UEFA has admitted its own plans for a Super League-style competition would have killed interest in domestic leagues.

In 2019 European football’s governing body gave serious consideration to a new club format involving promotion and relegation, where qualification for the following season would be determined by continental performance for some.

The proposal bore some similarities to the latest version of the 64-team European Super League presented by its promoter A22 in December. Under A22’s current proposal, only 20 places based on domestic performance would be available each season – and even then into the lowest of the three ESL divisions.

UEFA’s 2019 proposal was vehemently opposed by domestic leagues who criticised the closed nature of the format, and UEFA’s deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti says the criticism of those plans – and of the Super League – is justified.

“Think of a scenario where a number of clubs already know they are in Europe, they are in the top league (of the Super League) whatever it is. What will happen to them? What are they fighting for?” he said.

“Today the battle for position four (in the Premier League) is a battle for life – now, it is like night and day between being in the Champions League and not being there.

“If in January or December I know I’m qualified (for Europe), what should I play for?

“This will be a significant downside for the integrity of the league, that this club will not have any incentive to compete. And the sporting downside becomes a serious commercial burden in the sense that the matches are not so interesting, the stakes are not there. Most probably the commercial value of the competition is also going down.

“We couldn’t honestly say (with the 2019 proposal) that there would be no impact on the leagues – there is an impact on the leagues. It’s quite obvious.

“You need the incentive of qualifying for Europe, especially to the Champions League, is too important for the leagues, both sporting and commercial.

“When you see it, you have to admit that yes, it is true.”

UEFA eventually settled on a new format for its club competitions to start next season, with the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League set to feature 36 teams each in a single league phase.

Paris St Germain boss Luis Enrique is treating their Coupe de France quarter-final clash with Nice “like a final” as they look to avenge their league defeat earlier in the season.

PSG have won the competition a record 14 times and will be looking to reclaim the trophy for the first time since 2021.

Enrique’s side have run riot in the competition so far, beating sixth-tier Revel 9-0 and US Orleans from the third tier 4-1 but Enrique knows Nice will provide a tougher challenge.

He told a press conference: “It’ll be a very interesting game.

“One of the teams will be knocked out after the final whistle, so that means it’ll be a very open and complex game.

“There will be high pressing and commitment from both teams. It’s a match we’re really looking forward to, and we’re treating it like a final.

“The Coupe de France is a very attractive competition, just as cup competitions are in every country. They’re historic competitions that lots of fans love.

“It’s difficult, because the games are played over just 90 minutes and then it’s straight to penalties. So tomorrow, we’ll have to be better than Nice throughout the whole of the game.”

Ligue 1 leaders PSG sit 10 points clear the top of the table and have only suffered a single defeat so far, that being to Wednesday’s opponents when they slipped to a 3-2 defeat at home in September.

Despite that, Enrique says revenge will not be on their mind come kick-off.

He said: “There’s not a feeling of revenge. Our game against Nice is our only defeat of the league season, and up until a few weeks ago, they were title rivals.

“They’re a very good team with and without the ball. Along with Brest, they have the best defensive record, and they’re also the team that gives up the fewest chances.

“I like this team a lot, it’ll be a very tough game. But tomorrow there won’t be a feeling of revenge.”

France winger Ousmane Dembele has enjoyed a successful debut season at PSG so far this term since arriving from Barcelona.

Dembele has proved to be one of the most creative players in the league with 11 assists to his name in all competitions and Enrique thinks he is one of PSG’s best players at the moment.

He added: “Ousmane Dembele is one of our best players, and I think he’s one of the best players in terms of winning one-on-one situations.

“We know the majority of teams keep things compact in the middle of the pitch, so Ousmane usually plays out wide.

“But Real Sociedad were pressing well on the flanks, so I wanted to put Ousmane in the middle for that game to better exploit the space.”

Tom Lockyer will return to the scene of his terrifying on-pitch cardiac arrest when Luton face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday night.

Lockyer, 29, was hospitalised for five days after his heart stopped for two minutes and 40 seconds in the Hatters’ abandoned Premier League game against Bournemouth on December 16.

The 29-year-old Welshman, subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, has since admitted it is “out of his hands” if he will ever play again.

