map}} | |||
<sup>c</sup>: One of the original 12 Football League teams<br /> | |||
{{Premier League labelled map}} | |||
<sup>d</sup>: Club based in Wales | |||
{{Location map+ |England |float=left |width=400 |caption=Location of clubs for the 2013–14 Premier League season|places= | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=52.509065|long=-1.884799|label=]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=51.481581|long=-3.17909|label=]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=53.745671|long=-0.336741|label=]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=53.439254|long=-2.96706|label=]<br />]|position=left}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=53.479324|long=-2.248485|label=]<br />]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=54.978252|long=-1.61778|label=]|position=left}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=52.630886|long=1.297355|label=]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=53.002668|long=-2.179404|label=]|position=left}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=50.9097|long=-1.404351|label=]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=54.906869|long=-1.383801|label=]}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=51.62144|long=-3.943646|label=]|position=left}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=52.517664|long=-1.995159|label=]|position=left}} | |||
{{Location map~ |England |lat=51.511214|long=-0.119824|label=Six clubs, see adjacent map}}}} | |||
{{Location map+|Greater London | |||
|caption=<center>Football clubs in Greater London</center> | |||
|float=center | |||
|width=500 | |||
|places = | |||
{{Location map~|Greater London|lat=51.555|long=-0.108611|label=]|label_size=100|}} | |||
{{Location map~|Greater London|lat=51.481667|long=-0.191111|label=]|label_size=100|position=right}} | |||
{{Location map~|Greater London|lat=51.398333|long=-0.085556|label=]|label_size=100|}} | |||
{{Location map~|Greater London|lat=51.475|long=-0.221667|label=]|label_size=100|position=left}} | |||
{{Location map~|Greater London|lat=51.603319|long=-0.065599|label=]|label_size=100|}} | |||
{{Location map~|Greater London|lat=51.531944|long=0.039444|label=]|label_size=100|}} | |||
}} | |||
{{clear}} | |||
===Non-English clubs=== | ===Non-English clubs=== | ||
{{ |
{{see also|List of association football clubs playing in the league of another country}} | ||
In 2011, after ] gained promotion, a Welsh club participated in the Premier League for the first time.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wathan |first=Chris |title=Rodgers looking for his Swans to peak in play-offs and reach Premier League summit |work=] |date=12 May 2011 |page=50}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Swansea wins promotion to EPL |publisher=ESPN |agency=] |date=30 May 2011 |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6607485/swansea-beats-reading-playoff-reaches-premier-league |access-date=29 June 2013 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222124632/http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6607485/swansea-beats-reading-playoff-reaches-premier-league |url-status=live }}</ref> The first Premier League match to be played outside England was Swansea City's home match at ] against ] on 20 August 2011.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Herbert |title=Vorm is man in form to save Swans |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/vorm-is-man-in-form-to-save-swans-2341296.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=21 August 2011 |access-date=22 August 2011 |archive-date=19 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919124801/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/vorm-is-man-in-form-to-save-swans-2341296.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The number of Welsh clubs in the Premier League increased to two in 2013–14, as ] gained promotion,<ref>{{cite news |title=Cardiff Becomes Second Welsh Team in English Premier League |publisher=The Sports Network |agency=Associated Press |date=16 April 2013 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=420945 |access-date=29 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110222327/http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=420945 |archive-date=10 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but they were relegated after their maiden season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cardiff City relegation: Fans left singing the blues |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-27267666 |website=BBC News |date=3 May 2014 |access-date=11 January 2018 |archive-date=14 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214224647/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-27267666 |url-status=live }}</ref> Cardiff were promoted again in ] but the number of Welsh clubs remained the same for the ] season, as Swansea City had been relegated from the Premier League in 2017–18.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44100748 |title=Premier League: Liverpool finish fourth as Swansea are relegated |date=13 May 2018 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=13 May 2018 |archive-date=20 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020191124/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44100748 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following Cardiff City's relegation after the 2018–19 season, there are currently no Welsh clubs participating in the Premier League.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cardiff City relegated: Defeat against Crystal Palace relegates Bluebirds and seals Brighton's survival |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/cardiff-city-relegated-vs-crystal-palace-premier-league-result-final-score-epl-brighton-survival-a8899971.html |date=4 May 2019 |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=6 June 2019 |archive-date=6 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506114647/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/cardiff-city-relegated-vs-crystal-palace-premier-league-result-final-score-epl-brighton-survival-a8899971.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
====Wales==== | |||
Besides English clubs, there are currently also six Welsh clubs (], ], ], ], ] and ]) that are members of the ] (FAW), but choose to play in the ] rather than its ],<ref>{{cite news |last=Abbandonato |first=Paul |title=Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham: Clubs Based in Wales, Who Play Home Matches Here in Wales, but Who the FAW Bar From Representing Us in Europe |work=Western Mail |date=17 December 2004 |page=51 }}</ref> and can thus theoretically qualify to play in the Premier League. | |||
Because they are members of the ] (FAW), the question of whether clubs like ] should represent England or Wales in European competitions has caused ] in ]. Swansea took one of England's three available places in the ] in 2013–14 by winning the ] in 2012–13.<ref>{{cite web |title=Swans end Bantams fairytale |publisher=] |date=24 February 2013 |url=http://espnfc.com/us/en/report/359954/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=5901 |access-date=30 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227022630/http://espnfc.com/us/en/report/359954/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=5901 |archive-date=27 February 2013}}</ref> The right of Welsh clubs to take up such English places was in doubt until UEFA clarified the matter in March 2012, allowing them to participate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Uefa give Swansea and Cardiff European assurance |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17459332 |website=BBC Sport |date=21 March 2012 |access-date=24 January 2013 |archive-date=7 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107062951/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17459332 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Up to ], no Welsh clubs had qualified for the top flight in the Premier League era. In 2010–11, ] gained promotion from the ] by finishing third and then winning the play-offs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wathan |first=Chris |title=Rodgers looking for his Swans to peak in play-offs and reach Premier League summit |work=Western Mail |date=12 May 2011 |page=50 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Swansea wins promotion to EPL |publisher=ESPN. Associated Press |date=30 May 2011 |url=http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6607485/swansea-beats-reading-playoff-reaches-premier-league |accessdate=29 June 2013 }}</ref> The first Premier League match to be played outside England was Swansea City's home match against ] at the ] on 20 August 2011.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Herbert |title=Vorm is man in form to save Swans |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/vorm-is-man-in-form-to-save-swans-2341296.html |newspaper=The Independent |publisher=Independent Print |date=21 August 2011 |accessdate=22 August 2011 }}</ref> In ], Swansea retained their Premier League status by finishing 11th.<ref>{{cite web |title=2011/12 Barclays Premier League Table / Table |publisher=ESPN FC |url=http://espnfc.com/tables/_/league/eng.1/season/2011/barclays-premier-league?cc=5901 |accessdate=30 June 2013 }}</ref> In 2012–13, they qualified for the ] by winning the ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Swans end Bantams fairytale |publisher=ESPN FC |date=24 February 2013 |url=http://espnfc.com/us/en/report/359954/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=5901 |accessdate=30 June 2013 }}</ref> and achieved a top-half finish in the Premier League by finishing 9th.<ref>{{cite web |title=2012/13 Barclays Premier League Table |publisher=ESPN FC |url=http://espnfc.com/tables/_/league/eng.1/season/2012/barclays-premier-league?cc=5901 |accessdate=30 June 2013 }}</ref> The number of Welsh clubs in the Premier League increased to two in 2013–14, as ] gained promotion by winning the 2012–13 Championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cardiff Becomes Second Welsh Team in English Premier League |publisher=The Sports Network. Associated Press |date=16 April 2013 |url=http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=420945 |accessdate=29 June 2013 }}</ref> | |||
Participation in the Premier League by some Scottish or Irish clubs has sometimes been discussed, but without result. The idea came closest to reality in 1998, when ] received Premier League approval to ], but the move was blocked by the ].<ref name="thewimbledonwehave">{{Harvnb|Hammam|2000|p=3}}</ref><ref name="mihirbose">{{cite news |last=Bose |first=Mihir |author-link=Mihir Bose |title=Hammam cast in villain's role as Dons seek happy ending |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/3010879/Inside-Sport-Hammam-cast-in-villains-role-as-Dons-seek-happy-ending.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421092913/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/3010879/Inside-Sport-Hammam-cast-in-villains-role-as-Dons-seek-happy-ending.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 April 2013 |work=] |location=London |date=16 August 2001 |access-date=31 October 2009}}</ref><ref name=DublinDonsIndo230198>{{cite news |title=Hammam meets grass-roots on whistle-stop tour |url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hammam-meets-grassroots-on-whistlestop-tour-26199426.html |newspaper=] |access-date=13 June 2013 |date=23 January 1998 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921090610/http://www.independent.ie/sport/hammam-meets-grassroots-on-whistlestop-tour-26199426.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=DublinDonsIndo100698>{{cite news |title='Dublin Dons on way' Hammam |url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/dublin-dons-on-way-hammam-26183373.html |first=Philip |last=Quinn |newspaper=Irish Independent |access-date=13 June 2013 |date=10 June 1998 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921092127/http://www.independent.ie/sport/dublin-dons-on-way-hammam-26183373.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, the media occasionally discusses the idea that Scotland's two biggest teams, ] and ], should or will take part in the Premier League, but nothing has come of these discussions.<ref name="strachan">{{cite news |first1=Martyn |last1=Ziegler |first2=Ronnie |last2=Esplin |title=Celtic and Rangers will join European super league, says Scotland manager Gordon Strachan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/celtic/9985432/Celtic-and-Rangers-will-join-European-super-league-says-Scotland-manager-Gordon-Strachan.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/celtic/9985432/Celtic-and-Rangers-will-join-European-super-league-says-Scotland-manager-Gordon-Strachan.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=10 April 2013 |access-date=21 May 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
Because they are members of the ] (FAW), the question of whether clubs like Cardiff and Swansea should represent England or Wales in European competitions has caused ] in ]. Despite being a member of the FAW, Swansea will be taking up one of England's three available places in the ] in 2013–14, thanks to winning the ] in 2012–13. The right of Welsh clubs to take up such English places was in doubt until UEFA clarified the matter in March 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Uefa give Swansea and Cardiff European assurance |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17459332 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=21 March 2012 |accessdate=24 January 2013 }}</ref> | |||
==International competitions== | |||
====Scotland and Ireland==== | |||
Participation in the Premier League by some Scottish or Irish clubs has also sometimes been discussed, so far with little success. | |||
===Qualification for European competitions=== | |||
The idea came closest to reality in 1998, when ] – then in the Premier League – ], mainly for financial reasons. Circumstances meant that the club's then owner, ], began to look further and further afield.<ref name="Pitchbattle">{{cite news |first=Jim |last=White |title=Pitch battle |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2003/jan/11/clubsincrisis.sport |work=] |publisher=Guardian News and Media |location=London |date=11 January 2003 |accessdate=5 June 2009 }}</ref> Despite anger from a majority of supporters,<ref name=Pitchbattle/> he considered not only English locations such as ] and "]"<!-- leave quotation marks, Gatwick is not a town but the BBC reference specifically says "Gatwick".--> (near ]), but also ] in ], ] in ], ] in the ], and (non-specifically) "]" as potential new locations for the club.<ref name="toobigfortheirroots">{{cite news |first=Stuart |last=Roach |title=Too big for their roots |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wimbledon/1470328.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2 August 2001 |accessdate=31 August 2009 }}</ref><ref name="thewimbledonwehave">{{Harvnb|Hammam|2000|p=3}}</ref><ref name="womblesontheirway">{{cite news |first=Ivor |last=Heller |title=Wombles are on their way |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/sep/01/sport.comment7 |work=] |publisher=Guardian News and Media |location=London |date=1 September 2002 |accessdate=4 June 2009 }}</ref><ref name="weighupmkmove">{{cite news |title=Dons weigh up Milton Keynes move |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wimbledon/1100618.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=4 January 2001 |accessdate=6 December 2010 }}</ref> He received Premier League approval for his preferred option, Dublin, before the move was vetoed by the ] (FAI),<ref name=thewimbledonwehave/><ref name="mihirbose">{{cite news |first=Mihir |last=Bose |authorlink=Mihir Bose |title=Hammam cast in villain's role as Dons seek happy ending |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/3010879/Inside-Sport-Hammam-cast-in-villains-role-as-Dons-seek-happy-ending.html |work=] |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |location=London |date=16 August 2001 |accessdate=31 October 2009 }}</ref> after a lengthy and often heated debate in Ireland.<ref Name=DublinDonsSoccerIreland> Soccer-Ireland.com</ref><ref name=DublinDonsIndo230198>{{cite news|title=Hammam meets grass-roots on whistle-stop tour|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hammam-meets-grassroots-on-whistlestop-tour-26199426.html|newspaper=]|accessdate=13 June 2013|date= 23 January 1998}}</ref><ref name=DublinDonsIndo100698>{{cite news|title=`Dublin Dons on way' Hammam|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/dublin-dons-on-way-hammam-26183373.html|first= Philip |last= Quinn|newspaper=]|accessdate=13 June 2013|date= 10 June 1998}}</ref><ref name=DublinDonsIndo190998>{{cite news|title=FAI must come out and fight|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/fai-must-come-out-and-fight-26174801.html|newspaper=]|accessdate=13 June 2013|date= 19 September 1998}}</ref> Had it succeeded, the Premier League would have had a team based not only outside England, but outside the ]. Wimbledon eventually moved to ] as ], though by then they had already been relegated from the Premier League in 2000. | |||
{{see also|UEFA coefficient#Men's association coefficient}} | |||
====Qualification criteria for 2024–25==== | |||
The media occasionally discusses the idea that Scotland's two biggest teams, ] and ], should or will take part in the Premier League,<ref name="mcleman"/><ref name="strachan"/> but so far nothing has come of such discussions. In March 2013, Rangers chief executive ] suggested that, for financial reasons, Rangers, still in the ] following their re-admission as a result of ], should join the ], the bottom tier of the ], and work their way up to the lucrative Premier League over the following 5 years, and that ] banning ] could be used to overcome any legal barriers to such a plan.<ref name="mcleman">{{cite news |first=Neil |last=McLeman |title=Ger'd your loins! Glasgow Rangers will be playing in England within FIVE YEARS says Ibrox chief |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/exclusive-glasgow-rangers-celtic-playing-1783049 |work=] |publisher=Trinity Mirror |location=London |date=24 March 2013 |accessdate=21 May 2013 }}</ref> Green also suggested that neither Rangers nor ] would be playing in the ] (SPL) in 10 years time.<ref name="mcleman"/> However, the following month Scotland manager ], expressed his personal opinion, said that, while agreeing that Rangers and Celtic would break away from the SPL some time in the next 10 years, he thought that it would not be to join the Premier League, but to join a future new 38-club two-division ].<ref name="strachan">{{cite news |first1=Martyn |last1=Ziegler |first2=Ronnie |last2=Esplin |title=Celtic and Rangers will join European super league, says Scotland manager Gordon Strachan |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/celtic/9985432/Celtic-and-Rangers-will-join-European-super-league-says-Scotland-manager-Gordon-Strachan.html |work=] |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |location=London |date=10 April 2013 |accessdate=21 May 2013 }}</ref> He did not explicitly say whether he thought this breakaway European Super League would also include clubs that had broken away from the (English) Premier League.<ref name="strachan"/> | |||
{{see also|2024–25 UEFA Champions League#Association team allocation}} | |||
The top four teams in the Premier League qualify automatically for the subsequent season's ] league phase. The champions of the Champions League and ] may earn an additional qualification for the subsequent season's Champions League league phase if did not finish in the top four. If this means six Premier League teams qualify, then the fourth-placed team in the Premier League is instead entered in the Europa League, as any single nation is limited to a maximum of five teams in the Champions League. However, starting from the ] there are additional berths for the two best associations in the previous season's ranking, which may result in a maximum of six teams from one association in the Champions League. | |||
== Stadiums == | |||
The fifth-placed team in the Premier League, as well as the winners of the ], qualify for the subsequent season's Europa League league phase, but if the winner of the FA Cup also finishes in the top five places in the Premier League or has won one of UEFA's major tournaments, then this place reverts to the team that finished sixth. The winner of the ] qualifies for the subsequent season's ], but if the winner had already qualified for a UEFA competition via their performance in another competition, then this place reverts to the team that finished sixth in the Premier League, or seventh if the FA Cup result had already caused the sixth-placed team to qualify.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/european-qualification-explained|title=European qualification for UEFA competitions explained|publisher=Premier League|access-date=12 February 2021|archive-date=25 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525124517/https://www.premierleague.com/european-qualification-explained|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The number of places allocated to English clubs in UEFA competitions is dependent upon the position the country holds in the UEFA coefficient rankings, which are calculated based on the performance of teams in UEFA competitions over the previous five years. Currently, England is ranked first, ahead of Spain. | |||
As of 26 September 2024, the coefficients for are as follows (only ] are shown):<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/nationalassociations/uefarankings/country/?year=2025|title=Member associations - UEFA rankings - Country coefficients – UEFA|date=26 September 2024|publisher=UEFA|access-date=2 January 2023|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204125228/https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/#/yr/2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UEFA Country Ranking 2023|url=https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/crank2024.html|publisher=kassiesa.net|accessdate=2 January 2023|archive-date=14 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214075832/https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/crank2024.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 97%" | |||
|- | |||
!colspan="3"|Ranking | |||
!rowspan="2"|Member association<br />{{small|(L: League, C: Cup, LC: League Cup)}} | |||
!colspan="6"|Coefficient | |||
!rowspan="2"|Teams{{refn|group=x|Number of teams still active from association in ], ] or ].}} | |||
!colspan="4"|Regular places in 2026–27 season{{refn|group=x|European Performance Spots: The two associations with the highest one-year coefficient in the most recent season are awarded an additional berth in the Champions League league phase.}} | |||
|- style="font-size:88%" | |||
!2025 | |||
!2024 | |||
!data-sort-type="number"| {{abbr|Mvmt|Movement}} | |||
!2020–21 | |||
!2021–22 | |||
!2022–23 | |||
!2023–24 | |||
!2024–25 | |||
!Total | |||
!] | |||
!] | |||
!] | |||
!Total | |||
|- | |||
|1||1 | |||
|{{same position|c|0}} – | |||
|{{flagicon|ENG}} ] {{small|(L, ], ]{{refn|group=x|name=lc|The champion of the ] is given a place in the ] by special permission from UEFA (replacing the lowest-ranked league team which would have qualified).}})}} | |||
|'''24.357''' | |||
|'''21.000''' | |||
|'''23.000''' | |||
|17.375 | |||
|4.857 | |||
|'''90.589'''<!--Update the entire table and accessdate of the template above this table to show the latest update ranking, thank you.--> | |||
|align="center"|7/7 | |||
|rowspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"|4 | |||
|rowspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"|2 | |||
|rowspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"|1 | |||
|rowspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"|7 | |||
|- | |||
|2||2 | |||
|{{same position|c|0}} – | |||
|{{flagicon|ITA}} ] {{small|(], ])}} | |||
|16.285 | |||
|15.714 | |||
|22.357 | |||
|'''21.000''' | |||
|4.875 | |||
|80.231<!--Update the entire table and accessdate of the template above this table to show the latest update ranking, thank you.--> | |||
|align="center"|8/8 | |||
|- | |||
|3||3 | |||
|{{same position|c|0}} – | |||
|{{flagicon|ESP}} ] {{small|(], ])}} | |||
|19.500 | |||
|18.428 | |||
|16.571 | |||
|16.062 | |||
|4.571 | |||
|75.132<!--Update the entire table and accessdate of the template above this table to show the latest update ranking, thank you.--> | |||
|align="center"|7/7 | |||
|- | |||
|4||4 | |||
|{{same position|c|0}} – | |||
|{{flagicon|GER}} ] {{small|(], ])}} | |||
|15.214 | |||
|16.214 | |||
|17.125 | |||
|'''19.357''' | |||
|5.000 | |||
|72.910<!--Update the entire table and accessdate of the template above this table to show the latest update ranking, thank you.--> | |||
|align="center"|8/8 | |||
|- | |||
|5||5 | |||
|{{same position|c|0}} – | |||
|{{flagicon|FRA}} ] {{small|(], ])}} | |||
|7.916 | |||
|18.416 | |||
|12.583 | |||
|16.250 | |||
|5.214 | |||
|60.379<!--Update the entire table and accessdate of the template above this table to show the latest update ranking, thank you.--> | |||
|align="center"|6/7 | |||
|} | |||
{{reflist|group=x}} | |||
====Previous seasons==== | |||
An exception to the usual European qualification system happened in 2005, after ] won the ], but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the ]. UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4613695.stm |title=Liverpool get in Champions League |website=BBC Sport |date=10 June 2005 |access-date=11 December 2007 |archive-date=12 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412074435/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4613695.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The governing body subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this meant that if the Champions League winners finished outside the top four in its domestic league, it would qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed team. At that time, no association could have more than four entrants in the Champions League.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=64/newsid=698237.html?cid=rssfeed&att=index |title=EXCO approves new coefficient system |publisher=UEFA |date=20 May 2008 |access-date=12 September 2010 |archive-date=21 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521053931/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind%3D64/newsid%3D698237.html?cid=rssfeed&att=index |url-status=dead }}</ref> This occurred in 2012, when Chelsea – who had ] that summer, but finished sixth in the league – qualified for the ] in place of ], who went into the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/20/sport/football/football-chelsea-champions-league/index.html |title=Jubilant Chelsea parade Champions League trophy |publisher=CNN International |date=21 May 2012 |access-date=11 January 2013 |archive-date=3 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303001742/http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/20/sport/football/football-chelsea-champions-league/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
From ], the Europa League champions qualify for the Champions League, increasing the maximum number of participants per country to five.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.org/about-uefa/executive-committee/news/newsid=1956131.html|title=Added bonus for UEFA Europa League winners|website=UEFA.org|publisher=Union of European Football Associations|date=24 May 2013|access-date=11 January 2020|archive-date=22 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922053008/http://www.uefa.org/about-uefa/executive-committee/news/newsid=1956131.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This took effect in England in ], when Manchester United finished sixth in the Premier League and won the ], giving England five Champions League entrants for ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Europa League win earns Manchester United a Champions League spot |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2467193.html |publisher=UEFA |date=24 May 2017 |access-date=11 January 2020 |archive-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410160749/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2467193.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In these instances, any Europa League berth vacated is not handed down to the next-best Premier League finisher outside of a qualifying place. If both Champions League and Europa League winners are of the same association and both finish outside the top four, then the fourth-placed team is transferred to the Europa League. | |||
===Performance in international competition=== | |||
{{main|English football clubs in international competitions}} | |||
With 48 continental trophies won, English clubs are the ] in European football, behind Italy (50) and Spain (67). In the top-tier ], ] six English clubs have won ], behind Spanish clubs with 20 and 11, respectively.<ref name=":0" /> In the second-tier ], English clubs are ], with nine victories and eight losses in the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/kind=1/newsid=2571.html |title=UEFA Cup: All-time finals |date=30 June 2005 |access-date=15 March 2008 |publisher=UEFA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309094213/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/kind%3D1/newsid%3D2571.html |archive-date=9 March 2008}}</ref> In the former second-tier ], English teams won a ] eight titles and had a further five finalists.<ref name="venue">{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec2stats.html |title=European Cup Winners' Cup Finals 1961–99 |date=31 May 1999 |access-date=8 July 2010 |first=James M. |last=Ross |archive-date=5 March 2016 |website=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015406/http://www.rsssf.com/ec/ec2stats.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the non-] organised ], English clubs provided four winners and four runners-up, the second-most behind Spain with six and three, respectively.<ref>{{cite book|first=André|last=Vieli|url=https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/021f-0f842a4ba426-22bf135e36bc-1000/uefa_60_years_at_the_heart_of_football.pdf|title=UEFA: 60 years at the heart of football|publisher=Union des Associations Européennes de Football|year=2014|location=Nyon|page=45|doi=10.22005/bcu.175315|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803202951/https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/021f-0f842a4ba426-22bf135e36bc-1000/uefa_60_years_at_the_heart_of_football.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In the newly created third-tier ], English clubs have won a joint-record ] so far.<ref name="UECL">{{cite news |title=UEFA Europa Conference League: all you need to know |date=3 December 2020 |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaconferenceleague/news/0264-10fe90612aa3-37b2bc77f89e-1000--europa-conference-league-lowdown |access-date=28 May 2023 |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816224109/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaconferenceleague/news/0264-10fe90612aa3-37b2bc77f89e-1000--europa-conference-league-lowdown/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the former fourth-tier ], England won four titles and had a further final appearance, placing it fifth in the ], although English clubs were notorious for treating the tournament with disdain, either sending "B" squads or withdrawing from it altogether.<ref name="UEFA">{{cite web| | |||
url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/intertotocup/history/index.html | publisher=UEFA | title=UEFA Intertoto Cup history | access-date=7 June 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060503020611/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/intertotocup/history/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 3 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/english-clubs-pay-for-intertoto-fiasco-1526049.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/english-clubs-pay-for-intertoto-fiasco-1526049.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=English clubs pay for Intertoto fiasco|work=The Independent|date=16 December 1995|access-date=9 May 2023}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Risolo">Risolo, Don (2010). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326185813/https://books.google.com/books?id=sEh7A0arS8kC&dq=intercontinental+cup+-+liverpool+refused+to+play&pg=PA109 |date=26 March 2023 }} p.109. U of Nebraska Press. Retrieved 29 February 2012.</ref> In the one-off ], England has ten winners and ten runners-up, the ] behind Spain with 17 and 15, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/ |title=UEFA Super Cup History |work=UEFA.com |date=July 2021 |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |access-date=10 November 2022 |archive-date=10 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810053212/https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly to the Intertoto Cup, English teams did not take the former ] seriously enough, despite its international status of the ''Club World Championship''. They a made a total of six appearances in the one-off competition, winning only one of them, and withdrew a further three times.<ref name="Intercontinental Club Cup">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toyota.html|title=Intercontinental Club Cup|website=RSSSF|access-date=28 May 2023|archive-date=12 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812151601/https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toyota.html|url-status=live}}</ref> English clubs have won the ]-organised ] ], tied for the ] with Brazil, and behind only Spain, with eight.<ref name="Corinthians">{{cite web |url=http://www.corinthians.com.br/site/futebol/titulos/ |title=Futebol: Titulos |trans-title=Football: Titles |publisher=] |access-date=4 March 2013 |language=pt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304185528/http://corinthians.com.br/site/futebol/titulos/ |archive-date=4 March 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Risolo"/> | |||
==Sponsorship== | |||
{{see also|English football sponsorship}} | |||
After an inaugural season with no sponsorship, the Premier League was sponsored by ] from 1993 until 2001, during which time it was known as the FA Carling Premiership. In 2001, a new sponsorship deal with ] saw the league rebranded the FA Barclaycard Premiership, which was changed to the FA Barclays Premiership in time for the 2004–05 season. | |||
