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Premier League explains why there is only one Boxing Day game this year
Oct 31 2025 18:18 · By onefootball.com · 25 Reads
· View Original
The decision has been a controversial one
The Premier League have said that the “expansion” of European competition is why there is only one game being played on Boxing Day this year.
This season’s festive fixtures were released on Friday , with Manchester United taking on Newcastle United in the only match on December 26.
That game kicks off at 8pm GMT, with Boxing Day landing on a Friday this year.
It means that the rest of the fixtures over the Christmas weekend will be played on Saturday, December 27, and as a result, the 3pm blackout will carry over and mean that some supporters will not be able to watch their sides in action.
The league released the fixtures and an accompanying statement on its website on Friday.
"The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season - impacting an important tradition in English football," the statement read.
"There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions - which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.
"This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition - fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.
"With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls.
“The league can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day - as the date falls on a Saturday.
"As with previous years, and in keeping with our commitment to clubs, special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the festive period.
"This will allow greater time for players to recover with the rest periods between rounds 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match."
There are two more games on Sunday, December 28, with the Christmas games acting like any other Premier League matchday weekend.