10 out of 20 Premier League clubs voted against re-introducing the five-subs rule for the remainder of the 2020-21 Premier League season on Thursday, dooming the proposed amendment to failure for the third time in four months.
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The Premier League’s biggest clubs — namely Liverpool and Manchester City — were reportedly left angered following the latest vote. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had previously campaigned on the issue of “player welfare and mental health” due to the condensed nature of this season’s schedule.
Aston Villa, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester City, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers — seven of which currently reside in the bottom-half of the Premier League table — were the 10 clubs to vote against the proposed rule change.
It has been reported that after the case was made in favor of allowing additional subtitutes, no counter-argument was presented. The measure immediately went to the vote. 14 yes votes are required to make the change.
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The Premier League is the only one of Europe’s top-five leagues without the five-subs rule in effect this season. The English Football League, from the Championship down to League Two, has also retained the rule change from the end of last season.
The clubs did, however, vote to allow two additional players on the substitutes’ bench for the remainder of the season.