For the 2007–08 season, the league was rebranded the Barclays Premier League.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/22/65/0,,12306~91426,00.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304205428/http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/22/65/0%2C%2C12306~91426%2C00.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2009 |title=Premier League and Barclays Announce Competition Name Change |publisher=Premier League |access-date=22 November 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=27 September 2006 |title=Barclays nets Premier League deal |website=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5384750.stm |url-status=live |access-date=7 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422001743/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5384750.stm |archive-date=22 April 2009}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;float:center" | |||
|- | |||
!Period | |||
!Sponsor | |||
!Brand | |||
|- | |||
|1992–1993||No sponsor ||FA Premier League | |||
|- | |||
|1993–2001|| ] ||FA Carling Premiership<ref name="premsitehistory"/> | |||
|- | |||
|2001–2004||] ||FA Barclaycard Premiership<ref name="premsitehistory"/> | |||
|- | |||
|2004–2007||rowspan=2| ] ||FA Barclays Premiership | |||
|- | |||
|2007–2016|| Barclays Premier League<ref name="premsitehistory"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Barclays renews Premier sponsorship |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1835324,00.html |publisher=Premier League |date=23 October 2009 |access-date=23 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025105502/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0%2C%2C12306~1835324%2C00.html |archive-date=25 October 2009 }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|{{nowrap|2016–present}}|| No sponsor ||Premier League | |||
|} | |||
Barclays' deal with the Premier League expired at the end of the 2015–16 season. The organisation announced on 4 June 2015 that it would not pursue any further title sponsorship deals for the Premier League, arguing that they wanted to build a "clean" brand for the competition more in line with those of ].<ref name=espn-notitlesponsor>{{cite news |title=Premier League closes door on title sponsorship from 2016 to 2017 season |url=http://www.espnfc.com/barclays-premier-league/story/2479193/premier-league-closes-door-on-sponsorship-from-2016-17 |access-date=7 June 2015 |publisher=ESPN FC |agency=Press Association |archive-date=8 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808203319/http://www.espnfc.com/barclays-premier-league/story/2479193/premier-league-closes-door-on-sponsorship-from-2016-17 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
] "Maxim" ball used in the Premier League in 2012]] | |||
As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Premier League has a number of official partners and suppliers.<ref name="partners">{{cite web |title=Partners |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Partners/0,,12306,00.html |publisher=Premier League |access-date=7 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813084618/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Partners/0%2C%2C12306%2C00.html |archive-date=13 August 2010 }}</ref> The official ball supplier for the league is ] who have had the contract since the 2000–01 season when they took over from ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Northcroft |title=The Premier League's goal rush |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article6860188.ece |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=4 October 2009 |access-date=7 September 2010 |archive-date=18 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918065228/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article6860188.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> Under its ''Merlin'' brand, ] held the licence to produce collectables for the Premier League between 1994 and 2019 including stickers (for their ]) and ].<ref name="Topps" /> Launched in the 2007–08 season, Topps' Match Attax, the official Premier League trading card game, is the best selling boys collectable in the UK, and is also the biggest selling sports trading card game in the world.<ref name="Topps">{{cite news |title=Topps |url=https://www.premierleague.com/partners/topps |access-date=5 October 2018 |agency=Premier League.com |archive-date=6 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006075157/https://www.premierleague.com/partners/topps |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Impressive sales figures show Topps Match Attax to be an immediate hit |url=https://www.talkingretail.com/products-news/impressive-sales-figures-show-topps-match-attax-to-be-an-immediate-hit-22-10-2009/ |access-date=6 October 2018 |agency=Talking Retail.com |archive-date=6 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006114652/https://www.talkingretail.com/products-news/impressive-sales-figures-show-topps-match-attax-to-be-an-immediate-hit-22-10-2009/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2018, ] were awarded the licence to produce collectables from the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Panini lands worldwide Premier League card, sticker exclusive starting in 2019–20 |url=https://www.beckett.com/news/panini-lands-premier-league-exclusive/ |access-date=29 September 2019 |agency=Beckett News}}</ref> The chocolate company ] has been the official snack partner of the Premier League since 2017, and sponsored the ], ] and ] awards from the 2017–18 season to 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cadbury and Premier League enter partnership |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/317045 |date=24 January 2017 |publisher=Premier League |access-date=5 June 2019 |archive-date=5 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605073606/https://www.premierleague.com/news/317045 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="player award">{{cite news |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/667152 |publisher=Premier League |date=18 April 2018 |access-date=16 May 2018 |title=New Premier League player award announced |archive-date=18 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418111124/https://www.premierleague.com/news/667152 |url-status=live }}</ref> ] (under its ] product line) sponsored these awards during the 2020–21 season with ] being the current sponsor as of the 2021–22 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Premier League announces partnership with Castrol |url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/2366066 |access-date=22 March 2023 |website=Premier League |date=24 November 2021 |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322220709/https://www.premierleague.com/news/2366066 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
==Finances== | |||
{{see also|List of English football club owners#Premier League|l1=List of Premier League football club owners}} | |||
The Premier League has the highest revenue of any association football league in the world, with total club revenues of €2.48 billion in 2009–10.<ref>{{cite news |title=Premier League wages keep on rising, Deloitte says |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13679632 |website=BBC News |date=9 June 2011 |access-date=13 August 2012 |archive-date=30 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730164739/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13679632 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Revenues">{{cite news |title=English Premier League generates highest revenue, German Bundesliga most profitable |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/06/08/football.finance.deloitte.bundesliga/index.html |newspaper=The Observer |date=10 June 2010 |access-date=20 September 2010 |archive-date=24 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624122557/http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/06/08/football.finance.deloitte.bundesliga/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2013–14, due to improved television revenues and cost controls, the Premier League clubs collectively made a net profit in excess of £78 million, exceeding all other football leagues.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jakeman |first1=Mike |title=Unbelievably, the Premier League is becoming profitable |url=http://qz.com/368867/unbelievably-the-premier-league-is-becoming-profitable/ |access-date=25 March 2015 |work=] |date=25 March 2015 |archive-date=27 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327161144/http://qz.com/368867/unbelievably-the-premier-league-is-becoming-profitable/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010 the Premier League was awarded the ] in the International Trade category for its outstanding contribution to international trade and the value it brings to English football and the United Kingdom's broadcasting industry.<ref name="Enterprise Award">{{cite web |title=Prestigious Award for Premier League |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2030479,00.html |publisher=Premier League |date=21 April 2010 |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422200715/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0%2C%2C12306~2030479%2C00.html |archive-date=22 April 2010 }}</ref> | |||
The Premier League includes some of the richest football clubs in the world. Deloitte's "]" listed seven Premier League clubs in the top 20 for the 2009–10 season,<ref name=Deloitte0809>{{cite web |url=http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/c774a9e481a7d210VgnVCM1000001a56f00aRCRD.htm |title=Top 20 clubs Deloitte Football Money League 2011 |publisher=Deloitte |access-date=22 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130164529/http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/c774a9e481a7d210VgnVCM1000001a56f00aRCRD.htm |archive-date=30 November 2012 }}</ref> and all 20 clubs were in the top 40 globally by the end of the 2013–14 season, largely as a result of increased broadcasting revenue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/deloitte-football-money-league-2015.PDF |title=Deloitte Football Money League 18th Edition |date=January 2015 |access-date=14 November 2015 |page=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122061724/http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/sports-business-group/deloitte-football-money-league-2015.PDF |archive-date=22 January 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2019, the league generated around £3.1 billion per year in domestic and international television rights.<ref name="AP"/> | |||
Premier League clubs agreed in principle in December 2012, to radical new cost controls. The two proposals consist of a break-even rule and a cap on the amount clubs can increase their wage bill by each season. With the new television deals on the horizon, momentum has been growing to find ways of preventing the majority of the cash going straight to players and agents.<ref>{{cite news |first=Simon |last=Austin |title=Premier League clubs agree new cost controls |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20773526 |website=BBC Sport |date=18 December 2012 |access-date=8 July 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017061254/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20773526 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Central payments for the 2016–17 season amounted to £2,398,515,773 across the 20 clubs, with each team receiving a flat participation fee of £35,301,989 and additional payments for TV broadcasts (£1,016,690 for general UK rights to match highlights, £1,136,083 for each live UK broadcast of their games and £39,090,596 for all overseas rights), commercial rights (a flat fee of £4,759,404) and a notional measure of "merit" which was based upon final league position.<ref name="Premier League"/> The merit component was a nominal sum of £1,941,609 multiplied by each finishing place, counted from the foot of the table (e.g., ] finished 16th in May 2017, five places counting upwards, and received 5 × £1,941,609 = £9,708,045 merit payment).<ref name="Premier League"/> | |||
===Relegation=== | |||
{{see also|Premier League–Football League gulf|Premier League parachute and solidarity payments}} | |||
Since its split with the ], established clubs in the Premier League have a funding disparity from counterparts in lower leagues. Revenue from television rights between the leagues has played a part in this.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1771399,00.html |title=Rich clubs forced to give up a sliver of the TV pie |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=8 August 2006 |first=David |last=Conn |date=10 May 2006 |archive-date=26 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526064458/http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1771399,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Promoted teams have found it difficult to avoid relegation in their first Premier League season. One Premier League newcomer has been relegated back to the Football League every season, save the ], 2011–12, 2017–18 & 2022–23 seasons. In the ] and ] seasons, all three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end.<ref>{{cite news |title=1997/98 – Season Review |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=333233&root=extratime&cc=5739 |last=Brewin |first=John |date=4 July 2005 |access-date=29 November 2007 |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN |archive-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223022347/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=333233&root=extratime&cc=5739 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
The Premier League distributes a portion of its television revenue as "parachute payments" to relegated clubs for adjustment to television revenue loss. The average Premier League team receives £41 million<ref>{{cite news |title=Championship clubs to lose out as Premier League parachute and solidarity payments cut |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/championship-clubs-lose-out-premier-16784570 |access-date=20 November 2019 |work=Gazette Live |archive-date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224021212/https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/championship-clubs-lose-out-premier-16784570 |url-status=live }}</ref> whilst the average ] club receives £2 million.<ref name="Guardian Sport">{{cite web|title=Richard Scudamore takes big stick to Championship over parachute money|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/may/16/premier-league-championship-parachute-payments|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 May 2013|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106191702/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/may/16/premier-league-championship-parachute-payments|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting with the ] season, these payments are in excess of £60 million over four seasons.<ref name="BBC Sport">{{cite web |title=Premier League's relegated clubs to receive £60m boost |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22171365 |website=BBC Sport |date=16 April 2013 |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-date=7 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407052645/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22171365 |url-status=live }}</ref> Critics maintain that the payments widen the gap between teams that have reached the Premier League and those that have not,<ref>{{cite news |first=Stuart |last=James |title=Why clubs may risk millions for riches at the end of the rainbow |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1837801,00.html |date=5 August 2006 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=13 August 2006 |archive-date=10 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310222333/http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1837801,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> leading to the common occurrence of teams "]" soon after their relegation. | |||
Clubs which have failed to win immediate promotion back to the Premier League have seen financial problems, in some cases ] or liquidation. Further relegations down the footballing ladder have occurred for multiple clubs unable to cope with the gap.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23664566-details/Premier+League+casualties+-+clubs+that+have+struggled+since+relegation/article.do |title=Premier League casualties – clubs that have struggled since relegation |newspaper=Evening Standard |publisher=Daily Mail & General Trust |first1=Ben |last1=Bailey |first2=Patrick |last2=Whyte |date=19 March 2009 |access-date=7 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322034918/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23664566-details/Premier%2BLeague%2Bcasualties%2B-%2Bclubs%2Bthat%2Bhave%2Bstruggled%2Bsince%2Brelegation/article.do |archive-date=22 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2299511/Down-again-Leicesters-relegation-horror.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2299511/Down-again-Leicesters-relegation-horror.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Down again: Leicester's relegation horror |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 May 2008 |access-date=7 April 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
==Media coverage== | |||
{{see also|English football on television|List of Premier League broadcasters|Broadcasting and the foundation of the Premier League}} | |||
===United Kingdom and Ireland=== | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;float:right;margin-left:1em" | |||
|+ Matches broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland | |||
|- style="font-size:85%" | |||
!Seasons | |||
!] | |||
!colspan="4"|Others | |||
!{{abbr|Total|Total number of games broadcast}} | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|1992–2001||60||rowspan="3" colspan="4"|–||60 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2001–2004||110||110 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2004–2007||138||138 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2007–2009||92||]||46||rowspan="5" colspan="2"|–||138 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2009–2010||92||]||46||138 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2010–2013||115||ESPN||23||138 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2013–2016||116||rowspan="3"|]<ref>Branded BT Sport until 2023</ref>||38||154 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2016–2019||126||42||168 | |||
|- style="font-size:75%" | |||
|2019–2025||128||52||]||20||200 | |||
|} | |||
] in possession of the ball during a 2012 match between ] and ]]] | |||
Television has played a major role in the history of the Premier League. The League's decision to assign broadcasting rights to ] in 1992 was at the time a radical decision, but one that has paid off. At the time, paid television was an almost untested proposition in the UK market as was charging fans to watch live televised football. However, a combination of Sky's strategy, the quality of Premier League football and the public's appetite for the game has seen the value of the Premier League's TV rights soar.<ref name="leicester_tv"/> | |||
The Premier League sells its television rights on a collective basis. This is in contrast to some other European leagues, including La Liga, in which each club sells its rights individually, leading to a much higher share of the total income going to the top few clubs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8545202.stm |title=Why TV is the key to Real success |first=Nils |last=Blythe |website=BBC News |date=2 March 2010 |access-date=14 September 2010 |archive-date=5 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305095542/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8545202.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The money is divided into three parts:<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Faqs/0,,12306,00.html |title=Frequently asked questions about the F.A. Premier League, (How are television revenues distributed to Premier League clubs?) |publisher=Premier League |access-date=11 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126062218/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Faqs/0,,12306,00.html |archive-date=26 November 2007}}</ref> half is divided equally between the clubs; one quarter is awarded on a merit basis based on final league position, the top club getting twenty times as much as the bottom club, and equal steps all the way down the table; the final quarter is paid out as facilities fees for games that are shown on television, with the top clubs generally receiving the largest shares of this. The income from overseas rights is divided equally between the twenty clubs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-nets-16314bn-tv-rights-bonanza-1925462.html |title=Premier League nets £1.4bn TV rights bonanza |newspaper=The Independent |last=Harris |first=Nick |date=23 March 2010 |access-date=12 September 2010 |archive-date=26 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326095130/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-nets-16314bn-tv-rights-bonanza-1925462.html |url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Not all Premier League matches are televised in the United Kingdom, as the league upholds the ] on telecasts of any association football match (domestic or otherwise) that kicks off between 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Saturday matchdays.<ref>{{cite news |last=Murphy |first=Mike |title=The most popular sport in the UK is barely on television, even during the holidays |work=Quartz |url=https://qz.com/867361/why-premier-league-soccer-games-cant-be-shown-at-3pm-in-the-uk/ |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-date=7 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807024031/https://qz.com/867361/why-premier-league-soccer-games-cant-be-shown-at-3pm-in-the-uk/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name="guardian-fightback">{{cite news |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |date=29 March 2017 |title=Premier League launches major fightback against illegal streaming |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/mar/29/premier-league-illegal-streaming-tv-audiences |access-date=6 August 2017 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=7 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807021041/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/mar/29/premier-league-illegal-streaming-tv-audiences |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The first Sky television rights agreement was worth £304 million over five seasons.<ref name="fgrc">{{cite web |url=http://corporate.sky.com/about_sky/timeline.htm |title=BSkyB Timeline |publisher=BSkyB |access-date=20 October 2009 |archive-date=11 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111025606/http://corporate.sky.com/about_sky/timeline.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The next contract, negotiated to start from the 1997–98 season, rose to £670 million over four seasons.<ref name="fgrc"/> The third contract was a £1.024 billion deal with BSkyB for the three seasons from 2001 to 2004. The league brought in £320 million from the sale of its international rights for the three-year period from 2004 to 2007. It sold the rights itself on a territory-by-territory basis.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/160604/premier-league-launches-international-rights-tender |title=Premier League launches international rights tender |work=SportBusiness |publisher=SBG Companies Ltd. |access-date=12 September 2010 |archive-date=28 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011425/http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/160604/premier-league-launches-international-rights-tender |url-status=live }}</ref> Sky's monopoly was broken from August 2006 when ] was awarded rights to show two out of the six packages of matches available. This occurred following an insistence by the ] that exclusive rights should not be sold to one television company. Sky and Setanta paid £1.7 billion, a two-thirds increase which took many commentators by surprise as it had been widely assumed that the value of the rights had levelled off following many years of rapid growth. Setanta also hold rights to a live 3 pm match solely for Irish viewers. The ] retained the rights to show highlights for the same three seasons (on '']'') for £171.6 million, a 63 per cent increase on the £105 million it paid for the previous three-year period.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/match_of_the_day/5060828.stm |title=BBC keeps Premiership highlights |website=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2006 |access-date=8 August 2006 |archive-date=21 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621214915/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/match_of_the_day/5060828.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Sky and ] (via its new channel ], now TNT Sports) agreed to jointly pay £84.3 million for delayed television rights to 242 games (that is the right to broadcast them in full on television and over the internet) in most cases for a period of 50 hours after 10 p.m. on matchday.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2006/05/26/sfntv26.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011205747/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=%2Fsport%2F2006%2F05%2F26%2Fsfntv26.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 October 2007 |title=TV deal pays another £84m |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 May 2006 |access-date=8 August 2006 |first=David |last=Bond }}</ref> Overseas television rights fetched £625 million, nearly double the previous contract.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6273617.stm |title=Premiership in new £625m TV deal |access-date=3 June 2007 |date=18 January 2007 |website=BBC News |archive-date=24 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070524211540/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6273617.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The total raised from those deals was more than £2.7 billion, giving Premier League clubs an average media income from league games of around £40 million-a-year from 2007 to 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8595655.stm |title=Premier League clubs benefit from new overseas TV deal |date=30 March 2010 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112081810/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8595655.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
] preparing to take a free kick in a 2009 match between ] and ]]] | |||
The TV rights agreement between the Premier League and Sky faced accusations of being a cartel, and a number of court cases arose as a result.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-high-court-countdown-battle-begins-for-footballs-future-1046614.html |title=Football: High Court countdown: Battle begins for football's future |last=Harris |first=Nick |date=12 January 1999 |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=1 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201033834/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-high-court-countdown-battle-begins-for-footballs-future-1046614.html |url-status=live }}</ref> An investigation by the ] in 2002 found BSkyB to be dominant within the pay TV sports market, but concluded that there were insufficient grounds for the claim that BSkyB had abused its dominant position.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.oft.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D36BD282-3F52-410E-86EA-F494E41BC199/0/bskybfinal1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823170841/http://www.oft.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D36BD282-3F52-410E-86EA-F494E41BC199/0/bskybfinal1.pdf |archive-date=23 August 2006 |title=BSkyB investigation: alleged infringement of the Chapter II prohibition |publisher=Office of Fair Trading |date=17 December 2002 |access-date=11 September 2010}}</ref> In July 1999 the Premier League's method of selling rights collectively for all member clubs was investigated by the UK Restrictive Practices Court, which concluded that the agreement was not contrary to the public interest.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/speeches/text/sp1999_019_en.pdf |title=Sport and European Competition Policy |publisher=European Commission Directorate-General IV – Competition |year=1999 |access-date=8 August 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823170837/http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/speeches/text/sp1999_019_en.pdf |archive-date=23 August 2006}}</ref> | |||
The BBC's highlights package on Saturday and Sunday nights, as well as other evenings when fixtures justify, ran until 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18205519 |title=BBC renews Match of the Day deal |website=BBC Sport |date=25 May 2012 |access-date=25 May 2012 |archive-date=25 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525141450/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18205519 |url-status=live }}</ref> Television rights alone for the period 2010 to 2013 were purchased for £1.782 billion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7875478.stm |title=New Television Rights |website=BBC News |date=6 February 2009 |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-date=23 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423184915/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7875478.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> On 22 June 2009, due to troubles encountered by Setanta Sports after it failed to meet a final deadline over a £30 million payment to the Premier League, ] was awarded two packages of UK rights containing 46 matches that were available for the 2009–10 season as well as a package of 23 matches per season from 2010 to 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1698362,00.html |title=ESPN win Premier League rights |publisher=Premier League |date=22 June 2009 |access-date=22 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624031348/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0%2C%2C12306~1698362%2C00.html |archive-date=24 June 2009}}</ref> On 13 June 2012, the Premier League announced that ] had been awarded 38 games a season for the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year. The remaining 116 games were retained by Sky, which paid £760 million-a-year. The total domestic rights raised £3.018 billion, an increase of 70.2% over the 2010–11 to 2012–13 rights.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18430036 |website=BBC News |title=Premier League rights sold to BT and BSkyB for £3bn |date=13 June 2012 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=9 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809041029/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18430036 |url-status=live }}</ref> The value of the licensing deal rose by another 70.2% in 2015, when Sky and BT paid £5.136 billion to renew their contracts with the Premier League for another three years up to the 2018–19 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Premier League TV rights: Sky and BT pay £5.1bn for live games |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31357409 |website=BBC Sport |date=10 February 2015 |access-date=10 February 2015 |archive-date=11 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211082105/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31357409 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
A new rights cycle began in the 2019–20 season, with the domestic package increasing to 200 matches overall; in February 2018, BT were awarded the package of 32 lunchtime fixtures on Saturdays, whilst Sky was awarded four of the seven packages, covering the majority of weekend fixtures (including eight new prime time fixtures on Saturdays), as well as Monday and Friday matches. Two remaining packages of 20 fixtures each were to be sold at a later date, including three rounds of mid-week fixtures and a bank holiday round. As Sky already owned the maximum number of matches it could hold without breaching a 148-match cap, it was speculated that at least one of the new packages could go to a new entrant, such as a streaming service. The five packages sold to BT and Sky were valued at £4.464 billion.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 February 2018 |title=Premier League TV rights: Five of seven live packages sold for £4.464bn |website=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43002985 |access-date=13 July 2020 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805115933/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43002985 |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 2018, it was announced that ] and BT had acquired the remaining two packages; Amazon acquired rights to 20 matches per-season, covering a mid-week round in December, and all ] fixtures.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 June 2018 |title=Premier League TV rights: Amazon to show 20 matches a season from 2019 to 2022 |website=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44396151 |access-date=24 March 2019 |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402005032/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44396151 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Amazon telecasts are produced in association with ] and BT Sport.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon's Premier League production goes to BT and Sunset+Vine |url=http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/amazon-premier-league-coverage-bt-sunset-vine-production |access-date=24 March 2019 |website=SportsPro Media |date=22 March 2019 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716172449/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/amazon-premier-league-coverage-bt-sunset-vine-production |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
