The Football Association has issued a fresh statement following the backlash over the controversial Premier League agreement and the scrapping of FA Cup replays, assuring that concerned clubs will not be disadvantaged.

In response, the FA has attempted to address some of the issues raised by the clubs.

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"We have listened to the concerns expressed over the last 24 hours, and would like to outline the approval process which was undertaken for the 2024-25 professional game football calendar," the FA's statement began.

"We have been discussing the calendar for the 2024-25 season with the Premier League and EFL for well over a year.

"Removing Emirates FA Cup replays was discussed in the early meetings and all parties accepted that they could not continue.

Additionally, we review the prize money annually for the competition, together with representatives from the EFL and PL and will do the same for the 2024-25 season.

"The calendar for next season was approved by the Professional Game Board, which consists of four EFL representatives and four Premier League representatives, last month, and then by the FA Board, which includes Premier League, EFL, National Game and grassroots representation.

We will keep this under review as the new calendar begins to ensure that EFL and National League clubs do not lose out."

The move to scrap replays is largely driven by the need to reduce calendar congestion, especially with UEFA's expanded club competitions starting next season.

The FA and the Premier League announced the agreement that will see changes to the Emirates FA Cup format, including exclusive calendar windows for the tournament.

Starting from next season, all rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will be played on weekends, with the fifth round moving from midweek to the weekend.

For the first time, the fourth and fifth rounds and the quarter-finals will not clash with Premier League fixtures.

The fourth round will also have an extended window from Friday to Wednesday, allowing fans to enjoy consecutive days of FA Cup football.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "The Emirates FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future."

He added: "This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.
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