"What they are doing is extremely frustrating": an English clash with UEFA over Liverpool

Absence of cooperation confuses the scene

The English Football League (EFL) have hit out at UEFA after being forced to reschedule their third-round League Cup fixtures because of a clash with Champions League matches.

Everton's meeting with Wolverhampton had been set for 9 September. Then UEFA scheduled Liverpool against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League league phase on the very same night, and that is where the trouble began.

Security and policing arrangements simply won't allow both Liverpool and Everton to play at home on the same day.

In an official statement on Monday, the League confirmed that Everton versus Wolverhampton would shift to 16 September, the date originally earmarked for the Liverpool versus Tottenham League Cup tie.

That knock-on effect pushed Liverpool versus Tottenham forward by 24 hours.

League officials said they had explored the options with UEFA, but the European governing body refused to move Liverpool against Atletico, citing the impact on travel plans for supporters coming from abroad.

The League's statement affirmed: "Over recent seasons, the League has made a number of changes to accommodate the expansion of UEFA club competitions, a decision that was taken without sufficient consultation with domestic leagues."

It stressed: "This makes UEFA's unwillingness to cooperate extremely frustrating, particularly for the supporters of the five affected clubs, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience we have caused."

Read also: 15 million euros not enough? Benfica shuts the door on the federation