With the resumption of play in the ] due to the ], the Premier League announced that all remaining matches would be carried on British television, split primarily across Sky, BT, and Amazon. A large number of these matches were also scheduled for free-to-air broadcasts, with Sky airing 25 on ], Amazon streaming its four matches on ], and the BBC – for the first time in league history – carrying four live matches.<ref>{{cite web |title=Premier League to resume on 17th June with Man City v Arsenal |url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-return-june-17-man-city-arsenal |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=SportsPro Media |date=29 May 2020 |archive-date=13 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713162705/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-return-june-17-man-city-arsenal |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon's four Premier League matches to be made available free|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/amazon-prime-premier-league-free-streaming-tv-rights|access-date=13 July 2020|website=SportsPro Media|date=3 June 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603214942/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/amazon-prime-premier-league-free-streaming-tv-rights|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Amazon's Premier League games to air on Twitch for free|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-amazon-twitch-stream-crowd-noise|access-date=13 July 2020|publisher=SportsPro Media|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710023639/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-amazon-twitch-stream-crowd-noise|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Premier League to resume on 17th June with Man City v Arsenal|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-return-june-17-man-city-arsenal|access-date=13 July 2020|publisher=SportsPro Media|archive-date=13 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713162705/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-return-june-17-man-city-arsenal|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
As matches would continue to be played without spectators upon the start of the ], its clubs voted on 8 September to continue broadcasting all matches through at least September (with the BBC and Amazon each holding one additional match), and "appropriate arrangements" being made for October.<ref>{{Cite news|date=8 September 2020|title=Premier League clubs to agree to matches on live TV until fans return|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-clubs-agree-all-matches-live-tv-a4542611.html|last=Rosser|first=Jack|access-date=5 October 2020|work=Evening Standard|archive-date=10 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010101948/https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-clubs-agree-all-matches-live-tv-a4542611.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=All 28 Premier League games in September to be broadcast live in UK|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-live-tv-rights-2020-season-sky-bt-bbc-amazon|access-date=5 October 2020|website=SportsPro Media|date=8 September 2020|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012030903/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-live-tv-rights-2020-season-sky-bt-bbc-amazon|url-status=live}}</ref> It was later announced that matches not selected for broadcast would be carried on ] via ] and ] at a cost of £14.95 per-match. The PPV scheme was poorly received; the ] felt that the price was too high, and there were concerns that it could encourage piracy. There were calls from supporters to boycott the pay-per-views, and make donations to support charitable causes instead (with Newcastle's "Charity Not PPV" campaign raising £20,000 for a local food bank, and Arsenal fans raising £34,000 for Islington Giving). On 13 November, amid the reintroduction of measures across the UK, the Premier League officially announced that the non-televised matches would be assigned to its main broadcast partners, and again including additional matches for the BBC and ].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Plan will drive fans to illegal streams|website=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54491180|access-date=12 October 2020|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012074403/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54491180|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=BBC and Amazon to air games as Premier League ends PPV experiment|url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-ppv-scrapped-bbc-amazon-sky-bt|access-date=18 November 2020|website=SportsPro Media|date=13 November 2020|archive-date=16 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116221544/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-ppv-scrapped-bbc-amazon-sky-bt|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kilpatrick|first=Dan|date=20 October 2020|title=Tottenham fans join support for food banks over Premier League PPVs|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-news-charity-not-ppv-premier-league-sky-sports-bt-sport-a4572281.html|access-date=18 November 2020|work=]|archive-date=22 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122031314/https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-news-charity-not-ppv-premier-league-sky-sports-bt-sport-a4572281.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Collings|first=Simon|date=26 October 2020|title=Arsenal fans raise £34k for Islington Giving charity in PPV boycott|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fc-news-premier-league-ppv-boycott-charity-islington-giving-a4572988.html|access-date=18 November 2020|work=]|archive-date=16 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116115524/https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fc-news-premier-league-ppv-boycott-charity-islington-giving-a4572988.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The next cycle of rights between 2022–23 and 2024–25 season was renewed without tender due to compelling and exceptional circumstances in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, rights remained as they were since the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=League secures approval in principle for renewals with UK broadcast partners |url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/2139168 |date=13 May 2021 |access-date=25 May 2023 |website=Premier League |archive-date=13 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813195801/https://www.premierleague.com/news/2139168 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
'''UK highlights''' | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
!Highlights programme | |||
!Duration | |||
!Channel | |||
|- | |||
|'']'' | |||
|1992–2001<br />{{nowrap|2004–present}} | |||
|] | |||
|- | |||
|'']'' | |||
|2001–2004 | |||
|] | |||
|} | |||
In August 2016, it was announced the BBC would be creating a new magazine-style show for the Premier League entitled '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/34/the-premier-league-show |title=The Premier League Football Show |website=BBC Sport |date=August 2016 |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-date=26 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126063758/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/34/the-premier-league-show |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===Worldwide=== | |||
{{see also|List of Premier League overseas broadcasters}} | |||
The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people.<ref name="Worldviews" /> The Premier League's production arm, ], is operated by ] and produces content for its international television partners.<ref>{{cite news |last=Flanagan |first=Chris |title=Inside Premier League Productions: the company you know nothing about servicing 730m homes every matchday |magazine=] |publisher=]|location=]|date=19 January 2016 |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/inside-premier-league-productions-company-you-know-nothing-about-servicing-730m-homes-every |access-date=9 August 2018 |archive-date=10 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810072508/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/inside-premier-league-productions-company-you-know-nothing-about-servicing-730m-homes-every |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 22 November 2024, the Premier League announced plans to end its agreement with IMG and take Premier League Productions in-house beginning in 2026–27.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-22 |title=Premier League to bring media operations in-house |url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2024/11/22/premier-league-to-bring-media-operations-in-house/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=Broadband TV News}}</ref> | |||
The Premier League is the most widely distributed sports programme in Asia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blonnet.com/2004/03/21/stories/2004032101440300.htm |title=ESPN-Star extends pact with FA Premier League |work=Business Line |date=21 March 2004 |access-date=9 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092831/http://www.blonnet.com/2004/03/21/stories/2004032101440300.htm |archive-date=29 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In the ], the matches are broadcast live on ].<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |title=Disney Star renews English Premier League broadcast rights for next three seasons |website=The Hindu |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/disney-star-renews-english-premier-league-broadcast-rights-three-seasons-football-news/article38455359.ece |access-date=17 March 2022 |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322031443/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/disney-star-renews-english-premier-league-broadcast-rights-three-seasons-football-news/article38455359.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> In ] region, ] holds exclusive rights to the Premier League.<ref>{{Cite press release |date=10 January 2021 |title=Premier League extends broadcast partnership with beIN SPORTS until 2025 |url=https://www.beinmediagroup.com/article/premier-league-extends-broadcast-partnership-with-bein-sports-until-2025/ |location=]|publisher=]|access-date=22 March 2023 |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322032947/https://www.beinmediagroup.com/article/premier-league-extends-broadcast-partnership-with-bein-sports-until-2025/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In China, the broadcast rights were awarded to iQiyi, Migu and CCTV that began in the 2021–22 season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=22 July 2021 |title=China's iQiyi Signs English Premier League Soccer Rights Deal |url=https://variety.com/2021/global/asia/china-iqiyi-english-premier-league-soccer-football-1235025385/ |access-date=22 March 2023 |website=Variety |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322031438/https://variety.com/2021/global/asia/china-iqiyi-english-premier-league-soccer-football-1235025385/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 August 2021 |title=iQiyi Sports sublicenses Premier League rights to Migu |url=https://sportsmintmedia.com/iqiyi-sports-sublicenses-premier-league-rights-to-migu/ |access-date=22 March 2023 |website=SportsMint Media |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322031440/https://sportsmintmedia.com/iqiyi-sports-sublicenses-premier-league-rights-to-migu/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Ed |date=2 August 2022 |title=Premier League returning to CCTV in China |url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-cctv-china-broadcast-tv-rights-img/ |access-date=22 March 2023 |website=SportsPro |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322031438/https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-cctv-china-broadcast-tv-rights-img/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] broadcast the matches for Indonesia, and ] for Malaysia. In Australia, ] telecommunications holds exclusive rights to the Premier League, providing live broadcasts and online access (] formerly held rights).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Siracusa |first1=Claire |title=Optus snatches English Premier League rights from Fox Sports in Australia |url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/optus-snatches-english-premier-league-rights-from-fox-sports-in-australia-20151101-gkoedn.html |newspaper=]|location=]|publisher=]|access-date=14 January 2017 |date=3 November 2015 |archive-date=29 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229055411/http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/optus-snatches-english-premier-league-rights-from-fox-sports-in-australia-20151101-gkoedn.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As of the 2022–23 season, Canadian media rights to the Premier League are owned by ],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Houpt |first=Simon |date=13 January 2022 |title=fuboTV buys Canadian rights to English Premier League |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-fubotv-buys-canadian-rights-to-english-premier-league/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221173711/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-fubotv-buys-canadian-rights-to-english-premier-league/ |url-status=live }}</ref> after having been jointly owned by ] and ], and most recently ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-streaming-service-dazn-makes-english-premier-league-broadcast-deal/|title=Streaming service DAZN makes English Premier League broadcast deal official|last=Davidson|first=Neil|work=]|agency=]|access-date=11 June 2019|archive-date=29 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529110110/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-streaming-service-dazn-makes-english-premier-league-broadcast-deal/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The Premier League is ] by ], a division of Sky parent ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/english-premier-league-gets-a-big-american-stage-on-nbc/2013/08/16/54b7e2da-06b9-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html |title=English Premier League gets a big American stage on NBC |last=Goff |first=Steven |newspaper=] |location=]|access-date=17 August 2014 |archive-date=19 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084825/http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/english-premier-league-gets-a-big-american-stage-on-nbc/2013/08/16/54b7e2da-06b9-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Acquiring the rights to the Premier League in 2013 (replacing ] and ]), NBC Sports has been widely praised for its coverage.<ref name="Sports Media Watch">{{cite web |last1=Paulsen |title=Premier League Viewership Up in Year Two on NBC |url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/05/premier-league-ratings-nbc-most-watched-season-ever-us-nbcsn/ |publisher=Sports Media Watch |access-date=12 August 2015 |date=28 May 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106190940/http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/05/premier-league-ratings-nbc-most-watched-season-ever-us-nbcsn/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Yoder |first1=Matt |title=NBC and the English Premier League will continue the best marriage in sports media |url=http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/nbc-and-the-english-premier-league-will-continue-the-best-marriage-in-sports-media.html |publisher=Awful Announcing |access-date=12 August 2015 |date=11 August 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106190036/https://awfulannouncing.com/2015/nbc-and-the-english-premier-league-will-continue-the-best-marriage-in-sports-media.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rashid |first1=Saad |title=NBC Sports deserves new Premier League rights deal |url=http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/07/28/nbc-sports-deserves-new-premier-league-rights-deal/ |work=World Soccer Talk|access-date=12 August 2015 |date=28 July 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106200651/http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/07/28/nbc-sports-deserves-new-premier-league-rights-deal/ |url-status=live }}</ref> NBC Sports reached a six-year extension with the Premier League in 2015 to broadcast the league until the end of the 2021–22 season in a deal valued at $1 billion (£640 million).<ref>{{cite news |title=NBC retains Premier League rights until 2021–22 season |url=http://www.espnfc.us/barclays-premier-league/story/2557586/nbc-retains-premier-league-rights-until-2021-22-season |publisher=] |agency=] |access-date=12 August 2015 |date=10 August 2015 |archive-date=9 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109022659/http://www.espnfc.us/barclays-premier-league/story/2557586/nbc-retains-premier-league-rights-until-2021-22-season |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=U.S.Value>{{cite news |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard |title=NBC Retains Rights to Premier League in Six-Year Deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/sports/soccer/nbc-retains-rights-to-premier-league-in-six-year-deal.html |newspaper=] |access-date=13 August 2015 |date=10 August 2015 |archive-date=12 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812151630/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/sports/soccer/nbc-retains-rights-to-premier-league-in-six-year-deal.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2021, NBC reached another six-year extension through 2028 in a deal valued at $2.76 billion (£2 billion).<ref>{{cite web|last=Hayes|first=Dade|date=18 November 2021|title=NBCUniversal Extends Premier League Rights Through 2028|url=https://deadline.com/2021/11/nbcuniversal-extends-premier-league-rights-2028-1234877114/|access-date=18 November 2021|work=Deadline|publisher=Penske Corporation|location=Los Angeles|archive-date=18 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118214916/https://deadline.com/2021/11/nbcuniversal-extends-premier-league-rights-2028-1234877114/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NBC keeps Premier League U.S. broadcast rights in 6-year, $2.7 billion deal |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/ap-source-nbc-keeps-premier-league-us-broadcast-rights-in-2point7b-deal.html |access-date=19 November 2021 |work=]|location=]|publisher=] |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118222208/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/ap-source-nbc-keeps-premier-league-us-broadcast-rights-in-2point7b-deal.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The Premier League is broadcast by ] across ].<ref>{{cite press release |title=Premier League renews partnership with Supersport |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/1895135 |access-date=18 November 2021 |publisher=Premier League Productions|location=London |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118115857/https://www.premierleague.com/news/1895135 |url-status=live }}</ref> Broadcasters to ] until 2025 include ] for France,<ref>{{Cite press release|title=Canal+ Renouvelle Les Droits Du Championnat Anglais Dans Son Intégralité!|url=https://www.canalplusbrandsolutions.fr/articles/newsletters/canal-renouvelle-les-droits-du-championnat-anglais-dans-son-integralite|access-date=19 July 2021|publisher=Groupe Canal+|location=Paris|language=fr|date=9 July 2021|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723071531/https://www.canalplusbrandsolutions.fr/articles/newsletters/canal-renouvelle-les-droits-du-championnat-anglais-dans-son-integralite|url-status=live}}</ref> ] for Germany and Austria,<ref>{{cite press release|title=Sky bleibt bis 2025 das Zuhause der Premier League in Österreich|url=https://www.skysportaustria.at/sky-bleibt-bis-2025-das-zuhause-der-premier-league-in-oesterreich/|access-date=18 July 2021|publisher=]|location=]|date=9 June 2021|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723071529/https://www.skysportaustria.at/sky-bleibt-bis-2025-das-zuhause-der-premier-league-in-oesterreich/|url-status=live}}</ref> ] for Russia,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Матч Тв" Стал Эксклюзивным Вещателем Английской Премьер-лиги!|url=https://matchtv.ru/matchtv/matchtvnews_NI1376791_Match_TV_stal_ekskluzivnym_veshhatelem_Anglijskoj_Premjer_ligi|access-date=23 July 2021|publisher=Match TV|date=23 July 2021|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723110652/https://matchtv.ru/matchtv/matchtvnews_NI1376791_Match_TV_stal_ekskluzivnym_veshhatelem_Anglijskoj_Premjer_ligi|url-status=live}}</ref> ] for Italy,<ref name="ITA">{{Cite press release |title=La Premier League solo su Sky Sport e NOW fino al 2025 |url=https://sport.sky.it/calcio/premier-league/2022/05/28/premier-league-sky-now-2025 |publisher=] |location=] |date=29 May 2022 |language=it |access-date=24 March 2023 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922184028/https://sport.sky.it/calcio/premier-league/2022/05/28/premier-league-sky-now-2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> ] for Portugal,<ref>{{Cite press release|title=Eleven Portugal Secures Exclusive Premier League Rights From 2022 To 2025|url=https://corporate.elevensports.com/news/eleven-portugal-secures-exclusive-premier-league-rights-from-2022-to-2025|publisher=Eleven Sports|location=London|date=29 September 2021|access-date=20 November 2021|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120102636/https://corporate.elevensports.com/news/eleven-portugal-secures-exclusive-premier-league-rights-from-2022-to-2025|url-status=live}}</ref> ] for Spain,<ref>{{Cite press release|title=DAZN seguirá emitiendo la Premier League en España hasta 2025|url=https://www.dazn.com/es-ES/news/f%C3%BAtbol/dazn-renueva-los-derechos-de-la-premier-league/kx67s9nren071e90jt5a6gnt4|access-date=19 July 2021|language=es|publisher=DAZN Spain|location=Madrid|date=13 July 2021|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723071529/https://www.dazn.com/es-ES/news/f%C3%BAtbol/dazn-renueva-los-derechos-de-la-premier-league/kx67s9nren071e90jt5a6gnt4|url-status=live}}</ref> ] to Turkey,<ref>{{Cite press release|title=Premier League önümüzdeki sezondan itibaren beIN SPORTS'ta!|language=tr|url=https://beinsports.com.tr/haber/premier-league-onumuzdeki-sezondan-itibaren-bein-sportsta|access-date=25 August 2021|publisher=beIN Sports Turkey|location=Istanbul|date=25 August 2021|archive-date=25 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825020737/https://beinsports.com.tr/haber/premier-league-onumuzdeki-sezondan-itibaren-bein-sportsta|url-status=live}}</ref> ] for Romania,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Spectacolul Premier League revine la Digi Sport|url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/premier-league/spectacolul-premier-league-revine-la-digi-sport-1422889|access-date=16 August 2022|publisher=Digi Sport|date=15 December 2021|archive-date=11 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211082037/https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/premier-league/spectacolul-premier-league-revine-la-digi-sport-1422889|url-status=live}}</ref> and ] to Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark and Norway),<ref>{{cite press release|title=NENT Group secures int'l Premier League rights in six-year deal|url=https://www.nentgroup.com/news/news-releases/nent-group-acquires-exclusive-rights-premier-league-sweden-norway-denmark-and|access-date=20 November 2021|publisher=Vivaplay Group|location=Stockholm|date=6 February 2020|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723071529/https://www.nentgroup.com/news/news-releases/nent-group-acquires-exclusive-rights-premier-league-sweden-norway-denmark-and|url-status=live}}</ref> Poland and the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite press release|date=7 July 2021|title=NENT Group wins Premier League rights in the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 2022 to 2028|url=https://www.nentgroup.com/news/news-releases/nent-group-wins-premier-league-rights-netherlands-poland-estonia-latvia-and|access-date=20 November 2021|publisher=Vivaplay Group|location=Stockholm|archive-date=7 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707063338/https://www.nentgroup.com/news/news-releases/nent-group-wins-premier-league-rights-netherlands-poland-estonia-latvia-and|url-status=live}}</ref> In South America, ] covers much of the continent,<ref>{{Cite press release|title=ESPN adquirió los derechos exclusivos de la Premier League por tres temporadas para Sudamérica de habla hispana|publisher=|ESPN]]|location=]|url=https://espnpressroom.com/latinamerica/press-releases/2019/08/espn-adquirio-los-derechos-exclusivos-de-la-premier-league-por-tres-temporadas-para-sudamerica-de-habla-hispana/|access-date=20 November 2021|archive-date=19 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019165337/https://espnpressroom.com/latinamerica/press-releases/2019/08/espn-adquirio-los-derechos-exclusivos-de-la-premier-league-por-tres-temporadas-para-sudamerica-de-habla-hispana/|url-status=live}}</ref> with coverage in Brazil shared between ] and ].<ref>{{Cite press release |last=Francischini |first=Guto |date=2 February 2022 |title=ESPN e Premier League renovam direitos exclusivos por mais três temporadas na América do Sul |url=https://espnpressroom.com/brazil/press-releases/2022/02/espn-e-premier-league-renovam-direitos-exclusivos-por-mais-tres-temporadas-na-america-do-sul/ |access-date=22 March 2023 |publisher=]|location=]|language=pt-BR |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322025803/https://espnpressroom.com/brazil/press-releases/2022/02/espn-e-premier-league-renovam-direitos-exclusivos-por-mais-tres-temporadas-na-america-do-sul/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN dividirá Campeonato Inglês com Fox; saiba onde assistir cada jogo|url=https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/ultimas-noticias/2020/06/12/espn-vai-dividir-jogos-do-campeonato-ingles-com-fox-sports-veja-quais.htm|access-date=20 November 2021|website=]|language=pt-br|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123181028/https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/ultimas-noticias/2020/06/12/espn-vai-dividir-jogos-do-campeonato-ingles-com-fox-sports-veja-quais.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> ] broadcasts the league in Central America.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Jamie |date=13 January 2022 |title=Premier League Soccer Finds Central American Home With Paramount Plus |url=https://variety.com/2022/sports/global/premier-league-paramount-plus-central-america-1235153263/ |access-date=22 March 2023 |magazine=Variety|location=Los Angeles|publisher=Penske Corporation|archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322025759/https://variety.com/2022/sports/global/premier-league-paramount-plus-central-america-1235153263/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
==Stadiums== | |||
{{main|List of Premier League stadiums}} | {{main|List of Premier League stadiums}} | ||
Premier League football has been played in 50 stadia since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. The ] in 1989 and the subsequent ] saw a recommendation that standing terraces should be abolished; as a result all stadia in the Premier League are ].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-fayeds-race-against-time-1087976.html |work=The Independent |accessdate=14 September 2010 |title=Football: Fayed's race against time |first=Norman |last=Fox |date=18 April 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Slater |title=Call grows for return of terraces |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6444083.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=14 March 2007 |accessdate=28 May 2009 }}</ref> Since the formation of the Premier League, football grounds in England have seen constant improvements to capacity and facilities, with some clubs moving to new-build stadia.<ref name="Matchmood">{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Whyatt |title=Match-going mood killers? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7168641.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=3 January 2008 |accessdate=15 September 2010 }}</ref> Nine stadia that have seen Premier League football have now been demolished. The stadia for the 2010–11 season show a large disparity in capacity: ], the home of Manchester United has a capacity of 75,957<ref>{{cite journal |last=Morgan |first=Steve |editor1-first=Ian |editor1-last=McLeish |date=March 2010 |title=Design for life |journal=Inside United |issue=212 |pages=44–48 |publisher=Haymarket Network |issn=1749-6497 }}</ref> with ], the home of ], having a capacity of 16,220.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION (General Condition 5.1.1) |journal=General Safety Certificate 2010/11 |page=21 |publisher=Blackpool Council |location=Blackpool }}</ref> The combined total capacity of the Premier League in the 2010–11 season is 770,477 with an average capacity of 38,523.<ref name="PLHandbook">{{cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/4f/53/0,,12306~152399,00.pdf |title=Premier League Handbook: Season 2010/11 |publisher=Premier League |year=2010 |page=454 |accessdate=7 September 2010 |format=PDF}}</ref> | |||
As of the 2023–24 season, Premier League football has been played in 61 stadiums since the formation of the division.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whufc.com/news/whats-new-202324-five-premier-league-updates-new-season |title=What's new for 2023/24? Five Premier League updates for the new season! |publisher=West Ham United FC |date=9 August 2023 |access-date=13 November 2023 |archive-date=13 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113004449/https://www.whufc.com/news/whats-new-202324-five-premier-league-updates-new-season |url-status=live }}</ref> The ] in 1989 and the subsequent ] saw a recommendation that standing terraces should be abolished. As a result, all stadiums in the Premier League are ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-fayeds-race-against-time-1087976.html |work=The Independent |access-date=14 September 2010 |title=Football: Fayed's race against time |first=Norman |last=Fox |date=18 April 1999 |archive-date=18 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118205018/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-fayeds-race-against-time-1087976.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Slater |title=Call grows for return of terraces |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6444083.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=14 March 2007 |access-date=28 May 2009 |archive-date=16 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816070622/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6444083.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the formation of the Premier League, football grounds in England have seen constant improvements to capacity and facilities, with some clubs moving to new-build stadiums.<ref name="Matchmood">{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Whyatt |title=Match-going mood killers? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7168641.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=3 January 2008 |access-date=15 September 2010 |archive-date=6 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106095817/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7168641.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Eleven stadiums that have seen Premier League football have now been demolished. The stadiums for the 2023–24 season show a large disparity in capacity. For example, ], the home of ], has a capacity of 74,031 whilst ], the home of ], has a capacity of 11,307. The combined total capacity of the Premier League in the 2023–24 season is 787,002 with an average capacity of 39,350. | |||
Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for Premier League clubs.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/30514/1/003092.pdf|title=Market size and attendance in English Premier League football |publisher=Lancaster University Management School |first1=Babatunde |last1=Buraimo |first2=Rob |last2=Simmons |work=Lancaster University Management School Working Paper |year=2006|volume=2006/003 |accessdate=15 September 2010 |format=PDF}}</ref> For the 2009–10 season, average attendances across the league clubs were 34,215 for Premier League matches with a total aggregate attendance figure of 13,001,616.<ref name="PLHandbook"/> This represents an increase of 13,089 from the average attendance of 21,126 recorded in the league's first season (1992–93).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stats.football.co.uk/1992/ |title=Football Stats Results for 1992–1993 Premiership |work=football.co.uk|publisher=DigitalSportsGroup |accessdate=10 August 2006 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070102135949/http://stats.football.co.uk/1992/ |archivedate=2 January 2007 |deadurl=yes}}</ref> However, during the 1992–93 season the capacities of most stadia were reduced as clubs replaced terraces with seats in order to meet the ]'s 1994–95 deadline for ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.le.ac.uk/fo/resources/factsheets/fs2.html |title=Fact Sheet 2: Football Stadia After Taylor |publisher=University of Leicester |accessdate=10 August 2006 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060626011640/http://www.le.ac.uk/fo/resources/factsheets/fs2.html |archivedate=26 June 2006 |deadurl=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=337736&root=extratime&cc=5901 |title=Shifting stands |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN |date=27 July 2005 |accessdate=10 August 2006 }}</ref> The Premier League's record average attendance of 36,144 was set during the 2007–08 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=61472 |title=United Kingdom: Deloitte Annual Review Of Football Finance Highlights |work= Deloitte Sports Business Group |publisher=Mondaq |date=4 June 2008 |accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for Premier League clubs.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/48823/4/EnglishPremierLeague.pdf |title=Market size and attendance in English Premier League football |publisher=Lancaster University Management School |first1=Babatunde |last1=Buraimo |first2=Rob |last2=Simmons |journal=Lancaster University Management School Working Paper |year=2006 |volume=2006/003 |access-date=4 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329000056/http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/48823/4/EnglishPremierLeague.pdf |archive-date=29 March 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> For the 2022–23 season, average attendances across the league clubs were 40,235 for Premier League matches with an aggregate attendance of 15,289,340.<ref name="2022/23 Attendance">{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/premier-league-attendances-at-record-high-as-crowds-swell-across-the-pyramid-6nm7t8fn0 |title=Premier League attendances at record high as crowds swell across the pyramid |work=The Times |date=11 June 2023 |access-date=13 November 2023 |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211154911/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/premier-league-attendances-at-record-high-as-crowds-swell-across-the-pyramid-6nm7t8fn0 |url-status=live }}</ref> This represents an increase of 19,109 from the average attendance of 21,126 recorded in the Premier League's first season (1992–93).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stats.football.co.uk/1992/ |title=Football Stats Results for 1992–1993 Premiership |work=football.co.uk |publisher=DigitalSportsGroup |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102135949/http://stats.football.co.uk/1992/ |archive-date=2 January 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> However, during the 1992–93 season, the capacities of most stadiums were reduced as clubs replaced terraces with seats in order to meet the Taylor Report's 1994–95 deadline for ]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.le.ac.uk/fo/resources/factsheets/fs2.html |title=Fact Sheet 2: Football Stadia After Taylor |publisher=University of Leicester |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626011640/http://www.le.ac.uk/fo/resources/factsheets/fs2.html |archive-date=26 June 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=337736&root=extratime&cc=5901 |title=Shifting stands |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN |date=27 July 2005 |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-date=21 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021012118/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=337736&root=extratime&cc=5901 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The 2022–23 season also set a competition record for total attendance with more than 15 million spectators, with average attendance also reaching record levels, surpassing the previous record of 39,989 set in the ], which in turn broke over 70 years old record set in ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.allfootballapp.com/news/All/Is-the-Premier-League-about-to-break-a-70-year-old-attendance-record/2130989 |title=Is the Premier League about to break a 70-year-old attendance record? |website=All Football |date=15 December 2019 |access-date=13 November 2023 |archive-date=13 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113012325/https://m.allfootballapp.com/news/All/Is-the-Premier-League-about-to-break-a-70-year-old-attendance-record/2130989 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
