Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion are currently occupying the automatic places in the Championship.
Former EFL chief, Shaun Harvey, has suggested that Leeds and West Brom potentially being part of a 22-team Premier League is going against FIFA and UEFA because they have always preferred 18 teams at every top European league.
Harvey made it clear that the idea of Leeds and West Brom forming adding to the already 20 Premier League teams next season is a ‘complete non-starter’.
With football at a standstill because of this current global health pandemic, fans and pundits alike have put forward suggestions about what should or shouldn’t happen to this current season.
Speaking on The Debate on Sky Sports News (16/03/20 at 20:45 pm), Harvey explained that FIFA have always wanted 18 teams in the top-flight, so moving up to 22 would be ‘going against the grain’.
“Yes, we were 22 [in the 90s’] and then we went to 20,” Harvey told The Debate. “And actually, the powers that be at FIFA or UEFA, are always saying that it should go to 18 because 18 then fits the model of all the European competitions. In the same way as other leagues. So, you are going even against that grain.
“At this very time when we have said that everybody has to come together to find a solution. For me, it’s a complete non-starter.”
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If the season can be completed then it must be completed at any cost and at any given time – when it is safe to do so, of course. But, going down any other course will only cause havoc across the footballing pyramid.
And, one thing is for sure, Leeds will make their voices heard if their path to the Premier League is blocked if, for instance, this current campaign is voided.
Leeds are sitting top of the Championship table and were hitting their best form before the season came to a halt, so they will be eager to get back out there so they can finally end their 16-year absence from England’s top-flight.
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