== Managers == | |||
{{See also|List of Premier League managers}} | |||
] in the Premier League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the ownership of the club and the relationship of the manager with fans.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Managers, directors and trust in professional football |first1=Seamus |last1=Kelly |first2=John |last2=Harris |journal=Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics |volume=13 |issue=3 |year=2010 |pages=489–502 |doi=10.1080/17430431003588150}}</ref> Managers are required to have a ] which is the final coaching qualification available, and follows the completion of the ] 'B' and 'A' Licences.<ref name="licences">{{cite news|last=White |first=Duncan |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/12/05/sfnkmo05.xml |title=The Knowledge |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 December 2005|accessdate=13 October 2010}}</ref> The UEFA Pro Licence is required by every person who wishes to manage a club in the Premier League on a permanent basis (i. e. more than 12 weeks – the amount of time an unqualified ] is allowed to take control).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article2508204.ece|title=Avram Grant's job under threat from lack of Uefa licence|newspaper=The Times|first1=Matt|last1=Hughes|first2=Martin|last2=Samuel|date=22 September 2007|accessdate=8 November 2010}}</ref> Caretaker appointments are managers that fill the gap between a managerial departure and a new appointment. Several caretaker managers have gone on to secure a permanent managerial post after performing well as a caretaker; examples include ] at ] and ] at ]. | |||
In October 2024 it was reported that the government is planning to grant the independent regulator authority to stop Premier League clubs from selling their stadiums to affiliated or third-party companies.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Matt |last2=Hughes |first2=Exclusive by Matt |date=23 October 2024 |title=Football regulator given power to block Premier League stadium sales |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/oct/23/premier-league-stadium-sales-football-regulator |access-date=23 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> | |||
The league's longest-serving manager was ], who was in charge of Manchester United from November 1986 until his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season, meaning that he was manager for all of the first 21 seasons of the Premier League. ] is now the league's longest-serving current manager, having been in charge of ] in the Premier League since 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-current.html |title=Longest serving managers |publisher=League Managers Association |accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
==Managers== | |||
No English manager has won the Premier League; the six managers to have won the title comprise two ] Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, 13 wins) and ] (Blackburn Rovers, one win), a Frenchman (], Arsenal, three wins), a Portuguese (], Chelsea, two wins) and two Italians (], Chelsea, and ], Manchester City, one win each).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/winners.html |title=Who won what |publisher=League Managers Association |accessdate=14 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
{{quote box | |||
| align = right | |||
| width = 33% | |||
| quote = I have never known this level before. Of course, there are managers in Germany, Italy, and Spain, but in the Premier League, these are the best managers, the elite managers. The quality, the preparation. The level is so high. | |||
| author = ], on the quality of managers of Premier League teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pep Guardiola interview: 'Everyone wants to copy the winner but it is a big mistake,' says Man City head coach |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/20876/12536039/pep-guardiola-interview-everyone-wants-to-copy-the-winner-but-it-is-a-big-mistake-says-man-city-head-coach |date=11 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220211172125/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/20876/12536039/pep-guardiola-interview-everyone-wants-to-copy-the-winner-but-it-is-a-big-mistake-says-man-city-head-coach |archive-date=11 February 2022 |publisher=Sky Sports |location=UK |last=Bate |first=Adam |access-date=11 February 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
{{see also|List of Premier League managers}} | |||
] in the Premier League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the ownership of the club and the relationship of the manager with fans.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Managers, directors and trust in professional football |first1=Seamus |last1=Kelly |first2=John |last2=Harris |journal=Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics |volume=13 |issue=3 |year=2010 |pages=489–502 |doi=10.1080/17430431003588150|s2cid=144429767 | issn=1743-0437}}</ref> Managers are required to have a ] which is the final coaching qualification available, and follows the completion of the ] 'B' and 'A' Licences.<ref name="licences">{{cite news |last=White |first=Duncan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2369274/The-Knowledge.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2369274/The-Knowledge.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The Knowledge |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 December 2005 |access-date=13 October 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The UEFA Pro Licence is required by every person who wishes to manage a club in the Premier League on a permanent basis (''i.e.'', more than 12 weeks, the amount of time an unqualified ] is allowed to take control).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article2508204.ece |title=Avram Grant's job under threat from lack of Uefa licence |newspaper=The Times |first1=Matt |last1=Hughes |first2=Martin |last2=Samuel |date=22 September 2007 |access-date=8 November 2010 |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810102856/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article2508204.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> Caretaker appointments are managers that fill the gap between a managerial departure and a new appointment. Several caretaker managers have gone on to secure a permanent managerial post after performing well as a caretaker, including ] at ], ] at ] and ] at ]. | |||
] is the longest-serving manager, having been in charge of ] in the Premier League from 1996 to his departure at the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, and holds the record for most matches managed in the Premier League with 828, all with Arsenal. He broke the record set by ], who had managed 810 matches with Manchester United from the Premier League's inception to his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season. Ferguson was in charge of Manchester United from November 1986 until his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season, meaning he was manager for the last five years of the old Football League First Division and all of the first 21 seasons of the Premier League.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-current.html |title=Longest serving managers |publisher=League Managers Association |access-date=14 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207195645/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-current.html |archive-date=7 February 2015 }}</ref> | |||
The current managers in the Premier League are: | |||
Notably, since its creation the Premier League has never been won by an English manager. | |||
] was the longest serving manager in the history of the Premier League.|alt=The torso and head of a grey-haired white man. He is wearing spectacles and a black coat.]] | |||
There have been several studies into the reasoning behind, and effects of, managerial sackings. Most famously, Sue Bridgewater of the ] and Bas ter Weel of the ], performed two separate studies which helped to explain the statistics behind managerial sackings. Bridgewater's study found clubs generally sack their managers upon dropping below an average of one point per match.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/soccernomics-does-sacking-manager-actually-make-difference |title=Soccernomics: Does sacking the manager actually make a difference? |date=13 March 2016 |work=FourFourTwo |access-date=14 December 2017 |archive-date=11 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211105040/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/soccernomics-does-sacking-manager-actually-make-difference |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
! | |||
!Name | |||
!Club | |||
!Appointed | |||
] is the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.|alt=Arsene Wenger, the longest-serving manager in Premier League history]] | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" | |||
|+ Current Premier League managers | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="col"| Manager | |||
| {{sort|France|{{Flagicon|FRA}}}} || {{sortname|Arsène|Wenger| |Wenger, Arsene}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|1996|10|1}} | |||
!scope="col"| Nationality | |||
!scope="col"| Club | |||
!scope="col"| Appointed | |||
!scope="col"| Time as manager | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Pep|Guardiola}} | |||
| {{sort|England|{{Flagicon|ENG}}}} || {{sortname|Alan|Pardew}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2010|12|9}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Spain}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2016|7|1}} || {{ayd|2016|7|1}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Thomas|Frank|Thomas Frank (football manager)}} | |||
| {{sort|England|{{Flagicon|ENG}}}} || {{sortname|Sam|Allardyce}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2011|6|1}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Denmark}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2018|10|16}} || {{ayd|2018|10|16}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Mikel|Arteta}} | |||
| {{sort|Northern Ireland|{{Flagicon|NIR}}}} || {{sortname|Brendan|Rodgers}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2012|6|1}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Spain}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2019|12|20}} || {{ayd|2019|12|20}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Marco|Silva}} | |||
| {{sort|Scotland|{{Flagicon|SCO}}}} || {{sortname|Paul|Lambert}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2012|6|2}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Portugal}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2021|7|1}} || {{ayd|2021|7|1}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Eddie|Howe}} | |||
| {{sort|England|{{Flagicon|ENG}}}} || {{sortname|Steve|Bruce}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2012|6|8}} | |||
| {{Flagu|England}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2021|11|8}} || {{ayd|2021|11|8}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Kieran|McKenna}} | |||
| {{sort|Argentina|{{Flagicon|ARG}}}} || {{sortname|Mauricio|Pochettino}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|1|18}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Northern Ireland}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2021|12|16}} || {{ayd|2021|12|16}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Unai|Emery}} | |||
| {{sort|Wales|{{Flagicon|WAL}}}} || {{sortname|Mark|Hughes}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|5|30}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Spain}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2022|11|1}} || {{ayd|2022|11|1}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Ange|Postecoglou}} | |||
| {{sort|Portugal|{{Flagicon|POR}}}} || {{sortname|José|Mourinho| |Mourinho, Jose}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|6|3}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Australia}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2023|6|6}} || {{ayd|2023|6|6}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Andoni|Iraola}} | |||
| {{sort|Spain|{{Flagicon|ESP}}}} || {{sortname|Roberto|Martínez| |Martinez, Roberto}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|6|5}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Spain}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2023|6|19}} || {{ayd|2023|6|19}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Nuno|Espírito Santo| |Espirito Santo, Nuno}} | |||
| {{sort|Chile|{{Flagicon|CHI}}}} || {{sortname|Manuel|Pellegrini}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|6|14}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Portugal}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2023|12|20}} || {{ayd|2023|12|20}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Oliver|Glasner}} | |||
| {{sort|Uruguay|{{Flagicon|URU}}}} || {{sortname|Gus|Poyet}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|10|8}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Austria}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|2|19}} || {{ayd|2024|2|19}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Arne|Slot}} | |||
| {{sort|Wales|{{Flagicon|WAL}}}} || {{sortname|Tony|Pulis}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|11|23}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Netherlands}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|6|1}} || {{ayd|2024|6|1}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Enzo|Maresca}} | |||
| {{sort|England|{{Flagicon|ENG}}}} || {{sortname|Tim|Sherwood}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|12|23}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Italy}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|6|3}} || {{ayd|2024|6|3}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Fabian|Hürzeler}} | |||
| {{sort|Norway|{{Flagicon|NOR}}}} || {{sortname|Ole Gunnar|Solskjær| |Solskjaer, Ole Gunnar}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2014|1|2}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Germany}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|6|15}} || {{ayd|2024|6|15}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Ruben|Amorim}} | |||
| {{sort|Spain|{{Flagicon|ESP}}}} || {{sortname|Pepe|Mel}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2014|1|9}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Portugal}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|11|11}} || {{ayd|2024|11|11}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| ] | |||
| {{sort|England|{{Flagicon|ENG}}}} || {{sortname|Garry|Monk}} (interim player-manager) || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2014|2|4}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Netherlands}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|11|29}} || {{ayd|2024|11|29}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Vítor|Periera|Vítor Pereira (footballer, born 1968)}} | |||
| {{sort|Germany|{{Flagicon|GER}}}} || {{sortname|Felix|Magath}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2014|2|14}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Portugal}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|12|17}} || {{ayd|2024|12|17}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Ivan|Jurić}} | |||
| {{sort|England|{{Flagicon|ENG}}}} || {{sortname|Neil|Adams|dab=footballer}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2014|4|6}} | |||
| {{Flagu|Croatia}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2024|12|21}} || {{ayd|2024|12|21}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
!scope="row"| {{sortname|Graham|Potter}} | |||
| {{sort|Wales|{{Flagicon|WAL}}}} || {{sortname|Ryan|Giggs}} (interim player-manager) || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2014|4|22}} | |||
| {{Flagu|England}} || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2025|1|9}} || {{ayd|2025|1|9}} | |||
|- | |||
!scope="row"| ''Vacant'' | |||
| || ] || {{dts|format=dmy|2025|1|9}} || {{ayd|2025|1|9}} | |||
|} | |} | ||
== |
==Players== | ||
{{ |
{{see also|Premier League records and statistics#Player records|List of Premier League winning players}} | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left:1em; float:right" | |||
===Appearances=== | |||
] is the most capped player in Premier League history with 653 appearances.]] | |||
{{see also|List of footballers with 500 or more Premier League appearances}} | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;float:right" | |||
|- | |- | ||
|+ Most appearances | |||
!Rank!!Player!!Appearances | |||
|- | |||
! Rank !! Player !! {{abbr|Apps|Appearances}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
| 1 | | 1 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | ||
| |
| 653 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 2 | | 2 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} ''''']''''' (ENG) | ||
| |
| 637 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 3 | | 3 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|WAL}} | ||
| |
| 632 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 4 | | 4 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | ||
| |
| 609 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 5 | | 5 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | ||
| |
| 572 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 6 | | 6 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|WAL}} | ||
| |
| 535 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 7 | | 7 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | ||
| |
| 516 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 8 | | 8 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|AUS}} | ||
| |
| 514 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 9 | | 9 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | ||
| |
| 508 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 10 | | 10 | ||
| |
|style="text-align:left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | ||
| |
| 505 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
|colspan="3"| {{updated|17 August 2024}}<ref name="blstats">{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/appearances?se=-1 |title=Premier League Statistics |access-date=2 January 2024 |publisher=Premier League |archive-date=4 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104000427/https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/appearances?se=-1 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />{{small|''Italicised'' players still playing professional football.<br />'''Bolded''' players still playing in Premier League.}} | ||
|} | |} | ||
===Transfer regulations and foreign players=== | |||
=== Appearances === | |||
{{see also|List of foreign Premier League players|List of foreign Premier League goalscorers}} | |||
] holds the record number of Premier League appearances and is the only player to have played and scored in all 21 seasons. He also has 13 Premier League champion's medals, more than any other player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.career-history.html/ryan-giggs |title=Player Profile – Ryan Giggs – Career History |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=22 January 2013}}</ref> | |||
] may only take place within ]s set by the Football Association. The two transfer windows run from the last day of the season to 31 August and from 31 December to 31 January. Player registrations cannot be exchanged outside these windows except under specific licence from the FA, usually on an emergency basis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/7a/20/0,,12306~139386,00.pdf |title=Premier League rules |publisher=Premier League |year=2010 |page=150 |access-date=7 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306153852/http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/7a/20/0%2C%2C12306~139386%2C00.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2009 }}</ref> As of the ], the Premier League introduced new rules mandating that each club must register a maximum 25-man squad of players aged over 21, with the squad list only allowed to be changed in transfer windows or in exceptional circumstances.<ref name=PLHomeGrownPlayerRules16Jul2010>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2094341,00.html |title=Home Grown Player rules |publisher=Premier League |date=16 July 2010 |access-date=5 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813203222/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0%2C%2C12306~2094341%2C00.html |archive-date=13 August 2010 }}</ref><ref name=BBC27July2010NewRules>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8858634.stm |title=New Premier League squad rules explained |website=BBC Sport |date=27 July 2010 |access-date=5 August 2010 |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112083621/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8858634.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> This was to enable the "home grown" rule to be enacted, whereby the Premier League would also from 2010 require at least eight members of the named 25-man squad to be "home-grown players".<ref name=PLHomeGrownPlayerRules16Jul2010/> | |||
=== Foreign players and transfer regulations === | |||
{{See also|List of foreign Premier League players}} | |||
At the inception of the Premier League in ], just |
At the inception of the Premier League in ], just 11 players named in the starting line-ups for the first round of matches hailed from outside of the United Kingdom or Ireland.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4487212-3057,00.html |last=Atkinson |first=Ron |title=England need to stem the foreign tide |newspaper=The Guardian |date=23 August 2002 |access-date=10 August 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710121246/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/aug/23/sport.comment/print |archive-date=10 July 2012}}</ref> By ], the number of foreign players participating in the Premier League was 36% of the total. In the ] season, the figure had increased to 45%. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first Premier League side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/news/theknowledge/0,9204,474626,00.html |title=Phil Neal: King of Europe? |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=10 August 2006 |first=Sean |last=Ingle |date=12 June 2001 |archive-date=4 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004042330/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2001/apr/18/theknowledge.sport |url-status=live }}</ref> and on 14 February 2005, Arsenal were the first to name a completely foreign 16-man squad for a match.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4266443.stm |title=Wenger backs non-English line-up |website=BBC Sport |date=14 February 2005 |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-date=3 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803044922/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4266443.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> By 2009, under 40% of the players in the Premier League were English.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8182090.stm |title=Where the Premier League's players come from |date=17 August 2009 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=3 October 2010 |first=Ollie |last=Williams |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112083518/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8182090.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> By February 2020, 117 different nationalities had played in the Premier League, and 101 nationalities had scored in the competition.<ref>{{cite news |title=Samatta adds Tanzania to Premier League nations |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/1591523 |access-date=1 February 2020 |publisher=Premier League |archive-date=1 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201224842/https://www.premierleague.com/news/1591523 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
In response to concerns that clubs were increasingly passing over young |
In 1999, in response to concerns that clubs were increasingly passing over young English players in favour of foreign players, the ] tightened its rules for granting work permits to players from countries outside of the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=32096&NewsAreaID=2 |title=New Work Permit Criteria for Football Players Announced |publisher=Department for Education and Employment |date=2 July 1999 |access-date=1 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154815/http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=32096&NewsAreaID=2 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A non-EU player applying for the permit must have played for his country in at least 75 per cent of its competitive 'A' team matches for which he was available for selection during the previous two years, and his country must have averaged at least 70th place in the official FIFA world rankings over the previous two years. If a player does not meet those criteria, the club wishing to sign him may appeal.<ref name=HOworkpermits>{{cite web |url=http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk/en/homepage/work_permits0/applying_for_a_work/sports_and_entertainers/football_players.html |title=Work permit arrangements for football players |publisher=Home Office |access-date=1 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926091514/http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk/en/homepage/work_permits0/applying_for_a_work/sports_and_entertainers/football_players.html |archive-date=26 September 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
Following the implementation of ] in January 2021, new regulations were introduced which require all foreign players to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) in order to play football in the United Kingdom, regardless of EU status.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/dec/01/gbe-points-based-system-launched-011220 |title=Plan agreed on entry requirements for overseas players in England post-Brexit in 2021 |publisher=The Football Association |access-date=14 August 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814052954/https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/dec/01/gbe-points-based-system-launched-011220 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Players can only be transferred during ]s that are set by the Football Association. The two current transfer windows run from the last day of the season to 31 August and from 31 December to 31 January. Player registrations cannot be exchanged outside these windows except under specific licence from the FA, usually on an emergency basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/7a/20/0,,12306~139386,00.pdf |title=Premier League rules |publisher=Premier League |year=2010 |page=150 |accessdate=7 September 2010 |format=PDF}}</ref> As of the ], the Premier League introduced new rules mandating that each club must register a maximum 25-man squad of players aged over 21, with the squad list only allowed to be changed in transfer windows or in exceptional circumstances.<ref name=PLHomeGrownPlayerRules16Jul2010>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2094341,00.html |title=Home Grown Player rules |publisher=Premier League |date=16 July 2010 |accessdate=5 August 2010}}</ref><ref name=BBC27July2010NewRules>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8858634.stm |title=New Premier League squad rules explained |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=27 July 2010 |accessdate=5 August 2010}}</ref> This was to enable the 'home grown' rule to be enacted, whereby the League would also from 2010 require at least 8 of the named 25 man squad to be made up of 'home-grown players', defined as a player who: {{quote|irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to ] or the ] for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)<ref name=PLHomeGrownPlayerRules16Jul2010/>}} | |||
=== Wages and transfer records === | |||
There is no team or individual salary cap in the Premier League. As a result of the increasingly lucrative television deals, player wages rose sharply following the formation of the Premier League. In the first Premier League season the average player wage was £75,000 per year,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1009392,00.html |title=Forty factors fuelling football inflation |newspaper=The Guardian |date=31 July 2003 |accessdate=8 August 2006}}</ref> but subsequently rose by an average 20 per cent per year for a decade,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=369799&cc=5739 |title=Wages fall, but Premier League still spend big |work=Soccernet |publisher=ESPN |date=1 June 2006 |accessdate=8 August 2006}}</ref> £409,000 in 2000–01, £676,000 in ] season<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article531111.ece |title=The billion-pound revolution |newspaper=The Times |date=8 June 2005 |accessdate=8 August 2006 |first=Ashling |last=O'Connor}}</ref> rising to £1.1 million for the 2008–09 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1284760/England-0-Germany-1-Bundesliga-overtakes-Premier-League-profits-slump.html |title=Premier League falls behind German Bundesliga as Europe most profitable football league |last=Williamson |first=Laura |date=8 June 2010 |newspaper=Daily Mail |accessdate=16 September 2010 }}</ref> | |||
The ] for a Premier League has been broken several times over the lifetime of the competition. Prior to the start of the first Premier League season ] became the first British player to command a transfer fee of more than £3 million.<ref name="OSMtransfers">{{cite news |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1720979,00.html |title=From £250,000 to £29.1m |newspaper=The Observer |date=5 March 2006 |accessdate=2 December 2007 }}</ref> The record rose steadily in the Premier League's first few seasons, until Alan Shearer made a world record breaking £15 million move to Newcastle United in 1996.<ref name="OSMtransfers"/> This stood as a British record for four years until it was eclipsed by the £18 million Leeds paid West Ham for ].<ref name="OSMtransfers"/> Manchester United subsequently broke the record three times by signing ], ] and Rio Ferdinand.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/07/21/uferd.xml |title=Leeds sell Rio for £30 million |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 July 2002 |accessdate=2 December 2007}}</ref> Chelsea broke the record in May 2006, when they signed ], from ]. The exact figure of the transfer fee was not disclosed, but was reported as being around £30 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/5035604.stm |title=Chelsea complete Shevchenko deal |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=31 May 2006 |accessdate=2 December 2007}}</ref> This was surpassed by Manchester City's transfer of ] from ] on 1 September 2008 for £32.5 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7593026.stm |title=Man City beat Chelsea to Robinho |date=1 September 2008 |accessdate=2 September 2008 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation }}</ref> This fee was then surpassed twice on deadline day of the January 2011 window, first by ]'s £35 million move from ] to ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Liverpool sign Carroll from Newcastle for record £35m |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9382215.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=31 January 2011 |accessdate=31 January 2011 }}</ref> This was then beaten when ] moved from Liverpool to ] for £50 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11668_6715466,00.html |title=Blues wrap up Torres deal |date=31 January 2011 |accessdate=31 January 2011 |publisher=Sky |work=Sky Sports}}</ref> The Torres deal remains the British transfer record paid for a player. The record transfer in the sport's history had a Premier League club on the selling end, with Tottenham Hotspur accepting an £85 million bid from Real Madrid for ] in September 2013.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gareth Bale joins Real Madrid from Spurs in £85m world record deal |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23538218 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=1 Sep 2013 |accessdate=3 Sep 2013 }}</ref> | |||
===Top scorers=== | ===Top scorers=== | ||
{{ |
{{see also|List of footballers with 100 or more Premier League goals|List of top Premier League goal scorers by season|Premier League Golden Boot}} | ||
] is the top scorer in Premier League history with 260 goals.]] | |||
{{updated|5 January 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Premier League player stats |url=https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goals?se=-1 |access-date=7 April 2024 |publisher=Premier League |archive-date=4 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104090501/https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goals?se=-1 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
!width=20|Rank | !width=20|Rank | ||
!width= |
!width=175|Player | ||
!width= |
!width=140|Years | ||
!width= |
!width=55|Goals | ||
!width= |
!width=55|Apps | ||
!width= |
!width=55|Ratio | ||
!width=70|Ratio | |||
|- | |- | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
|align=left| {{Flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Alan|Shearer}} | |||
|{{flagicon|ENG}} | |||
|1992–2006||260||441||{{#expr:260/441 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|1992–2006||260||441||0.59 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} | |align=left| {{Flagicon|ENG}} ''{{sortname|Harry|Kane}}'' | ||
|2012–2023||213||320||{{#expr:213/320 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|1992–2008||188||414||0.45 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|3 | |3 | ||
|{{Flagicon| |
|align=left| {{Flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Wayne|Rooney}} | ||
|2002–2018||208||491||{{#expr:208/491 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|'']'' | |||
|1999–2007, 2012||175||258||0.68 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|4 | |4 | ||
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} | |align=left| {{Flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Andy|Cole}} | ||
|1992–2008||187||414||{{#expr:187/414 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|''''']''''' | |||
|2002–||173||374||0.46 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|5 | |5 | ||
|align=left| {{Flagicon|ARG}} {{sortname|Sergio|Agüero| |Aguero, Sergio}} | |||
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} | |||
|2011–2021||184||275||{{#expr:184/275 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|''''']''''' | |||
|1995–||171||575||0.29 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|6 | |6 | ||
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} | |align=left| {{Flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Frank|Lampard}} | ||
|1995–2015||177||609||{{#expr:177/609 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|1993–2009||162||378||0.43 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|rowspan=2|7 | |||
|7 | |||
|{{Flagicon| |
|align=left| {{Flagicon|FRA}} {{sortname|Thierry|Henry}} | ||
|1999–2007<br>2012||175||258||{{#expr:175/258 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|1996–2004<br />2005–2013||150||325||0.46 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| align="left" | {{Flagicon|EGY}} '''''{{sortname|Mohamed|Salah}}''''' | |||
|8 | |||
|2014–2015<br>2017–||175||282||{{#expr:175/282 round 2}} | |||
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|1992–2005||149||351||0.42 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|9 | |9 | ||
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} | |align=left| {{Flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Robbie|Fowler}} | ||
|1993–2007<br>2008||163||379||{{#expr:163/379 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|1992–2007||147||418||0.35 | |||
|- | |- | ||
|10 | |10 | ||
|{{Flagicon| |
| align="left" | {{Flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Jermain|Defoe}} | ||
|2001–2003<br>2004–2014<br>2015–2019||162||496||{{#expr:162/492 round 2}} | |||
|align=left|''''']''''' | |||
|2004–||132||247||0.53 | |||
|} | |} | ||
{{small|''Italics'' denotes players still playing professional football,<br />'''Bold''' denotes players still playing in the Premier League.}} | |||
] won a record four ] awards.]] | |||
The ] is awarded each season to the top scorer in the division. Former Blackburn Rovers and ] striker ] holds the record for most Premier League goals with 260.<ref>{{cite news |title=Will Luis Suarez break the Premier League goal scoring record this season? |url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/will-luis-suarez-break-the-premier-league-goal-scoring-record-this-season-29861426.html |date=23 December 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014 |first=Declan |last=Whooley |newspaper=Irish Independent |archive-date=12 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512163009/https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/will-luis-suarez-break-the-premier-league-goal-scoring-record-this-season-29861426.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ] have reached the 100-goal mark.<ref>{{cite web |title=Players by Statistic |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/index.html#stat |publisher=Premier League |access-date=20 August 2013 |archive-date=3 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703054242/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/index.html#stat |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since the first Premier League season in 1992–93, 23 players from 11 clubs have won or shared the top scorer title.<ref>{{cite web |title=Premier League Golden Boot award winners |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/1206108 |publisher=Premier League |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=21 July 2020 |archive-date=19 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719183600/https://www.premierleague.com/news/1206108 |url-status=live }}</ref> ] won his fourth overall scoring title by scoring 27 goals in the 2005–06 season. ] holds the record for most goals in a Premier League season (38 matches) with 36 goals as of 15 May 2023.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.football.co.uk/football_features/story_304.shtml |title=Premier League records |work=football.co.uk |publisher=DigitalSportsGroup |date=24 March 2008 |access-date=13 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201024120/http://www.football.co.uk/football_features/story_304.shtml |archive-date=1 December 2009 }}</ref> ] of Manchester United holds the record for scoring goals in consecutive seasons, having scored in the first 21 seasons of the league.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/marketplace/facts/ryan-giggs-goal-makes-him-only-person-to-score-in-all-pl-seasons |title=Ryan Giggs goal makes him only person to score in all PL seasons trivia |work=SportBusiness |publisher=SBG Companies Ltd. |access-date=21 November 2009 |archive-date=13 September 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913043831/http://www.sportbusiness.com/marketplace/facts/ryan-giggs-goal-makes-him-only-person-to-score-in-all-pl-seasons |url-status=dead }}</ref> Giggs also holds the record for the ], with 162.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist?co=1&se=-1&co=1&cl=-1&iso=-1&po=-1%3Fse%3D-1|title=Premier League Player Stats: Assists – All Seasons|publisher=Premier League|access-date=19 November 2021|archive-date=15 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915023614/https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist?co=1&se=-1&co=1&cl=-1&iso=-1&po=-1%3Fse%3D-1|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Wages=== | |||
Players in the Premier League compete for the ], awarded to the top scorer at the end of each season, as well as for Golden Boot awards for the first person to score 10, 20 or 30 goals in a season. They can also compete for the informal competitions of ] and ]. Former Blackburn Rovers and ] ] ] holds the record for most Premier League goals with 260. Shearer finished among the top ten goal scorers in 10 out of his 14 seasons in the Premier League and won the top scorer title three times. During the ] he became the first player to score 100 Premier League goals. Since then, ] have reached the 100-goal mark.<ref>{{cite web|title=Players by Statistic|url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/index.html#stat|publisher=Premier League|accessdate=August 2013}}</ref> | |||
There is no team or individual salary cap in the Premier League. As a result of the increasingly lucrative television deals, player wages rose sharply following the formation of the Premier League, when the average player wage was £75,000 per year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1009392,00.html |title=Forty factors fuelling football inflation |newspaper=The Guardian |date=31 July 2003 |access-date=8 August 2006 |archive-date=18 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818060800/http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1009392,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 2018–19 season the average annual salary stood at £2.99 million. | |||
The total salary bill for the 20 Premier League clubs in the 2018–19 season was £1.62 billion; this compares to £1.05 billion in ], £0.83 billion in ], £0.72 billion in ], and £0.54 billion in ]. The club with the highest average wage is ] at £6.5 million. This is smaller than the club with the highest wage bill in Spain (] £10.5 million) and Italy (] £6.7 million), but higher than in Germany (] £6.4 million) and France (] £6.1 million). For the 2018–19 season, the ratio of the wages of the highest-paid team to lowest-paid in the Premier League is 6.82 to 1. This is much lower than in La Liga (19.1 to 1), Serie A (16 to 1), Bundesliga (20.5 to 1), and Ligue 1 (26.6 to 1). Because of the lower differential between team wage bills in the Premier League, it is often regarded as being more competitive than other top European leagues.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://globalsportssalaries.com/ |title=Global Sports Salaries Survey 2018 |publisher=Sporting Intelligence |date=27 November 2018 |access-date=27 November 2018 |archive-date=27 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127064800/http://globalsportssalaries.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Since the first Premier League season in 1992–93, 14 different players from 10 different clubs have won or shared the top scorers title.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1886761,00.html |title=Torres wins Barclays Golden Boot landmark |date=26 November 2009 |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=11 September 2010 }}</ref> ] won his third consecutive and fourth overall scoring title by scoring 27 goals in the 2005–06 season. This surpassed Shearer's mark of three titles which he won consecutively from 1994–95 through 1996–97. Other multiple winners include ], ] and ] who have won two titles each. ] and Alan Shearer hold the record for most goals in a season (34) – for Newcastle and Blackburn respectively. Cole's record came in the 1993–94 season, while Shearer's came in 1994–95, both of which were 42-game seasons.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.football.co.uk/football_features/story_304.shtml|title=Premier League records|work=football.co.uk|publisher=DigitalSportsGroup|date=24 March 2008|accessdate=13 September 2010}}</ref> Shearer's mark of 31 goals from a 38-game season in 1995–96 was equalled in the 2007–08 season by ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sportinglife.com/fanzine/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/05/11/SOCCER_Premier_League_Comment.html |title=Fergie deserves his victory dance |date=11 May 2008 |accessdate=11 May 2008 |work=Sporting Life |publisher=365 Media Group}}</ref> Five goals is the record individual scoring total for a player in a single Premier League game held by four players; Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov.<ref name=BBC22Nov09TottenhamWigan>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8365091.stm |title=Tottenham 9–1 Wigan |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=22 November 2009 |accessdate=23 November 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5lVZ4CbjA |archivedate=23 November 2009}}</ref> Only ] of Manchester United has scored in all 21 seasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/marketplace/facts/ryan-giggs-goal-makes-him-only-person-to-score-in-all-pl-seasons |title=Ryan Giggs goal makes him only person to score in all PL seasons trivia |work=SportBusiness |publisher=SBG Companies Ltd. |accessdate=21 November 2009}}</ref> | |||
===Player transfer fees=== | |||
Manchester United became the first team to have scored 1,000 goals in the league after Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a 4–1 defeat by ] in the 2005–06 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4366686.stm |title=Middlesbrough 4–1 Man Utd |date=29 October 2005 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref> Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Everton are the only other teams to have reached the 1,000-goal mark, with Everton being the latest team to do so following Steven Pienaars goal against Tottenham on 6 December 2012. | |||
{{see also|Progression of the British football transfer fee record|List of most expensive association football transfers}} | |||
The ] for a Premier League player has risen steadily over the lifetime of the competition. Before the start of the first Premier League season, ] became the first British player to command a transfer fee of more than £3 million.<ref name="OSMtransfers">{{cite news |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1720979,00.html |title=From £250,000 to £29.1m |newspaper=The Observer |date=5 March 2006 |access-date=2 December 2007 |archive-date=3 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203201533/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1720979,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The record has increased steadily and ] is now the most expensive transfer fee paid by a Premier League club at £106.8 million, whilst ] is the biggest transfer involving a Premier League club at £105 million. | |||
The highest-scoring match to date in the Premier League occurred on 29 September 2007 when ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Stuart |last=Roach |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7008200.stm |title=Portsmouth 7–4 Reading |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=29 September 2007 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
<!--THIS SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH "List of most expensive association football transfers"--> | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
|+Top transfer fees paid by Premier League clubs | |||
|- | |||
!scope="col"| Rank | |||
!scope="col"| Player | |||
!scope="col"| Fee (]) | |||
!scope="col"| Year | |||
!scope="col" colspan="2"| Transfer | |||
!scope="col"| Reference(s) | |||
|- | |||
| 1 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ARG}} | |||
| £106.8 | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|POR}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Enzo Fernandez transfer news: Chelsea complete British record £107m fee for Benfica midfielder |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64463077 |website=BBC Sport |date=1 February 2023 |access-date=1 February 2023 |archive-date=1 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201000853/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64463077 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|rowspan="3"| 2 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ECU}} | |||
| £100{{efn|Initial £100 million plus a reported £15 million in bonuses}} | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name="Steinberg">{{cite news|title=Chelsea complete Moisés Caicedo signing in British record £115m deal|url=https://theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/14/chelsea-sign-moises-caicedo-british-record-115m-deal-brighton|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Jacob|last=Steinberg|date=14 August 2023|access-date=14 August 2023|archive-date=14 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814181829/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/14/chelsea-sign-moises-caicedo-british-record-115m-deal-brighton|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £100{{efn|Initial £100 million plus a reported £5 million in bonuses}} | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news|title=Arsenal sign Rice in club-record £105m deal|url=https://www.skysports.com/app/transfer/news/12691/12913870/declan-rice-arsenal-sign-england-midfielder-from-west-ham-in-club-record-105m-deal|website=Sky Sports|date=17 July 2023|access-date=12 August 2023|archive-date=13 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813025512/https://www.skysports.com/app/transfer/news/12691/12913870/declan-rice-arsenal-sign-england-midfielder-from-west-ham-in-club-record-105m-deal|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £100 | |||
| 2021 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name=":7" /> | |||
|- | |||
| 5 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|BEL}} | |||
| £97.5 | |||
| 2021 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ITA}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Chelsea re-sign Lukaku for club record £97.5m |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58111490 |website=BBC Sport |date=12 August 2021 |access-date=12 August 2021 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813080940/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58111490 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/aug/12/chelsea-confirm-romelu-lukaku-signing-from-inter-in-115m-deal |title=Chelsea confirm Romelu Lukaku signing from Inter in €115m deal |date=12 August 2021 |access-date=12 August 2021 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=22 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622215320/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/aug/12/chelsea-confirm-romelu-lukaku-signing-from-inter-in-115m-deal |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| 6 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|FRA}} | |||
| £89 | |||
| 2016 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ITA}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.football-italia.net/88963/official-pogba-signs-man-utd |title=Official: Pogba signs for Man Utd for €105m |publisher=] |date=8 August 2016 |access-date=8 August 2016 |archive-date=20 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820151621/http://www.football-italia.net/88963/official-pogba-signs-man-utd |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37016170 |title=Paul Pogba: Manchester United re-sign France midfielder for world-record £89m |website=BBC Sport |date=8 August 2016 |access-date=8 August 2016 |archive-date=3 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503184856/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37016170 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Arindam |last=Rej |title=Paul Pogba completes record transfer to Manchester United from Juventus |publisher=ESPN |date=8 August 2016 |url=http://www.espnfc.com/story/2915734/paul-pogba-completes-record-move-to-manchester-united-from-juventus |access-date=8 August 2016 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422074217/http://www.espnfc.com/story/2915734/paul-pogba-completes-record-move-to-manchester-united-from-juventus |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| 7 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|BRA}} | |||
| £82 | |||
| 2022 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|NED}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62718027|title=Antony: Manchester United agree to sign Ajax winger for £81.3m|access-date=30 August 2022|date=30 August 2022|website=BBC Sport|archive-date=30 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830121429/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62718027|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| 8 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £80 | |||
| 2019 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> | |||
|- | |||
| 9 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|CRO}} | |||
| £77 | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|GER}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Josko Gvardiol: Manchester City sign Croatia centre-back from RB Leipzig |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66012707 |website=BBC Sport |date=5 August 2023 |access-date=5 August 2023 |archive-date=5 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805090731/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66012707 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| 10 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|BEL}} | |||
| £75{{efn|Fee was to be paid over time with an initial £75 million, plus another £15 million in additional bonuses.}} | |||
| 2017 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40550934 |title=Romelu Lukaku: Man Utd sign Everton striker for initial £75m on five year deal |work=BBC Sport |date=10 July 2017 |access-date=14 February 2018 |archive-date=10 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710161610/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40550934 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|} | |||
{{small|{{notelist}}}} | |||
<!--THIS SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH "List of most expensive association football transfers"--> | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
|+Top transfer fees received by Premier League clubs | |||
|- | |||
!scope="col"| Rank | |||
!scope="col"| Player | |||
!scope="col"| Fee (]) | |||
!scope="col"| Year | |||
!scope="col" colspan="2"| Transfer | |||
!scope="col"| Reference(s) | |||
|- | |||
| 1 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|BRA}} | |||
| £105{{efn|Initial £105 million plus reported £37 million bonuses}} | |||
| 2018 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ESP}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2724795-philippe-coutinho-completes-142-million-barcelona-transfer.amp.html|title=Philippe Coutinho Completes £142 Million Barcelona Transfer|date=6 January 2018|access-date=12 August 2023|website=Bleacher Report|first=Matt|last=Jones|archive-date=13 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813025709/https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2724795-philippe-coutinho-completes-142-million-barcelona-transfer.amp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|rowspan="3"| 2 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ECU}} | |||
| £100{{efn|Initial £100 million plus a reported £15 million in bonuses}} | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name="Steinberg"/> | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £100{{efn|Initial £100 million plus a reported £5 million in bonuses}} | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Arsenal sign Rice in club-record £105m deal |url=https://www.skysports.com/app/transfer/news/12691/12913870/declan-rice-arsenal-sign-england-midfielder-from-west-ham-in-club-record-105m-deal |website=Sky Sports |date=17 July 2023 |access-date=12 August 2023 |archive-date=13 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813025512/https://www.skysports.com/app/transfer/news/12691/12913870/declan-rice-arsenal-sign-england-midfielder-from-west-ham-in-club-record-105m-deal |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £100 | |||
| 2021 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name=":7" /> | |||
|- | |||
| 5 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|BEL}} | |||
| £89{{efn|Initial £89 million plus a reported £60 million in bonuses}} | |||
| 2019 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ESP}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/06/07/eden-hazard-transfer-deal-agreed |title=Eden Hazars transfer deal agreed |date=7 June 2019 |access-date=30 July 2019 |archive-date=5 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905112004/https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/06/07/eden-hazard-transfer-deal-agreed |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| 6 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £86.4 | |||
| 2023 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|GER}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Harry Kane joins Bayern Munich ending record-breaking Tottenham career |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66484550 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=12 August 2023 |date=12 August 2023 |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812080952/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66484550 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| 7 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|WAL}} | |||
| £86 | |||
| 2013 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ESP}} ] | |||
| <ref name="contractleak">{{cite news |title=Gareth Bale contract leak sparks panic at Real Madrid – and agent's fury |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/gareth-bale/12111960/Revealed-How-Real-Madrid-claimed-Gareth-Bale-transfer-was-not-a-world-record-to-keep-Cristiano-Ronaldo-happy.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/gareth-bale/12111960/Revealed-How-Real-Madrid-claimed-Gareth-Bale-transfer-was-not-a-world-record-to-keep-Cristiano-Ronaldo-happy.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |issue=21 January 2016 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 January 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23538218 |title=Spurs accept £85m Bale bid |website=BBC Sport |date=1 August 2013 |access-date=2 September 2013 |archive-date=8 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208184359/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23538218 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|rowspan="2"| 8 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|POR}} | |||
| £80 | |||
| 2009 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ESP}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8094720.stm |title=Man Utd accept £80m Ronaldo bid |website=BBC Sport |date=11 June 2009 |access-date=2 September 2014 |archive-date=5 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005145102/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8094720.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/5505073/Cristiano-Ronaldo-transfer-Real-Madrid-agree-80-million-fee-with-Manchester-United.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/5505073/Cristiano-Ronaldo-transfer-Real-Madrid-agree-80-million-fee-with-Manchester-United.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Cristiano Ronaldo transfer: Real Madrid agree £80 million fee with Manchester United |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 June 2009 |access-date=5 November 2010 |location=London |first=Mark |last=Ogden}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|ENG}} | |||
| £80 | |||
| 2019 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> | |||
|- | |||
|rowspan="2"| 10 | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|BEL}} | |||
| £75 | |||
| 2017 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> | |||
|- | |||
|align="left"| {{flagathlete|]|NED}} | |||
| £75 | |||
| 2018 | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
|align="left"| {{fbaicon|ENG}} ] | |||
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool to sign Southampton defender for world record £75m |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42496637 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=28 December 2017 |archive-date=7 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407211158/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42496637 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|} | |||
{{small|{{notelist}}}} | |||
==Awards== | ==Awards== | ||
=== |
===Trophy=== | ||
], captain of ].]] | ] | ||
] for winning the ] title without defeat]] | |||
The Premier League maintains two trophies - the genuine trophy (held by the reigning champions) and a spare replica. Two trophies are held in the event that two different clubs could win the League on the final day of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is there more than one Premier League trophy? |url=http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/is-there-more-than-one-premier-league-trophy.html |work=Premier League |accessdate=2014-04-29}}</ref> In the rare event that more than two clubs are vying for the title on the final day of the season - then a replica won by a previous club is used.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Premier League consider borrowing a championship trophy as season heads for three-way climax |last=Rumsby |first=Ben |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/10793627/Premier-League-consider-borrowing-a-championship-trophy-as-season-heads-for-three-way-climax.html |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=28 April 2014 |accessdate=2014-04-29}}</ref> | |||
The Premier League maintains two trophies – the genuine trophy (held by the reigning champions) and a spare replica. Two trophies are held for the purpose of making the award within minutes of the title being secured, in the event that on the final day of the season two clubs are still within reach of winning the League.<ref>{{cite web |title=Is there more than one Premier League trophy? |url=http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/is-there-more-than-one-premier-league-trophy.html |publisher=Premier League |access-date=29 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429083555/http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/is-there-more-than-one-premier-league-trophy.html |archive-date=29 April 2014 }}</ref> In the rare event that more than two clubs are vying for the title on the final day of the season, a replica won by a previous club is used.<ref>{{cite web |title=Premier League consider borrowing a championship trophy as season heads for three-way climax |last=Rumsby |first=Ben |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/10793627/Premier-League-consider-borrowing-a-championship-trophy-as-season-heads-for-three-way-climax.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/10793627/Premier-League-consider-borrowing-a-championship-trophy-as-season-heads-for-three-way-climax.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=28 April 2014 |access-date=29 April 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
The current Premier League trophy was created by Royal Jewellers |
The current Premier League trophy was created by Royal Jewellers Garrard & Co/Asprey of London and was designed in house at Garrard & Co by Trevor Brown and Paul Marsden. It consists of a trophy with a golden crown and a ] plinth base. The plinth weighs {{convert|33|lb|kg}} and the trophy weighs {{convert|22|lb|kg}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Size and weight of the Barclays Premier League trophy |url=http://premierleague.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/28/~/size-and-weight-of-the-barclays-premier-league-trophy |publisher=Premier League |date=12 March 2010 |access-date=16 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112081448/http://premierleague.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/28/~/size-and-weight-of-the-barclays-premier-league-trophy |archive-date=12 January 2016 }}</ref> The trophy and plinth are {{convert|76|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall, {{convert|43|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|25|cm|in|abbr=on}} deep.<ref name="Trophy">{{cite web |url=http://premierskills.britishcouncil.org/learn-english/premier-league-trophy |title=The Premier League Trophy |access-date=22 January 2013 |work=Premier Skills |publisher=British Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511004625/http://premierskills.britishcouncil.org/learn-english/premier-league-trophy |archive-date=11 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
Its main body is solid ] and silver ], |
Its main body is solid ] and silver ], whilst its plinth is made of malachite, a ] stone. The plinth has a silver band around its circumference, upon which the names of the title-winning clubs are listed. The green of the malachite represents the green field of play.<ref name="Trophy"/> The design of the trophy is based on the ] of ] that is associated with English football. Two of the lions are found above the handles on either side of the trophy – the third is symbolised by the captain of the title-winning team as he raises the trophy, and its gold crown, above his head at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sponsorship.barclays.co.uk/football/trophy-tour-fact.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122094405/http://www.sponsorship.barclays.co.uk/football/trophy-tour-fact.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 November 2010 |title=What makes the Barclays Premier League Trophy so special? |publisher=Barclays |access-date=13 September 2010}}</ref> The ribbons that drape the handles are presented in the team colours of the league champions that year. In 2004, a special gold version of the trophy was commissioned to commemorate Arsenal winning the title ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/3724897.stm |title=Special trophy for Gunners |date=18 May 2004 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=20 August 2017 |archive-date=21 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821221043/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/3724897.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
===Player and manager awards=== | |||
In 2004, a special gold version of the trophy was commissioned to commemorate Arsenal winning the title ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/51204716/Getty-Images-Sport |title=Arsenal v Middlesbrough |date=22 August 2004 |publisher=Getty Images |accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
In addition to the winner's trophy and the individual ] awarded to players who win the title, the Premier League also issues other awards throughout the season. | |||
A man-of-the-match award is awarded to the player who has the greatest impact in an individual match. | |||
=== Player and manager awards === | |||
In addition to the winner's trophy and the individual ] awarded to players, the Premier League also awards the monthly ] and ] awards,<ref>{{cite news |title=Season review 2009/10 |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2049997,00.html |publisher=Premier League |date=13 May 2010 |accessdate=15 September 2010 }}</ref> as well as annual awards for ],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/tottenham/article7119984.ece|title=Tottenham Hotspur's Sir Harry Redknapp is Premier League manager of season|first=Richard|last=Neale|newspaper=The Times|date=7 May 2010|accessdate=15 September 2010}}</ref> ],<ref name=poty2010>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rooney-named-barclays-player-of-the-season-1970390.html|title=Rooney named Barclays Player of the Season|work=The Independent|date=10 May 2010|accessdate=7 August 2011}}</ref> ] and the ] awards.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2051839,00.html|title=Chelsea scoop hat-trick of Barclays awards|publisher=Premier League|date=13 May 2010|accessdate=15 September 2010}}</ref> | |||
Monthly awards are also given for the ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Season review 2009/10 |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2049997,00.html |publisher=Premier League |date=13 May 2010 |access-date=15 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516014728/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0%2C%2C12306~2049997%2C00.html |archive-date=16 May 2010 }}</ref> These are also issued annually for ],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/tottenham/article7119984.ece |title=Tottenham Hotspur's Sir Harry Redknapp is Premier League manager of season |first=Richard |last=Neale |newspaper=The Times |date=7 May 2010 |access-date=15 September 2010 |archive-date=31 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531025649/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/tottenham/article7119984.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> ]<ref name="poty2010">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rooney-named-barclays-player-of-the-season-1970390.html |title=Rooney named Barclays Player of the Season |work=The Independent |date=10 May 2010 |access-date=7 August 2011 |archive-date=1 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201041700/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rooney-named-barclays-player-of-the-season-1970390.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ]. The ] award is given to the most outstanding U-23 player starting from the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/1419796 |publisher=Premier League |date=10 October 2019 |access-date=7 August 2020 |title=TAG Heuer Young Player of the Season award launched |archive-date=10 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010173929/https://www.premierleague.com/news/1419796 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
=== 10 Seasons Awards === | |||
{{Main|Premier League 10 Seasons Awards}} | |||
] | |||
In 2003, the Premier League celebrated its first decade by holding the 10 Seasons Awards:<ref name=PremierLeague10SeasonsAwardsWinners17Apr03>{{cite web |url=http://tenseasons.premierleague.com/index.jsp |title=10 Seasons Awards Winners |publisher=Premier League |accessdate=7 September 2010 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20030417165131/http://tenseasons.premierleague.com/index.jsp |archivedate=17 April 2003}}</ref> | |||
The ] award is given to the top goalscorer of every season, the ] award is given to the player who makes the most assists of every season,<ref name="player award"/> and the ] award is given to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2051839,00.html |title=Chelsea scoop hat-trick of Barclays awards |publisher=Premier League |date=13 May 2010 |access-date=15 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516014748/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0%2C%2C12306~2051839%2C00.html |archive-date=16 May 2010 }}</ref> | |||
* ]: | |||
** '''Domestic''': ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
** '''Overseas''': ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
** '''Overall''': ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
Starting with the ], four new awards are given. The ] is awarded to the goalkeeper deemed to have made the most impressive save.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/3529351 |title=Premier League Castrol Game Changer of the Season award |publisher=Premier League |date=24 May 2024 |accessdate=23 August 2024}}</ref> The ] is earned by the player with the single most game-changing performance over the course of the campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/3529346 |title=Premier League Castrol Save of the Season award |publisher=Premier League |date=24 May 2024 |accessdate=23 August 2024}}</ref> The ] is given to the player whose goal-scoring shot had the highest average velocity from the time it was struck to the time it crossed the goal line, and the Most Improbable Comeback award is meant for the team that, based on calculations performed by ], goes behind and overcomes a deficit to win their respective match.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oracle.com/uk/premier-league/awards-analytics/ |title=Oracle Cloud data analysis informs two Premier League awards |publisher=Oracle |first=Rob |last=Preston |date=21 May 2024 |access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref> | |||
{{Col-begin}} | |||
From the ], players receive a milestone award for 100 appearances and every century there after and also players who score 50 goals and multiples thereof. Each player to reach these milestones is to receive a presentation box from the Premier League containing a special medallion and a plaque commemorating their achievement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/517445 |publisher=Premier League |date=24 April 2018 |access-date=16 May 2018 |title=Premier League Milestones celebrate players' success |archive-date=18 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118205552/https://www.premierleague.com/news/517445 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
{{Col-break}} | |||
===20 Seasons Awards=== | |||
* ] – ] | |||
{{further|Premier League 20 Seasons Awards|Premier League 10 Seasons Awards}} | |||
* ] – ] | |||
* ] – ], 17 August 1996, Wimbledon vs Manchester United | |||
* ] – ], 21 December 1997, Newcastle United vs Manchester United | |||
* ] – ], 3 April 1996 | |||
* ] – Phil Noble (]), 11 September 1999, Michael Owen of Liverpool miss against Manchester United | |||
* ] – ] of ] | |||
* ] – "I would love it if we beat them. Love it!", ], 29 April 1996 | |||
In 2012, the Premier League celebrated its second decade by holding the 20 Seasons Awards:<ref>{{cite news |title=20 Seasons Awards: The Winners |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/features/20-seasons-awards-winners.html |publisher=Premier League |date=15 May 2012 |access-date=15 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518075741/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/features/20-seasons-awards-winners.html |archive-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
{{Col-break}} | |||
* ] – ] | |||
* ] – ] | |||
* ] – ] | |||
* ] – ] (352) | |||
* ] – ] (130) | |||
* ] – ] (392) | |||
* ] – ], 15 December 2001, Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham | |||
* ] – ] (204) | |||
{{Col-end}} | |||
=== 20 Seasons Awards === | |||
{{Main|Premier League 20 Seasons Awards}} | |||
In 2012, the Premier League celebrated its second decade by holding the 20 Seasons Awards:<ref>{{Cite news |title=20 Seasons Awards: The Winners |url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/features/20-seasons-awards-winners.html |work=premierleague.com |publisher=Premier League |date=15 May 2012 |accessdate=15 May 2012 }}</ref> | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
** '''Panel Choice:''' ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | ** '''Panel Choice:''' ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | ||
** '''Public Vote:''' Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Tony Adams, ], Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, ], Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer | ** '''Public Vote:''' Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Tony Adams, ], Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, ], Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer | ||
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}} | |||
{{Col-begin}} | |||
{{Col-break}} | |||
* ]: ] | * ]: ] | ||
* ]: Ryan Giggs | * ]: ] | ||
* ]: ] | * ]: ] (652) | ||
* ]: ] | |||
* ]: "I would love it if we beat them. Love it!" – ], 29 April 1996 | |||
* ]: ], 18 December 2010, ] vs ] | |||
* ]: ], 12 February 2011, Manchester United vs ] | |||
{{Col-break}} | |||
* ]: ], 20 September 2009 | |||
* ]: ], 21 December 1996, Manchester United vs Sunderland | |||
* ]: ] (598) | |||
* ]: ] (260) | * ]: ] (260) | ||
* ]: ] (173) | * ]: ] (173) | ||
* ]: ], ], ], ], ] |
* ]: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] | ||
* ]: ], 12 February 2011, ] vs ] | |||
{{Col-end}} | |||
* ]: ], 18 December 2010, ] vs ] | |||
* ]: ] | |||
==Premier League clubs in international competition== | |||
{{div col end}} | |||
{{Main|Premier League clubs in international performance}} | |||
Between the 1992–93 season and the 2012–13 season, Premier League clubs had won the ] four times (as well as supplying five of the runners-up), behind Spain's ] with six wins, and Italy's ] with five wins, and ahead of, among others, Germany's ] with three wins (see table ]). The ] (or the FIFA Club World Championship, as it was originally called) has been won by Premier league clubs once (Manchester United in 2008),<ref name="FIFA 2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/japan2008/matches/round=252219/match=300073127/index.html |title=Red Devils rule in Japan |publisher=] |date=December 21, 2008 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref> and they have also been runners-up twice,<ref name="FIFA 2005" /><ref name="FIFA 2012" /> behind Brazil's '']'' with four wins,<ref name="FIFA 2005">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/japan2005/matches/round=47350600/match=47350007/index.html |title= Sao Paulo FC{{dash}}Liverpool FC |publisher=] |date=December 18, 2005 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FIFA 2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/matches/round=259327/match=300219235/index.html |title=Guerrero the hero as Corinthians crowned |publisher=] |date=December 16, 2012 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FIFA 2000">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/brazil2000/matches/round=3695/match=22236/index.html |title=Corinthians{{dash}}Vasco da Gama |publisher=] |date=January 14, 2000 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FIFA 2006">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/japan2006/matches/round=24830600/match=24830007/index.html |title=Sport Clube Internacional{{dash}}FC Barcelona |publisher=] |date=December 17, 2006 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref> and Spain's La Liga<ref name="FIFA 2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/uae2009/matches/round=252913/match=300111971/report.html |title=Club Estudiates de la Plata - FC Barcelona |publisher=] |date=December 19, 2009 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FIFA 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/japan2011/matches/round=257437/match=300180901/index.html |title=Santos humbled by brilliant Barcelona |publisher='] |date=December 18, 2011 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref> and Italy's Serie A<ref name="FIFA 2007">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/matches/round=249933/match=61295/report.html |title=Boca Juniors - AC Milan |publisher=] |date=December 16, 2007 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FIFA 2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/uae2010/matches/round=254488/match=300140542/index.html |title=Internazionale on top of the world |publisher=] |date=December 18, 2010 |accessdate=March 6, 2013 }}</ref> with two wins each (see table ]). | |||
== |
==See also== | ||
{{ |
{{portal bar|Association football|English football|Sports}} | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] (highest league of women's football in England) | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
{{clear}} | |||
* ] | |||
== |
==Notes== | ||
{{ |
{{reflist|group=z}} | ||
;Bibliography | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist|30em|refs= | |||
<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=UEFA Champions League Finals 1956–2021 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec1stats.html |website=] |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-date=12 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812144813/https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec1stats.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":1">{{cite news |date=12 October 2016 |title=Why UK fans will not be able to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/barcelona-vs-real-madrid-el-clasico-why-uk-fans-will-not-be-able-to-watch-a7357431.html |archive-date=7 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807070900/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/barcelona-vs-real-madrid-el-clasico-why-uk-fans-will-not-be-able-to-watch-a7357431.html |url-status=live |access-date=6 August 2017}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":2">{{cite news |title=Harry Maguire: Man Utd sign Leicester defender for world record £80m |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49224905 |website=BBC Sport |archive-date=5 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805114203/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49224905 |url-status=live |access-date=5 August 2019}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":3">{{cite news |title=Transferts : Harry Maguire, le défenseur le plus cher de l'histoire, à Manchester United pour six ans |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-harry-maguire-le-defenseur-le-plus-cher-de-l-histoire-a-manchester-united-pour-six-ans/1046398 |publisher=L'Equipe |language=fr |archive-date=9 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409230240/https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-harry-maguire-le-defenseur-le-plus-cher-de-l-histoire-a-manchester-united-pour-six-ans/1046398 |url-status=live |access-date=5 August 2019}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":4">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40550934 |title=Romelu Lukaku: Man Utd sign Everton striker for initial £75m on five year deal |website=BBC Sport |date=10 July 2017 |archive-date=13 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613033315/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40550934 |url-status=live |access-date=30 August 2018}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":5">{{cite news |title=Romelu Lukaku signs for Man United to complete switch from Everton |publisher=ESPN |date=10 July 2017 |url=http://www.espnfc.com/story/3155113/romelu-lukaku-signs-for-manchester-united-to-complete-everton-switch |archive-date=12 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712063810/http://www.espnfc.com/story/3155113/romelu-lukaku-signs-for-manchester-united-to-complete-everton-switch |url-status=live |access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":6">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/10/romelu-lukaku-completes-75m-manchester-united-move/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/10/romelu-lukaku-completes-75m-manchester-united-move/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Romelu Lukaku completes Manchester United move in deal that could reach world record £90m |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=10 July 2017 |first=James |last=Ducker |access-date=10 July 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=":7">{{cite news |title=Jack Grealish: Man City sign England midfielder from Aston Villa for £100m |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57818660 |website=BBC Sport |date=5 August 2021 |archive-date=5 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805233543/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57818660 |url-status=live |access-date=5 August 2021}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
'''Bibliography''' | |||
{{refbegin}} | {{refbegin}} | ||
* {{ |
* {{cite book |title=The Wimbledon We Have |last=Hammam |first=Sam |author-link=Sam Hammam |date=14 January 2000 |publisher=Wimbledon FC |location=London}} | ||
{{refend}} | {{refend}} | ||
== |
==External links== | ||
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|en|id|pt|es|th|zh}} | |||
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|Premier League.ogg|4 March 2007}} | |||
{{ |
*{{commons category-inline}} | ||
* {{Official website|http://www.premierleague.com/}} | |||
{{Premier League}} | |||
{{Navboxes | {{Navboxes | ||
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|list={{Premier League}} | |||
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{{Football in England table cells}} | |||
{{Men's football in England}} | |||
{{Football in the United Kingdom}} | {{Football in the United Kingdom}} | ||
{{UEFA leagues}} | {{UEFA leagues}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{ |
{{Authority control}} | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
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Latest revision as of 18:19, 9 January 2025
Association football league This article is about association football. For snooker, see Premier League Snooker.This article is about association football. For the Darts league, see Premier League Darts.Football league
Founded | 20 February 1992; 32 years ago (1992-02-20) |
---|---|
Country | England |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of clubs | 20 (since 1995–96) |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | EFL Championship |
Domestic cup(s) | |
League cup(s) | EFL Cup |
International cup(s) | |
Current champions | Manchester City (8th title) (2023–24) |
Most championships | Manchester United (13 titles) |
Most appearances | Gareth Barry (653) |
Top goalscorer | Alan Shearer (260) |
TV partners |
|
Website | premierleague.com |
Current: 2024–25 Premier League |
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL). Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away. Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.
The competition was founded as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992, following the decision of First Division (the top-tier league from 1888 until 1992) clubs to break away from the English Football League. However, teams may still be relegated to and promoted from the EFL Championship. The Premier League is a corporation managed by a chief executive, with member clubs acting as shareholders. The Premier League takes advantage of a £5 billion television rights deal, with Sky and BT Group securing the domestic rights to broadcast 128 and 32 games, respectively. This deal will rise to £6.7 billion for the four seasons from 2025 to 2029. The league is projected to earn $7.2 billion in overseas TV rights from 2022 to 2025. Clubs were apportioned central payment revenues of £2.4 billion in 2016–17, with a further £343 million in solidarity payments to EFL clubs.
The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. For the 2023–24 season, the average Premier League match attendance was 38,375, second to the German Bundesliga's 39,512, whilst aggregated attendance across all matches in a 38-game season is the highest of any association football league. Most stadium occupancies are near capacity. As of 2023, the Premier League is ranked first in the UEFA coefficient rankings based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons, ahead of Spain's La Liga. The English top-flight has produced the second-highest number of European Cup / UEFA Champions League titles, with a record six English clubs having won fifteen European championships in total.
Fifty-one clubs have competed in the Premier League since its inception in 1992: 49 from England and 2 from Wales. Seven of them have won the title: Manchester United (13), Manchester City (8), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Blackburn Rovers (1), Leicester City (1), and Liverpool (1). Only six clubs have played in every season to date: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
History
See also: List of Premier League seasonsOrigins
Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were deteriorating, supporters endured poor facilities, hooliganism was rife, and English clubs had been banned from European competition for five years following the Heysel Stadium disaster between the fans of Liverpool Football Club and the fans of Juventus in 1985. The Football League First Division, the top level of English football since 1888, was behind leagues such as Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga in attendance and revenues, and several top English players had moved abroad.
By the turn of the 1990s, the downward trend was starting to reverse. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, England reached the semi-finals; UEFA, European football's governing body, lifted the five-year ban on English clubs playing in European competitions in 1990, resulting in Manchester United lifting the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991. The Taylor Report on stadium safety standards, which proposed expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadiums in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster; between the fans of Liverpool and the fans of Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, Yorkshire on 15 April 1989, was published in January 1990.
During the 1980s, major English clubs began to transform into business ventures, applying commercial principles to club administration to maximise revenue. Martin Edwards of Manchester United, Irving Scholar of Tottenham Hotspur, and David Dein of Arsenal were among the leaders in this transformation. The commercial imperative led to the top clubs seeking to increase their power and revenue: the clubs in Division One threatened to break away from the Football League, and in doing so, they managed to increase their voting power and gain a more favourable financial arrangement, taking a 50% share of all television and sponsorship income in 1986. They demanded that television companies should pay more for their coverage of football matches, and revenue from television grew in importance. The Football League received £6.3 million for a two-year agreement in 1986, but by 1988, in a deal agreed with ITV, the price rose to £44 million over four years, with the leading clubs taking 75% of the cash. According to Scholar, who was involved in the negotiations of television deals, each of the First Division clubs received only around £25,000 per year from television rights before 1986, this increased to around £50,000 in the 1986 negotiation, then to £600,000 in 1988. The 1988 negotiations were conducted under the threat of ten clubs leaving to form a "super league", but they were eventually persuaded to stay, with the top clubs taking the lion's share of the deal. The negotiations also convinced the bigger clubs that, in order to receive enough votes, they needed to take the whole of the First Division with them instead of a smaller "super league". By the beginning of the 1990s, the big clubs again considered breaking away, especially now that they had to fund the cost of stadium upgrades as proposed by the Taylor Report.
In 1990, the managing director of London Weekend Television (LWT), Greg Dyke, met with the representatives of the "big five" football clubs in England (Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Arsenal) over a dinner. The meeting was to pave the way for a breakaway from the Football League. Dyke believed that it would be more lucrative for LWT if only the larger clubs in the country were featured on national television and wanted to establish whether the clubs would be interested in a larger share of television rights money. The five clubs agreed with the suggestion and decided to press ahead with it; however, the league would have no credibility without the backing of the Football Association, and so David Dein of Arsenal held talks to see whether the FA were receptive to the idea. The FA did not have an amicable relationship with the Football League at the time and considered it a way to weaken the Football League's position. The FA released a report in June 1991, Blueprint for the Future of Football, that supported the plan for the Premier League, with the FA as the ultimate authority that would oversee the breakaway league.
Founding and Manchester United dominance (1990s)
See also: Foundation of the Premier LeagueSeason | Champions | Runners-up |
---|---|---|
1992–93 | Manchester United | Aston Villa |
1993–94 | Manchester United | Blackburn Rovers |
1994–95 | Blackburn Rovers | Manchester United |
1995–96 | Manchester United | Newcastle United |
1996–97 | Manchester United | Newcastle United |
1997–98 | Arsenal | Manchester United |
1998–99 | Manchester United | Arsenal |
Double winners Treble winners |
At the close of the 1990–1991 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991, by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League. The newly formed top division was to have commercial independence from the Football Association and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe. Although Dyke played a significant role in the creation of the Premier League, he and ITV (of which LWT was part) lost out in the bidding for broadcast rights: BSkyB won with a bid of £304 million over five years, with the BBC awarded the highlights package broadcast on Match of the Day.
Luton Town, Notts County, and West Ham United were the three teams relegated from the old First Division at the end of the 1991–92 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Premier League season. They were replaced by Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough, and Blackburn Rovers, promoted from the old Second Division. The 22 First Division clubs resigned en masse from the Football League in 1992, and on 27 May that year, the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company, working out of an office at the Football Association's then headquarters in Lancaster Gate. The 22 inaugural members of the new Premier League were:
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Blackburn Rovers
- Chelsea
- Coventry City
- Crystal Palace
- Everton
- Ipswich Town
- Leeds United
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Middlesbrough
- Norwich City
- Nottingham Forest
- Oldham Athletic
- Queens Park Rangers
- Sheffield United
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Southampton
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Wimbledon
This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions; the Premier League would operate with a single division and the Football League with three. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Premier League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and Second Divisions, with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted.
The league held its first season in 1992–93. It was composed of 22 clubs for that season (reduced to 20 in the 1995–96 season). The first Premier League goal was scored by Brian Deane of Sheffield United in a 2–1 win against Manchester United.
Manchester United won the inaugural edition of the new league, ending a twenty-six year wait to be crowned champions of England. Bolstered by this breakthrough, United immediately became the competition's dominant team, winning seven of the first nine trophies, two League and FA Cup 'doubles' and a European treble, initially under a team of hardened veterans such as Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, and Eric Cantona, before Cantona, Bruce, and Roy Keane led a young, dynamic new team filled with the Class of 92, a group of young players including David Beckham who came through the Manchester United Academy.
Between 1993 and 1997, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United came close to challenging Manchester United's early dominance; Blackburn won the 1994–95 FA Premier League and Newcastle led the title charge over United for much of the 1995–96 season. As the decade closed, Arsenal replicated Manchester United's dominance by winning the League and FA Cup double in 1997–98, and together they would form a duopoly over the league between 1997 and 2003.
Emergence of the "Big Four" (2000s)
Season | ARS | CHE | LIV | MUN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999–2000 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
2000–01 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
2001–02 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
2002–03 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
2003–04 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
2004–05 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
2005–06 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
2006–07 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
2007–08 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
2008–09 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Top four | 10 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
out of 10 | ||||
League champions Champions League group stage Champions League third qualifying / play-off round Champions League first qualifying round UEFA Cup / Europa League |
The 2000s saw the rise of Liverpool alongside the "Big 2", followed by Chelsea finally breaking the Arsenal–Man United duopoly by winning the league in 2004–05. The dominance of the so-called "Big Four" clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United – saw them finish at the top of the table for most of the decade, thereby guaranteeing qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Only three other clubs managed to qualify for the competition during this period: Newcastle United (2001–02 and 2002–03), Everton (2004–05), and Tottenham Hotspur (2009–10) – each occupying the final Champions League spot, with the exception of Newcastle in the 2002–03 season, who finished third.
Following the 2003–04 season, Arsenal acquired the nickname "The Invincibles" as they became the first and, to date, only club to complete a Premier League campaign without losing a single game.
In May 2008, Kevin Keegan stated that "Big Four" dominance threatened the division: "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world." Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said in defence: "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle, or at the bottom that make it interesting."
Between 2005 and 2012, there was a Premier League representative in seven of the eight Champions League finals, with only the "Big Four" clubs reaching that stage. Liverpool (2005), Manchester United (2008), and Chelsea (2012) won the competition during this period, with Arsenal (2006), Liverpool (2007), Chelsea (2008), and Manchester United (2009 and 2011) all losing Champions League finals. Leeds United were the only non-"Big Four" side to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, in the 2000–01 season. There were three Premier League teams in the Champions League semi-finals in 2006–07, 2007–08, and 2008–09, a feat only ever achieved five times (along with Serie A in 2002–03 and La Liga in 1999–2000).
Additionally, between the 1999–2000 and 2009–10 seasons, four Premier League sides reached the UEFA Cup or Europa League finals, with only Liverpool managing to win the competition in 2001. Arsenal (2000), Middlesbrough (2006), and Fulham (2010) all lost their finals.
Although the group's dominance was reduced to a degree after this period with the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham, in terms of all-time Premier League points won, they remain clear by some margin. As of the end of the 2021–22 season – the 30th season of the Premier League – Liverpool, in fourth place in the all-time points table, were over 300 points ahead of the next team, Tottenham Hotspur. They are also the only teams to maintain a winning average of over 50% throughout their entire Premier League tenures.
Emergence of the "Big Six" (2010s)
Main article: Big Six (Premier League)Season | ARS | CHE | LIV | MCI | MUN | TOT |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–10 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
2010–11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
2011–12 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
2012–13 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
2013–14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
2014–15 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
2015–16 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
2016–17 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
2017–18 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
2018–19 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
Top four | 7 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
Top six | 10 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
out of 10 | ||||||
League champions Champions League group stage Champions League play-off round Europa League |
The years following 2009 marked a shift from the "Big Four" with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City breaking into the top four places on a regular basis, turning the "Big Four" into the "Big Six". In the 2009–10 season, Tottenham finished fourth and became the first new team to finish in the top four since Everton five years prior. Criticism of the gap between an elite group of "super clubs" and the majority of the Premier League has continued, nevertheless, due to their increasing ability to spend more than the other Premier League clubs. Manchester City won the title in the 2011–12 season, becoming the first club outside the "Big Four" to win since Blackburn Rovers in the 1994–95 season. That season also saw two of the "Big Four" (Chelsea and Liverpool) finish outside the top four places for the first time since that season.
With only four UEFA Champions League qualifying places available in the league, greater competition for qualification now exists, albeit from a narrow base of six clubs. In the five seasons following the 2011–12 campaign, Manchester United and Liverpool both found themselves outside of the top four three times, whilst Chelsea finished 10th in the 2015–16 season. Arsenal finished 5th in 2016–17, ending their record run of 20 consecutive top-four finishes.
In the 2015–16 season, underdogs Leicester City won the Premier League. With 5000/1 odds of winning the league at the beginning of the season, Leicester became the first club outside the "Big Six" to win the Premier League since Blackburn Rovers in the 1994–95 season.
Off the pitch, the "Big Six" wield significant financial power and influence, with these clubs arguing that they should be entitled to a greater share of revenue due to the greater stature of their clubs globally and the attractive football they aim to play. Objectors argue that the egalitarian revenue structure in the Premier League helps to maintain a competitive league which is vital for its future success. The 2016–17 Deloitte Football Money League report showed the financial disparity between the "Big Six" and the rest of the division. All of the "Big Six" had revenues greater than €350 million, with Manchester United having the largest revenue in the league at €676.3 million. Leicester City was the closest club to the "Big Six" in terms of revenue, recording a figure of €271.1 million for that season – helped by participation in the Champions League. The eighth-largest revenue generator, West Ham – who did not play in European competition – had revenues of €213.3 million, less than half of those of the club with the fifth-largest revenue, Liverpool (€424.2 million). A substantial part of the clubs' revenue by then came from television broadcast deals, with the biggest clubs each taking from around £150 million to nearly £200 million in the 2016–17 season from such deals. In Deloitte's 2019 report, all the "Big Six" were in the top ten of the world's richest clubs.
Club | Top 6 finishes |
---|---|
Manchester City | 10 |
Tottenham Hotspur | 10 |
Arsenal | 10 |
Chelsea | 9 |
Manchester United | 9 |
Liverpool | 6 |
Everton | 2 |
Leicester City | 1 |
Newcastle United | 1 |
Southampton | 1 |
Aston Villa | 1 |
Manchester City dominance (2020s)
Season | ARS | CHE | LIV | MCI | MUN | TOT |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
2020–21 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
2021–22 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
2022–23 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
2023–24 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
Top four | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Top six | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
out of 5 | ||||||
League champions Champions League Europa League Conference League |
From the 2019–20 season, video assistant referees were used in the league. The 2019–20 season saw Liverpool win their first Premier League trophy, their first top-flight trophy in 30 years.
Project Big Picture was announced in October 2020 that described a plan to reunite the top Premier League clubs with the English Football League, proposed by leading Premier League clubs Manchester United and Liverpool. It has been criticised by the Premier League leadership and the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
On 26 April 2021, play was stopped during a match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace to allow players Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyaté to break Ramadan fast. It is believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a game was paused to allow Muslim players to eat and drink after the sun had set in accordance with the rules of the faith.
The 2022–23 season was the first to take a six-week break between November and December 2022 to allow for the first winter World Cup, with a return for the Boxing Day fixtures. The Premier League players decided to take the knee at selected "significant moments". They assured to "remain resolutely committed to eradicate racial prejudice". That season was notable for Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion breaking the traditional "Big Six" as they finished fourth and sixth, respectively, whilst "Big Six" teams Tottenham and Chelsea finished eighth and twelfth. Meanwhile, 2015–16 champions Leicester City were relegated, becoming the second league-winning club to suffer relegation since 1992, after Blackburn Rovers in the 2011–12 season.
In the 2023–24 season, Manchester City won the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years to become the first top-flight team to win four consecutive league titles in English football history. Meanwhile, non-Big Six club Aston Villa finished fourth and qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.
Club | Top 6 finishes |
---|---|
Liverpool | 5 |
Manchester City | 5 |
Manchester United | 4 |
Chelsea | 4 |
Arsenal | 3 |
Tottenham Hotspur | 3 |
Leicester City | 2 |
Aston Villa | 1 |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 1 |
Newcastle United | 1 |
West Ham United | 1 |
Corporate structure
The Football Association Premier League Ltd (FAPL) is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a shareholder, with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts. The clubs select a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to oversee the daily operations of the league. The Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Premier League, but has veto power as a special shareholder during the election of the chairman and chief executive and when new rules are adopted by the league.
The current chief executive is Richard Masters, who was appointed in December 2019. The chair is currently Alison Brittain, who took over the role in early 2023.
The Premier League sends representatives to UEFA's European Club Association, the number of clubs and the clubs themselves chosen according to UEFA coefficients. For the 2023–24 season, the Premier League has 13 representatives in the Association: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The European Club Association is responsible for electing three members to UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, which is involved in the operations of UEFA competitions such as the Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
Office | No. | Name | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|
Chief Executive | 1 | Rick Parry | 1991–1997 |
2 | Richard Scudamore | 1999–2018 | |
3 | Richard Masters | 2019– | |
Chair | 1 | Sir John Quinton | 1991–1999 |
2 | Dave Richards | 1999–2013 | |
3 | Anthony Fry | 2013–2014 | |
4 | Richard Scudamore | 2014–2018 | |
5 | Gary Hoffman | 2020–2022 | |
6 | Alison Brittain | 2023– |
Criticism of governance
The Premier League has faced criticism of its governance due to an alleged lack of transparency and accountability.
Following the Premier League's blocking of the attempted takeover of Newcastle United by a PIF-backed consortium through the league's Owners' and Directors' test, many MPs, Newcastle United fans and related parties to the deal denounced the Premier League for its perceived lack of transparency and accountability throughout the process. On 6 July 2021, consortium member Amanda Staveley of PCP Capital Partners said that "fans surely deserve absolute transparency from the regulators across all their processes – to best ensure that they act responsibly. They (the Premier League) are performing a function like that of a government regulator – but without the same systems for accountability."
On 22 July 2021, Tracey Crouch MP – chair of the fan-led review into the UK's football governance – announced in the review's interim findings that the Premier League had "lost the trust and confidence" of fans. The review also recommended that a new independent regulator be created to oversee matters such as club takeovers.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters had earlier spoken out against the implementation of an independent regulator, saying in May 2021, "I don't think that the independent regulator is the answer to the question. I would defend the Premier League's role as regulator of its clubs over the past 30 years."
Competition format
–Antonio Conte, on the competitiveness of the Premier League.is very tough and is different. If you compare this league to another league, it's like playing another sport.
–Luis SuarezIn you never really know what is going to happen, there is very little between the teams.
Competition
There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, the head-to-head record between the tied teams is taken into consideration (points scored in the matches between the teams, followed by away goals in those matches.) If two teams are still tied, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.
Promotion and relegation
A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Premier League and the EFL Championship. The three lowest placed teams in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship, and the top two teams from the Championship promoted to the Premier League, with an additional team promoted after a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs. The number of clubs was reduced from 22 to 20 in 1995, when four teams were relegated from the league and only two teams promoted. The top flight had only been expanded to 22 teams at the start of the 1991–92 season – the year prior to the formation of the Premier League.
On 8 June 2006, FIFA requested that all major European leagues, including Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga, be reduced to 18 teams by the start of the 2007–08 season. The Premier League responded by announcing their intention to resist such a reduction. Ultimately, the 2007–08 season kicked off again with 20 teams.
Video Assistant Referee
Video assistant referee (VAR), was introduced to the Premier League at the beginning of the 2019–20 season. It uses technology and officials to assist the referee in making decisions on the pitch. However, its use has been met with mixed receptions from fans and pundits, with some praising its accuracy whilst others criticise its impact on the flow of the game and consistency of decision-making.
The on-field referee still makes the final decision, but VAR can assist the referee in the decision-making process. VAR can only be used for four types of decisions: goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents, and cases of mistaken identity. VAR officials review the video footage and communicate with the on-field referee via a headset. The VAR officials are located in a central control room, which is equipped with multiple camera angles and the ability to replay footage at various speeds.
A study evaluating fan reception of VAR in the Premier League was made by Otto Kolbinger and Melanie Knopp and was done by analysing Twitter data. The researchers used sentiment analysis to measure the overall positive or negative attitudes towards VAR, as well as topic modelling to identify specific issues that fans are discussing related to VAR. The study found that the reception of VAR on Twitter is largely negative, with fans expressing frustration and criticism of the technology's impact on the flow of the game and the inconsistency of decisions. The researchers also identified specific issues, such as handball and offside decisions, that fans are particularly critical of. The study concludes that VAR has not been well received by fans in the Premier League, and that efforts to improve the technology and increase transparency in decision-making are needed to address these concerns.
Clubs
Main article: List of Premier League clubs See also: Performance record of clubs in the Premier League and All-time Premier League tableFifty-one clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992, up to and including the 2023–24 season.
Champions
See also: List of English football championsClub | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
---|---|---|---|
Manchester United | 13 | 7 | 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
Manchester City | 8 | 3 | 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17 |
Arsenal | 3 | 8 | 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04 |
Liverpool | 1 | 5 | 2019–20 |
Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1 | 1994–95 |
Leicester City | 1 | 0 | 2015–16 |
Titles won by club (%)
Manchester United– 13 (40.6%) Manchester City - 8 (25.0%) Chelsea – 5 (15.7%) Arsenal – 3 (9.4%) Liverpool - 1 (3.1%) Blackburn Rovers - 1 (3.1%) Leicester City - 1 (3.1%)Italics indicate former Premier League champions that are currently outside the Premier League.
2024–25 season
Twenty clubs are competing in the 2024–25 season – top seventeen from the previous season and three promoted from the Championship.
2024–25 Club |
2023–24 Position |
First season in top division |
First season in Premier League |
Seasons in top division |
Seasons in Premier League |
First season of current spell in top division |
No. of seasons of current spell in Premier League |
Top division titles |
Most recent top division title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arsenal | 2nd | 1904–05 | 1992–93 | 108 | 33 | 1919–20 (99 seasons) | 33 | 13 | 2003–04 |
Aston Villa | 4th | 1888–89 | 1992–93 | 111 | 30 | 2019–20 (6 seasons) | 6 | 7 | 1980–81 |
Bournemouth | 12th | 2015–16 | 2015–16 | 8 | 8 | 2022–23 (3 seasons) | 3 | 0 | – |
Brentford | 16th | 1935–36 | 2021–22 | 9 | 4 | 2021–22 (4 seasons) | 4 | 0 | – |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 11th | 1979–80 | 2017–18 | 12 | 8 | 2017–18 (8 seasons) | 8 | 0 | – |
Chelsea | 6th | 1907–08 | 1992–93 | 90 | 33 | 1989–90 (36 seasons) | 33 | 6 | 2016–17 |
Crystal Palace | 10th | 1969–70 | 1992–93 | 25 | 16 | 2013–14 (12 seasons) | 12 | 0 | – |
Everton | 15th | 1888–89 | 1992–93 | 122 | 33 | 1954–55 (71 seasons) | 33 | 9 | 1986–87 |
Fulham | 13th | 1949–50 | 2001–02 | 30 | 18 | 2022–23 (3 seasons) | 3 | 0 | – |
Ipswich Town | 2nd (EFL) | 1961–62 | 1992–93 | 27 | 6 | 2024–25 (1 season) | 1 | 1 | 1961–62 |
Leicester City | 1st (EFL) | 1955–56 | 1994–95 | 56 | 18 | 2024–25 (1 season) | 1 | 1 | 2015–16 |
Liverpool | 3rd | 1894–95 | 1992–93 | 110 | 33 | 1962–63 (63 seasons) | 33 | 19 | 2019–20 |
Manchester City | 1st | 1899–1900 | 1992–93 | 96 | 28 | 2002–03 (23 seasons) | 23 | 10 | 2023–24 |
Manchester United | 8th | 1892–93 | 1992–93 | 100 | 33 | 1975–76 (50 seasons) | 33 | 20 | 2012–13 |
Newcastle United | 7th | 1898–99 | 1993–94 | 93 | 30 | 2017–18 (8 seasons) | 8 | 4 | 1926–27 |
Nottingham Forest | 17th | 1892–93 | 1992–93 | 59 | 8 | 2022–23 (3 seasons) | 3 | 1 | 1977–78 |
Southampton | 4th playoffs (EFL) | 1966–67 | 1992–93 | 47 | 25 | 2024–25 (1 season) | 1 | 0 | – |
Tottenham Hotspur | 5th | 1909–10 | 1992–93 | 90 | 33 | 1978–79 (47 seasons) | 33 | 2 | 1960–61 |
West Ham United | 9th | 1923–24 | 1993–94 | 67 | 29 | 2012–13 (13 seasons) | 13 | 0 | – |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 14th | 1888–89 | 2003–04 | 70 | 11 | 2018–19 (7 seasons) | 7 | 3 | 1958–59 |
- Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United were relegated to the EFL Championship for the 2024–25 season, whilst Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton, as winners, runners-up and play-off final winners, respectively, were promoted from the 2023–24 season.
- Only two clubs have remained in the Premier League since their first promotion: Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, who have been in 4 and 8 season(s) (out of 33), respectively.
- ^ Founding member of the Premier League
- ^ Never been relegated from the Premier League
- Reduced from 106 seasons due to WW2.
- ^ One of the original twelve Football League teams
LondonAston VillaBournemouthBrighton & Hove AlbionIpswich TownLeicester CityEvertonLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSouthamptonWolverhampton WanderersLondon teams: Arsenal Brentford Chelsea Crystal Palace Fulham Tottenham Hotspur West Ham Unitedclass=notpageimage| Locations of the 2024–25 Premier League clubs ArsenalBrentfordChelseaCrystal PalaceFulhamTottenham HotspurWest Ham Unitedclass=notpageimage| Location of clubs around Greater London for the 2024–25 Premier League
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Non-English clubs
See also: List of association football clubs playing in the league of another countryIn 2011, after Swansea City gained promotion, a Welsh club participated in the Premier League for the first time. The first Premier League match to be played outside England was Swansea City's home match at Liberty Stadium against Wigan Athletic on 20 August 2011. The number of Welsh clubs in the Premier League increased to two in 2013–14, as Cardiff City gained promotion, but they were relegated after their maiden season. Cardiff were promoted again in 2017–18 but the number of Welsh clubs remained the same for the 2018–19 Premier League season, as Swansea City had been relegated from the Premier League in 2017–18. Following Cardiff City's relegation after the 2018–19 season, there are currently no Welsh clubs participating in the Premier League.
Because they are members of the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the question of whether clubs like Swansea should represent England or Wales in European competitions has caused long-running discussions in UEFA. Swansea took one of England's three available places in the Europa League in 2013–14 by winning the League Cup in 2012–13. The right of Welsh clubs to take up such English places was in doubt until UEFA clarified the matter in March 2012, allowing them to participate.
Participation in the Premier League by some Scottish or Irish clubs has sometimes been discussed, but without result. The idea came closest to reality in 1998, when Wimbledon received Premier League approval to relocate to Dublin, Ireland, but the move was blocked by the Football Association of Ireland. Additionally, the media occasionally discusses the idea that Scotland's two biggest teams, Celtic and Rangers, should or will take part in the Premier League, but nothing has come of these discussions.
International competitions
Qualification for European competitions
See also: UEFA coefficient § Men's association coefficientQualification criteria for 2024–25
See also: 2024–25 UEFA Champions League § Association team allocationThe top four teams in the Premier League qualify automatically for the subsequent season's UEFA Champions League league phase. The champions of the Champions League and UEFA Europa League may earn an additional qualification for the subsequent season's Champions League league phase if did not finish in the top four. If this means six Premier League teams qualify, then the fourth-placed team in the Premier League is instead entered in the Europa League, as any single nation is limited to a maximum of five teams in the Champions League. However, starting from the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League there are additional berths for the two best associations in the previous season's ranking, which may result in a maximum of six teams from one association in the Champions League.
The fifth-placed team in the Premier League, as well as the winners of the FA Cup, qualify for the subsequent season's Europa League league phase, but if the winner of the FA Cup also finishes in the top five places in the Premier League or has won one of UEFA's major tournaments, then this place reverts to the team that finished sixth. The winner of the EFL Cup qualifies for the subsequent season's UEFA Conference League, but if the winner had already qualified for a UEFA competition via their performance in another competition, then this place reverts to the team that finished sixth in the Premier League, or seventh if the FA Cup result had already caused the sixth-placed team to qualify.
The number of places allocated to English clubs in UEFA competitions is dependent upon the position the country holds in the UEFA coefficient rankings, which are calculated based on the performance of teams in UEFA competitions over the previous five years. Currently, England is ranked first, ahead of Spain.
As of 26 September 2024, the coefficients for are as follows (only top five European leagues are shown):
Ranking | Member association (L: League, C: Cup, LC: League Cup) |
Coefficient | Teams | Regular places in 2026–27 season | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 2024 | Mvmt | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | Total | CL | EL | CO | Total | ||
1 | 1 | – | England (L, C, LC) | 24.357 | 21.000 | 23.000 | 17.375 | 4.857 | 90.589 | 7/7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
2 | 2 | – | Italy (L, C) | 16.285 | 15.714 | 22.357 | 21.000 | 4.875 | 80.231 | 8/8 | ||||
3 | 3 | – | Spain (L, C) | 19.500 | 18.428 | 16.571 | 16.062 | 4.571 | 75.132 | 7/7 | ||||
4 | 4 | – | Germany (L, C) | 15.214 | 16.214 | 17.125 | 19.357 | 5.000 | 72.910 | 8/8 | ||||
5 | 5 | – | France (L, C) | 7.916 | 18.416 | 12.583 | 16.250 | 5.214 | 60.379 | 6/7 |
- Number of teams still active from association in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League.
- European Performance Spots: The two associations with the highest one-year coefficient in the most recent season are awarded an additional berth in the Champions League league phase.
- The champion of the league cup of England is given a place in the UEFA Conference League by special permission from UEFA (replacing the lowest-ranked league team which would have qualified).
Previous seasons
An exception to the usual European qualification system happened in 2005, after Liverpool won the Champions League the season before, but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the Premier League. UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers. The governing body subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this meant that if the Champions League winners finished outside the top four in its domestic league, it would qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed team. At that time, no association could have more than four entrants in the Champions League. This occurred in 2012, when Chelsea – who had won the Champions League that summer, but finished sixth in the league – qualified for the 2012–13 Champions League in place of Tottenham Hotspur, who went into the Europa League.
From 2015–16, the Europa League champions qualify for the Champions League, increasing the maximum number of participants per country to five. This took effect in England in 2016–17, when Manchester United finished sixth in the Premier League and won the Europa League, giving England five Champions League entrants for 2017–18. In these instances, any Europa League berth vacated is not handed down to the next-best Premier League finisher outside of a qualifying place. If both Champions League and Europa League winners are of the same association and both finish outside the top four, then the fourth-placed team is transferred to the Europa League.
Performance in international competition
Main article: English football clubs in international competitionsWith 48 continental trophies won, English clubs are the third-most successful in European football, behind Italy (50) and Spain (67). In the top-tier UEFA Champions League, a record six English clubs have won a total of 15 titles and lost a further 11 finals, behind Spanish clubs with 20 and 11, respectively. In the second-tier UEFA Europa League, English clubs are third, with nine victories and eight losses in the finals. In the former second-tier UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, English teams won a record eight titles and had a further five finalists. In the non-UEFA organised Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, English clubs provided four winners and four runners-up, the second-most behind Spain with six and three, respectively. In the newly created third-tier UEFA Conference League, English clubs have won a joint-record one title so far. In the former fourth-tier UEFA Intertoto Cup, England won four titles and had a further final appearance, placing it fifth in the rankings, although English clubs were notorious for treating the tournament with disdain, either sending "B" squads or withdrawing from it altogether. In the one-off UEFA Super Cup, England has ten winners and ten runners-up, the second-most behind Spain with 17 and 15, respectively. Similarly to the Intertoto Cup, English teams did not take the former Intercontinental Cup seriously enough, despite its international status of the Club World Championship. They a made a total of six appearances in the one-off competition, winning only one of them, and withdrew a further three times. English clubs have won the FIFA-organised Club World Cup four times, tied for the second-most with Brazil, and behind only Spain, with eight.
Sponsorship
See also: English football sponsorshipAfter an inaugural season with no sponsorship, the Premier League was sponsored by Carling from 1993 until 2001, during which time it was known as the FA Carling Premiership. In 2001, a new sponsorship deal with Barclaycard saw the league rebranded the FA Barclaycard Premiership, which was changed to the FA Barclays Premiership in time for the 2004–05 season.
For the 2007–08 season, the league was rebranded the Barclays Premier League.
Period | Sponsor | Brand |
---|---|---|
1992–1993 | No sponsor | FA Premier League |
1993–2001 | Carling | FA Carling Premiership |
2001–2004 | Barclaycard | FA Barclaycard Premiership |
2004–2007 | Barclays | FA Barclays Premiership |
2007–2016 | Barclays Premier League | |
2016–present | No sponsor | Premier League |
Barclays' deal with the Premier League expired at the end of the 2015–16 season. The organisation announced on 4 June 2015 that it would not pursue any further title sponsorship deals for the Premier League, arguing that they wanted to build a "clean" brand for the competition more in line with those of major U.S. sports leagues.
As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Premier League has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Nike who have had the contract since the 2000–01 season when they took over from Mitre. Under its Merlin brand, Topps held the licence to produce collectables for the Premier League between 1994 and 2019 including stickers (for their sticker album) and trading cards. Launched in the 2007–08 season, Topps' Match Attax, the official Premier League trading card game, is the best selling boys collectable in the UK, and is also the biggest selling sports trading card game in the world. In October 2018, Panini were awarded the licence to produce collectables from the 2019–20 season. The chocolate company Cadbury has been the official snack partner of the Premier League since 2017, and sponsored the Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Playmaker of the Season awards from the 2017–18 season to 2019–20 season. The Coca-Cola Company (under its Coca-Cola Zero Sugar product line) sponsored these awards during the 2020–21 season with Castrol being the current sponsor as of the 2021–22 season.
Finances
See also: List of Premier League football club ownersThe Premier League has the highest revenue of any association football league in the world, with total club revenues of €2.48 billion in 2009–10. In 2013–14, due to improved television revenues and cost controls, the Premier League clubs collectively made a net profit in excess of £78 million, exceeding all other football leagues. In 2010 the Premier League was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category for its outstanding contribution to international trade and the value it brings to English football and the United Kingdom's broadcasting industry.
The Premier League includes some of the richest football clubs in the world. Deloitte's "Football Money League" listed seven Premier League clubs in the top 20 for the 2009–10 season, and all 20 clubs were in the top 40 globally by the end of the 2013–14 season, largely as a result of increased broadcasting revenue. In 2019, the league generated around £3.1 billion per year in domestic and international television rights.
Premier League clubs agreed in principle in December 2012, to radical new cost controls. The two proposals consist of a break-even rule and a cap on the amount clubs can increase their wage bill by each season. With the new television deals on the horizon, momentum has been growing to find ways of preventing the majority of the cash going straight to players and agents.
Central payments for the 2016–17 season amounted to £2,398,515,773 across the 20 clubs, with each team receiving a flat participation fee of £35,301,989 and additional payments for TV broadcasts (£1,016,690 for general UK rights to match highlights, £1,136,083 for each live UK broadcast of their games and £39,090,596 for all overseas rights), commercial rights (a flat fee of £4,759,404) and a notional measure of "merit" which was based upon final league position. The merit component was a nominal sum of £1,941,609 multiplied by each finishing place, counted from the foot of the table (e.g., Burnley finished 16th in May 2017, five places counting upwards, and received 5 × £1,941,609 = £9,708,045 merit payment).
Relegation
See also: Premier League–Football League gulf and Premier League parachute and solidarity paymentsSince its split with the Football League, established clubs in the Premier League have a funding disparity from counterparts in lower leagues. Revenue from television rights between the leagues has played a part in this.
Promoted teams have found it difficult to avoid relegation in their first Premier League season. One Premier League newcomer has been relegated back to the Football League every season, save the 2001–02, 2011–12, 2017–18 & 2022–23 seasons. In the 1997–98 and 2023–24 seasons, all three promoted clubs were relegated by the season's end.
The Premier League distributes a portion of its television revenue as "parachute payments" to relegated clubs for adjustment to television revenue loss. The average Premier League team receives £41 million whilst the average Championship club receives £2 million. Starting with the 2013–14 season, these payments are in excess of £60 million over four seasons. Critics maintain that the payments widen the gap between teams that have reached the Premier League and those that have not, leading to the common occurrence of teams "bouncing back" soon after their relegation.
Clubs which have failed to win immediate promotion back to the Premier League have seen financial problems, in some cases administration or liquidation. Further relegations down the footballing ladder have occurred for multiple clubs unable to cope with the gap.
Media coverage
See also: English football on television, List of Premier League broadcasters, and Broadcasting and the foundation of the Premier LeagueUnited Kingdom and Ireland
Seasons | Sky | Others | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992–2001 | 60 | – | 60 | |||
2001–2004 | 110 | 110 | ||||
2004–2007 | 138 | 138 | ||||
2007–2009 | 92 | Setanta | 46 | – | 138 | |
2009–2010 | 92 | ESPN | 46 | 138 | ||
2010–2013 | 115 | ESPN | 23 | 138 | ||
2013–2016 | 116 | TNT | 38 | 154 | ||
2016–2019 | 126 | 42 | 168 | |||
2019–2025 | 128 | 52 | Amazon | 20 | 200 |
Television has played a major role in the history of the Premier League. The League's decision to assign broadcasting rights to Sky in 1992 was at the time a radical decision, but one that has paid off. At the time, paid television was an almost untested proposition in the UK market as was charging fans to watch live televised football. However, a combination of Sky's strategy, the quality of Premier League football and the public's appetite for the game has seen the value of the Premier League's TV rights soar.
The Premier League sells its television rights on a collective basis. This is in contrast to some other European leagues, including La Liga, in which each club sells its rights individually, leading to a much higher share of the total income going to the top few clubs. The money is divided into three parts: half is divided equally between the clubs; one quarter is awarded on a merit basis based on final league position, the top club getting twenty times as much as the bottom club, and equal steps all the way down the table; the final quarter is paid out as facilities fees for games that are shown on television, with the top clubs generally receiving the largest shares of this. The income from overseas rights is divided equally between the twenty clubs.
Not all Premier League matches are televised in the United Kingdom, as the league upholds the long-standing prohibition on telecasts of any association football match (domestic or otherwise) that kicks off between 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Saturday matchdays.
The first Sky television rights agreement was worth £304 million over five seasons. The next contract, negotiated to start from the 1997–98 season, rose to £670 million over four seasons. The third contract was a £1.024 billion deal with BSkyB for the three seasons from 2001 to 2004. The league brought in £320 million from the sale of its international rights for the three-year period from 2004 to 2007. It sold the rights itself on a territory-by-territory basis. Sky's monopoly was broken from August 2006 when Setanta Sports was awarded rights to show two out of the six packages of matches available. This occurred following an insistence by the European Commission that exclusive rights should not be sold to one television company. Sky and Setanta paid £1.7 billion, a two-thirds increase which took many commentators by surprise as it had been widely assumed that the value of the rights had levelled off following many years of rapid growth. Setanta also hold rights to a live 3 pm match solely for Irish viewers. The BBC retained the rights to show highlights for the same three seasons (on Match of the Day) for £171.6 million, a 63 per cent increase on the £105 million it paid for the previous three-year period. Sky and BT Group (via its new channel BT Sport, now TNT Sports) agreed to jointly pay £84.3 million for delayed television rights to 242 games (that is the right to broadcast them in full on television and over the internet) in most cases for a period of 50 hours after 10 p.m. on matchday. Overseas television rights fetched £625 million, nearly double the previous contract. The total raised from those deals was more than £2.7 billion, giving Premier League clubs an average media income from league games of around £40 million-a-year from 2007 to 2010.
The TV rights agreement between the Premier League and Sky faced accusations of being a cartel, and a number of court cases arose as a result. An investigation by the Office of Fair Trading in 2002 found BSkyB to be dominant within the pay TV sports market, but concluded that there were insufficient grounds for the claim that BSkyB had abused its dominant position. In July 1999 the Premier League's method of selling rights collectively for all member clubs was investigated by the UK Restrictive Practices Court, which concluded that the agreement was not contrary to the public interest.
The BBC's highlights package on Saturday and Sunday nights, as well as other evenings when fixtures justify, ran until 2016. Television rights alone for the period 2010 to 2013 were purchased for £1.782 billion. On 22 June 2009, due to troubles encountered by Setanta Sports after it failed to meet a final deadline over a £30 million payment to the Premier League, ESPN was awarded two packages of UK rights containing 46 matches that were available for the 2009–10 season as well as a package of 23 matches per season from 2010 to 2013. On 13 June 2012, the Premier League announced that BT had been awarded 38 games a season for the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year. The remaining 116 games were retained by Sky, which paid £760 million-a-year. The total domestic rights raised £3.018 billion, an increase of 70.2% over the 2010–11 to 2012–13 rights. The value of the licensing deal rose by another 70.2% in 2015, when Sky and BT paid £5.136 billion to renew their contracts with the Premier League for another three years up to the 2018–19 season.
A new rights cycle began in the 2019–20 season, with the domestic package increasing to 200 matches overall; in February 2018, BT were awarded the package of 32 lunchtime fixtures on Saturdays, whilst Sky was awarded four of the seven packages, covering the majority of weekend fixtures (including eight new prime time fixtures on Saturdays), as well as Monday and Friday matches. Two remaining packages of 20 fixtures each were to be sold at a later date, including three rounds of mid-week fixtures and a bank holiday round. As Sky already owned the maximum number of matches it could hold without breaching a 148-match cap, it was speculated that at least one of the new packages could go to a new entrant, such as a streaming service. The five packages sold to BT and Sky were valued at £4.464 billion. In June 2018, it was announced that Amazon Prime Video and BT had acquired the remaining two packages; Amazon acquired rights to 20 matches per-season, covering a mid-week round in December, and all Boxing Day fixtures. The Amazon telecasts are produced in association with Sunset + Vine and BT Sport.
With the resumption of play in the 2019–20 Premier League due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the Premier League announced that all remaining matches would be carried on British television, split primarily across Sky, BT, and Amazon. A large number of these matches were also scheduled for free-to-air broadcasts, with Sky airing 25 on Pick, Amazon streaming its four matches on Twitch, and the BBC – for the first time in league history – carrying four live matches.
As matches would continue to be played without spectators upon the start of the 2020–21 Premier League, its clubs voted on 8 September to continue broadcasting all matches through at least September (with the BBC and Amazon each holding one additional match), and "appropriate arrangements" being made for October. It was later announced that matches not selected for broadcast would be carried on pay-per-view via BT Sport Box Office and Sky Box Office at a cost of £14.95 per-match. The PPV scheme was poorly received; the Football Supporters' Federation felt that the price was too high, and there were concerns that it could encourage piracy. There were calls from supporters to boycott the pay-per-views, and make donations to support charitable causes instead (with Newcastle's "Charity Not PPV" campaign raising £20,000 for a local food bank, and Arsenal fans raising £34,000 for Islington Giving). On 13 November, amid the reintroduction of measures across the UK, the Premier League officially announced that the non-televised matches would be assigned to its main broadcast partners, and again including additional matches for the BBC and Amazon Prime.
The next cycle of rights between 2022–23 and 2024–25 season was renewed without tender due to compelling and exceptional circumstances in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, rights remained as they were since the 2019–20 season.
UK highlights
Highlights programme | Duration | Channel |
---|---|---|
Match of the Day | 1992–2001 2004–present |
BBC |
The Premiership | 2001–2004 | ITV |
In August 2016, it was announced the BBC would be creating a new magazine-style show for the Premier League entitled The Premier League Show.
Worldwide
See also: List of Premier League overseas broadcastersThe Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. The Premier League's production arm, Premier League Productions, is operated by IMG Productions and produces content for its international television partners. On 22 November 2024, the Premier League announced plans to end its agreement with IMG and take Premier League Productions in-house beginning in 2026–27.
The Premier League is the most widely distributed sports programme in Asia. In the Indian subcontinent, the matches are broadcast live on STAR Sports. In MENA region, BeIN Sports holds exclusive rights to the Premier League. In China, the broadcast rights were awarded to iQiyi, Migu and CCTV that began in the 2021–22 season. SCTV broadcast the matches for Indonesia, and Astro for Malaysia. In Australia, Optus telecommunications holds exclusive rights to the Premier League, providing live broadcasts and online access (Fox Sports formerly held rights). As of the 2022–23 season, Canadian media rights to the Premier League are owned by FuboTV, after having been jointly owned by Sportsnet and TSN, and most recently DAZN.
The Premier League is broadcast in the United States by NBC Sports, a division of Sky parent Comcast. Acquiring the rights to the Premier League in 2013 (replacing Fox Soccer and ESPN), NBC Sports has been widely praised for its coverage. NBC Sports reached a six-year extension with the Premier League in 2015 to broadcast the league until the end of the 2021–22 season in a deal valued at $1 billion (£640 million). In November 2021, NBC reached another six-year extension through 2028 in a deal valued at $2.76 billion (£2 billion).
The Premier League is broadcast by SuperSport across sub-Saharan Africa. Broadcasters to continental Europe until 2025 include Canal+ for France, Sky Sport Germany for Germany and Austria, Match TV for Russia, Sky Sport Italy for Italy, Eleven Sports for Portugal, DAZN for Spain, beIN Sports Turkey to Turkey, Digi Sport for Romania, and NENT to Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark and Norway), Poland and the Netherlands. In South America, ESPN covers much of the continent, with coverage in Brazil shared between ESPN Brasil and ESPN4. Paramount+ broadcasts the league in Central America.
Stadiums
Main article: List of Premier League stadiumsAs of the 2023–24 season, Premier League football has been played in 61 stadiums since the formation of the division. The Hillsborough disaster in 1989 and the subsequent Taylor Report saw a recommendation that standing terraces should be abolished. As a result, all stadiums in the Premier League are all-seater. Since the formation of the Premier League, football grounds in England have seen constant improvements to capacity and facilities, with some clubs moving to new-build stadiums. Eleven stadiums that have seen Premier League football have now been demolished. The stadiums for the 2023–24 season show a large disparity in capacity. For example, Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, has a capacity of 74,031 whilst Dean Court, the home of Bournemouth, has a capacity of 11,307. The combined total capacity of the Premier League in the 2023–24 season is 787,002 with an average capacity of 39,350.
Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for Premier League clubs. For the 2022–23 season, average attendances across the league clubs were 40,235 for Premier League matches with an aggregate attendance of 15,289,340. This represents an increase of 19,109 from the average attendance of 21,126 recorded in the Premier League's first season (1992–93). However, during the 1992–93 season, the capacities of most stadiums were reduced as clubs replaced terraces with seats in order to meet the Taylor Report's 1994–95 deadline for all-seater stadiums. The 2022–23 season also set a competition record for total attendance with more than 15 million spectators, with average attendance also reaching record levels, surpassing the previous record of 39,989 set in the 2021–22 season, which in turn broke over 70 years old record set in 1948–49 season.
In October 2024 it was reported that the government is planning to grant the independent regulator authority to stop Premier League clubs from selling their stadiums to affiliated or third-party companies.
Managers
Pep Guardiola, on the quality of managers of Premier League teams. See also: List of Premier League managersI have never known this level before. Of course, there are managers in Germany, Italy, and Spain, but in the Premier League, these are the best managers, the elite managers. The quality, the preparation. The level is so high.
Managers in the Premier League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the ownership of the club and the relationship of the manager with fans. Managers are required to have a UEFA Pro Licence which is the final coaching qualification available, and follows the completion of the UEFA 'B' and 'A' Licences. The UEFA Pro Licence is required by every person who wishes to manage a club in the Premier League on a permanent basis (i.e., more than 12 weeks, the amount of time an unqualified caretaker manager is allowed to take control). Caretaker appointments are managers that fill the gap between a managerial departure and a new appointment. Several caretaker managers have gone on to secure a permanent managerial post after performing well as a caretaker, including Paul Hart at Portsmouth, David Pleat at Tottenham Hotspur and Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United.
Arsène Wenger is the longest-serving manager, having been in charge of Arsenal in the Premier League from 1996 to his departure at the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, and holds the record for most matches managed in the Premier League with 828, all with Arsenal. He broke the record set by Alex Ferguson, who had managed 810 matches with Manchester United from the Premier League's inception to his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season. Ferguson was in charge of Manchester United from November 1986 until his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season, meaning he was manager for the last five years of the old Football League First Division and all of the first 21 seasons of the Premier League.
Notably, since its creation the Premier League has never been won by an English manager.
There have been several studies into the reasoning behind, and effects of, managerial sackings. Most famously, Sue Bridgewater of the University of Liverpool and Bas ter Weel of the University of Amsterdam, performed two separate studies which helped to explain the statistics behind managerial sackings. Bridgewater's study found clubs generally sack their managers upon dropping below an average of one point per match.
Manager | Nationality | Club | Appointed | Time as manager |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pep Guardiola | Spain | Manchester City | 1 July 2016 | 8 years, 193 days |
Thomas Frank | Denmark | Brentford | 16 October 2018 | 6 years, 86 days |
Mikel Arteta | Spain | Arsenal | 20 December 2019 | 5 years, 21 days |
Marco Silva | Portugal | Fulham | 1 July 2021 | 3 years, 193 days |
Eddie Howe | England | Newcastle United | 8 November 2021 | 3 years, 63 days |
Kieran McKenna | Northern Ireland | Ipswich Town | 16 December 2021 | 3 years, 25 days |
Unai Emery | Spain | Aston Villa | 1 November 2022 | 2 years, 70 days |
Ange Postecoglou | Australia | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 June 2023 | 1 year, 218 days |
Andoni Iraola | Spain | Bournemouth | 19 June 2023 | 1 year, 205 days |
Nuno Espírito Santo | Portugal | Nottingham Forest | 20 December 2023 | 1 year, 21 days |
Oliver Glasner | Austria | Crystal Palace | 19 February 2024 | 326 days |
Arne Slot | Netherlands | Liverpool | 1 June 2024 | 223 days |
Enzo Maresca | Italy | Chelsea | 3 June 2024 | 221 days |
Fabian Hürzeler | Germany | Brighton & Hove Albion | 15 June 2024 | 209 days |
Ruben Amorim | Portugal | Manchester United | 11 November 2024 | 60 days |
Ruud van Nistelrooy | Netherlands | Leicester City | 29 November 2024 | 42 days |
Vítor Periera | Portugal | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 17 December 2024 | 24 days |
Ivan Jurić | Croatia | Southampton | 21 December 2024 | 20 days |
Graham Potter | England | West Ham United | 9 January 2025 | 1 day |
Vacant | Everton | 9 January 2025 | 1 day |
Players
See also: Premier League records and statistics § Player records, and List of Premier League winning playersAppearances
See also: List of footballers with 500 or more Premier League appearancesRank | Player | Apps |
---|---|---|
1 | Gareth Barry (ENG) | 653 |
2 | James Milner (ENG) | 637 |
3 | Ryan Giggs (WAL) | 632 |
4 | Frank Lampard (ENG) | 609 |
5 | David James (ENG) | 572 |
6 | Gary Speed (WAL) | 535 |
7 | Emile Heskey (ENG) | 516 |
8 | Mark Schwarzer (AUS) | 514 |
9 | Jamie Carragher (ENG) | 508 |
10 | Phil Neville (ENG) | 505 |
|
Transfer regulations and foreign players
See also: List of foreign Premier League players and List of foreign Premier League goalscorersPlayer transfers may only take place within transfer windows set by the Football Association. The two transfer windows run from the last day of the season to 31 August and from 31 December to 31 January. Player registrations cannot be exchanged outside these windows except under specific licence from the FA, usually on an emergency basis. As of the 2010–11 season, the Premier League introduced new rules mandating that each club must register a maximum 25-man squad of players aged over 21, with the squad list only allowed to be changed in transfer windows or in exceptional circumstances. This was to enable the "home grown" rule to be enacted, whereby the Premier League would also from 2010 require at least eight members of the named 25-man squad to be "home-grown players".
At the inception of the Premier League in 1992–93, just 11 players named in the starting line-ups for the first round of matches hailed from outside of the United Kingdom or Ireland. By 2000–01, the number of foreign players participating in the Premier League was 36% of the total. In the 2004–05 season, the figure had increased to 45%. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first Premier League side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up, and on 14 February 2005, Arsenal were the first to name a completely foreign 16-man squad for a match. By 2009, under 40% of the players in the Premier League were English. By February 2020, 117 different nationalities had played in the Premier League, and 101 nationalities had scored in the competition.
In 1999, in response to concerns that clubs were increasingly passing over young English players in favour of foreign players, the Home Office tightened its rules for granting work permits to players from countries outside of the European Union. A non-EU player applying for the permit must have played for his country in at least 75 per cent of its competitive 'A' team matches for which he was available for selection during the previous two years, and his country must have averaged at least 70th place in the official FIFA world rankings over the previous two years. If a player does not meet those criteria, the club wishing to sign him may appeal.
Following the implementation of Brexit in January 2021, new regulations were introduced which require all foreign players to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) in order to play football in the United Kingdom, regardless of EU status.
Top scorers
See also: List of footballers with 100 or more Premier League goals, List of top Premier League goal scorers by season, and Premier League Golden Boot- As of 5 January 2025
Rank | Player | Years | Goals | Apps | Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alan Shearer | 1992–2006 | 260 | 441 | 0.59 |
2 | Harry Kane | 2012–2023 | 213 | 320 | 0.67 |
3 | Wayne Rooney | 2002–2018 | 208 | 491 | 0.42 |
4 | Andy Cole | 1992–2008 | 187 | 414 | 0.45 |
5 | Sergio Agüero | 2011–2021 | 184 | 275 | 0.67 |
6 | Frank Lampard | 1995–2015 | 177 | 609 | 0.29 |
7 | Thierry Henry | 1999–2007 2012 |
175 | 258 | 0.68 |
Mohamed Salah | 2014–2015 2017– |
175 | 282 | 0.62 | |
9 | Robbie Fowler | 1993–2007 2008 |
163 | 379 | 0.43 |
10 | Jermain Defoe | 2001–2003 2004–2014 2015–2019 |
162 | 496 | 0.33 |
Italics denotes players still playing professional football,
Bold denotes players still playing in the Premier League.
The Premier League Golden Boot is awarded each season to the top scorer in the division. Former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer holds the record for most Premier League goals with 260. Thirty-three players have reached the 100-goal mark. Since the first Premier League season in 1992–93, 23 players from 11 clubs have won or shared the top scorer title. Thierry Henry won his fourth overall scoring title by scoring 27 goals in the 2005–06 season. Erling Haaland holds the record for most goals in a Premier League season (38 matches) with 36 goals as of 15 May 2023. Ryan Giggs of Manchester United holds the record for scoring goals in consecutive seasons, having scored in the first 21 seasons of the league. Giggs also holds the record for the most Premier League assists, with 162.
Wages
There is no team or individual salary cap in the Premier League. As a result of the increasingly lucrative television deals, player wages rose sharply following the formation of the Premier League, when the average player wage was £75,000 per year. In the 2018–19 season the average annual salary stood at £2.99 million.
The total salary bill for the 20 Premier League clubs in the 2018–19 season was £1.62 billion; this compares to £1.05 billion in La Liga, £0.83 billion in Serie A, £0.72 billion in Bundesliga, and £0.54 billion in Ligue 1. The club with the highest average wage is Manchester United at £6.5 million. This is smaller than the club with the highest wage bill in Spain (Barcelona £10.5 million) and Italy (Juventus £6.7 million), but higher than in Germany (Bayern Munich £6.4 million) and France (Paris Saint-Germain £6.1 million). For the 2018–19 season, the ratio of the wages of the highest-paid team to lowest-paid in the Premier League is 6.82 to 1. This is much lower than in La Liga (19.1 to 1), Serie A (16 to 1), Bundesliga (20.5 to 1), and Ligue 1 (26.6 to 1). Because of the lower differential between team wage bills in the Premier League, it is often regarded as being more competitive than other top European leagues.
Player transfer fees
See also: Progression of the British football transfer fee record and List of most expensive association football transfersThe record transfer fee for a Premier League player has risen steadily over the lifetime of the competition. Before the start of the first Premier League season, Alan Shearer became the first British player to command a transfer fee of more than £3 million. The record has increased steadily and Enzo Fernández is now the most expensive transfer fee paid by a Premier League club at £106.8 million, whilst Philippe Coutinho is the biggest transfer involving a Premier League club at £105 million.
Rank | Player | Fee (£ million) | Year | Transfer | Reference(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Enzo Fernández (ARG) | £106.8 | 2023 | Benfica | Chelsea | |
2 | Moisés Caicedo (ECU) | £100 | 2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Chelsea | |
Declan Rice (ENG) | £100 | 2023 | West Ham United | Arsenal | ||
Jack Grealish (ENG) | £100 | 2021 | Aston Villa | Manchester City | ||
5 | Romelu Lukaku (BEL) | £97.5 | 2021 | Inter Milan | Chelsea | |
6 | Paul Pogba (FRA) | £89 | 2016 | Juventus | Manchester United | |
7 | Antony (BRA) | £82 | 2022 | Ajax | Manchester United | |
8 | Harry Maguire (ENG) | £80 | 2019 | Leicester City | Manchester United | |
9 | Joško Gvardiol (CRO) | £77 | 2023 | RB Leipzig | Manchester City | |
10 | Romelu Lukaku (BEL) | £75 | 2017 | Everton | Manchester United |
- Initial £100 million plus a reported £15 million in bonuses
- Initial £100 million plus a reported £5 million in bonuses
- Fee was to be paid over time with an initial £75 million, plus another £15 million in additional bonuses.
Rank | Player | Fee (£ million) | Year | Transfer | Reference(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Philippe Coutinho (BRA) | £105 | 2018 | Liverpool | Barcelona | |
2 | Moisés Caicedo (ECU) | £100 | 2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Chelsea | |
Declan Rice (ENG) | £100 | 2023 | West Ham United | Arsenal | ||
Jack Grealish (ENG) | £100 | 2021 | Aston Villa | Manchester City | ||
5 | Eden Hazard (BEL) | £89 | 2019 | Chelsea | Real Madrid | |
6 | Harry Kane (ENG) | £86.4 | 2023 | Tottenham Hotspur | Bayern Munich | |
7 | Gareth Bale (WAL) | £86 | 2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | Real Madrid | |
8 | Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) | £80 | 2009 | Manchester United | Real Madrid | |
Harry Maguire (ENG) | £80 | 2019 | Leicester City | Manchester United | ||
10 | Romelu Lukaku (BEL) | £75 | 2017 | Everton | Manchester United | |
Virgil van Dijk (NED) | £75 | 2018 | Southampton | Liverpool |
- Initial £105 million plus reported £37 million bonuses
- Initial £100 million plus a reported £15 million in bonuses
- Initial £100 million plus a reported £5 million in bonuses
- Initial £89 million plus a reported £60 million in bonuses
Awards
Trophy
The Premier League maintains two trophies – the genuine trophy (held by the reigning champions) and a spare replica. Two trophies are held for the purpose of making the award within minutes of the title being secured, in the event that on the final day of the season two clubs are still within reach of winning the League. In the rare event that more than two clubs are vying for the title on the final day of the season, a replica won by a previous club is used.
The current Premier League trophy was created by Royal Jewellers Garrard & Co/Asprey of London and was designed in house at Garrard & Co by Trevor Brown and Paul Marsden. It consists of a trophy with a golden crown and a malachite plinth base. The plinth weighs 33 pounds (15 kg) and the trophy weighs 22 pounds (10.0 kg). The trophy and plinth are 76 cm (30 in) tall, 43 cm (17 in) wide and 25 cm (9.8 in) deep.
Its main body is solid sterling silver and silver gilt, whilst its plinth is made of malachite, a semi-precious stone. The plinth has a silver band around its circumference, upon which the names of the title-winning clubs are listed. The green of the malachite represents the green field of play. The design of the trophy is based on the heraldry of Three Lions that is associated with English football. Two of the lions are found above the handles on either side of the trophy – the third is symbolised by the captain of the title-winning team as he raises the trophy, and its gold crown, above his head at the end of the season. The ribbons that drape the handles are presented in the team colours of the league champions that year. In 2004, a special gold version of the trophy was commissioned to commemorate Arsenal winning the title without a single defeat.
Player and manager awards
In addition to the winner's trophy and the individual winner's medals awarded to players who win the title, the Premier League also issues other awards throughout the season.
A man-of-the-match award is awarded to the player who has the greatest impact in an individual match.
Monthly awards are also given for the Manager of the Month, Player of the Month and Goal of the Month. These are also issued annually for Manager of the Season, Player of the Season and Goal of the Season. The Young Player of the Season award is given to the most outstanding U-23 player starting from the 2019–20 season.
The Golden Boot award is given to the top goalscorer of every season, the Playmaker of the Season award is given to the player who makes the most assists of every season, and the Golden Glove award is given to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets at the end of the season.
Starting with the 2021–22 season, four new awards are given. The Save of the Season is awarded to the goalkeeper deemed to have made the most impressive save. The Game Changer of the Season is earned by the player with the single most game-changing performance over the course of the campaign. The Most Powerful Goal is given to the player whose goal-scoring shot had the highest average velocity from the time it was struck to the time it crossed the goal line, and the Most Improbable Comeback award is meant for the team that, based on calculations performed by Oracle Corporation, goes behind and overcomes a deficit to win their respective match.
From the 2017–18 season, players receive a milestone award for 100 appearances and every century there after and also players who score 50 goals and multiples thereof. Each player to reach these milestones is to receive a presentation box from the Premier League containing a special medallion and a plaque commemorating their achievement.
20 Seasons Awards
Further information: Premier League 20 Seasons Awards and Premier League 10 Seasons AwardsIn 2012, the Premier League celebrated its second decade by holding the 20 Seasons Awards:
- Fantasy Team of the 20 Seasons
- Panel Choice: Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Tony Adams, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer
- Public Vote: Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Tony Adams, Nemanja Vidić, Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer
- Best Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
- Best Player: Ryan Giggs
- Most Appearances: Gareth Barry (652)
- Top Goalscorer: Alan Shearer (260)
- Most Clean Sheets: David James (173)
- 500 Club: Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Gareth Barry, Ryan Giggs, David James, Gary Speed, Frank Lampard, Emile Heskey and Sol Campbell
- Best Goal: Wayne Rooney, 12 February 2011, Manchester United vs Manchester City
- Best Save: Craig Gordon, 18 December 2010, Sunderland vs Bolton Wanderers
- Best Team: Arsenal 2003–04
See also
Portals:- List of English football champions
- List of English Football League managers
- FA Women's Super League (highest league of women's football in England)
- Football records and statistics in England
- List of professional sports teams in the United Kingdom
Notes
- Between 2011 and 2019, at various intervals, the league featured two clubs from Wales, Cardiff City and Swansea City, who both play in the English football league system.
- 22 teams between 1992–1995.
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Bibliography
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External links
- Official website (in English, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, and Chinese)
- Media related to FA Premier League at Wikimedia Commons
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