But, 88 days on from the incident which rocked the game, Lockyer is due to meet with the medical team who saved his life before being presented to the crowd at half-time of Wednesday’s re-arranged Premier League fixture.

“It will be emotional going back and reliving that experience but we know we have to do it,” said Luton manager Rob Edwards.

“Locks will meet the people who helped saved his life and see their supporters, who were unbelievable on the day.

“It will be nice to be able to close that part of the story up and concentrate on moving forward.

“It was a really difficult experience that we all went through. The main thing now is that Locks is okay and the silver lining is that some good will have come from it with more awareness on CPR and the importance of knowing what to do in those emergency situations.”

A Bournemouth supporters’ trust has raised more than £2,000 to put on four coaches for Luton fans to make the 240-mile round-trip from Bedfordshire to the south coast.

There are also plans for a minute’s applause in tribute to the medics who saved Lockyer.

“They are the true heroes,” added Edwards. “It is only football and there are more important things.

“What those guys did in the most pressurised moment was incredible and they deserve all the attention and affection that they are going to get.”

Lockyer, whose girlfriend gave birth to their first child, a daughter, at the end of last month also suffered a collapse during May’s Championship play-off victory against Coventry and it remains uncertain if he will return to the pitch.

“It is day-by-day at the moment, said Edwards. “He will enter into a period of rehabilitation but that can take a long time, months, so it is one step at a time at the moment.

“He will be coming down tomorrow which is great. He has got bigger things on his mind with a new baby and he is in a position where that is his main focus right now.

“We would love to have him here on a weekly basis and for him to be around more and lean on his experiences and he will help us.

“It will be really nice for him to meet those heroes and the supporters and he will get a brilliant reception. That will be really nice for him but it will be emotional, too.”

The Hatters, three points adrift of safety, will be looking to build on Cauley Woodrow’s late goal at Crystal Palace last weekend which salvaged a draw and ended a run of four consecutive league defeats.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is confident his players will stay focused during what is expected to be an emotional occasion when they face Luton at the Vitality Stadium again.

Wednesday night’s Premier League game is the rearranged fixture from December 16, which was abandoned when Hatters captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest during the second half.

Lockyer – who was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator after he was hospitalised for five days – is set to travel with the Luton squad to the Vitality Stadium.

The 29-year-old Welshman – who had also suffered a collapse during the 2023 Championship play-off final at Wembley – is set to be meeting some of the people whose swift actions that afternoon helped save his life.

Iraola is happy to see Lockyer making a recovery and feels when the game kicks off, everyone will have their mind on producing the required performance.

“I have been a player and when the referee whistles at the start of the game, you focus because you have difficult things to do,” Iraola told a press conference.

“You think about the football stuff and the opponent you have, also what you can do whenever you receive the next ball.

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“I think the players will be focussed on the football side because they are used to it.”

Iraola has no doubts Lockyer will receive a warm welcome at the Vitality Stadium.

“Since the first seconds (after) it happened, everyone was very clear that the most important thing that mattered was for him to recover,” the Cherries boss said.

“The most important thing is he is much better. He has recovered well and I am happy to know that he is doing well.

“It will be amazing if he comes and we can see him. I am happy to know he is doing well.”

Bournemouth fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Sheffield United on Saturday with a stoppage-time equaliser from Enes Unal.

Iraola is expecting just as stern a test against the Hatters, who could lift themselves out of the relegation zone if they win on Wednesday night.

“Luton and almost all of the teams, we are in a battle. All of the teams need the points and it’s important,” he said.

“The later you play, the more important the points are because you don’t have so many chances after.

“They are a team that have changed a little bit since the last time we played them here, they are much more aggressive in the press and are keeping more possession.

“They are playing more from the back, they have very good midfielders and then they have a lot of pace.

“We have to prepare for a very different game than the one we played the other day against Sheffield United.”

Dominic Solanke had not trained fully in the run-up to the Sheffield United game as he managed a knee issue, but completed 90 minutes so should feature again.

“He has not been affected by the injury, performance wise,” said Iraola, who remains without defender Marcos Senesi because of a thigh problem.

“He finished better in the game than the previous one against Burnley.”

Steve Clarke handed Craig Gordon the chance to play his way into the Euro 2024 squad as he displayed his loyalty to the players who have served him well in recent years.

The 41-year-old is one of four goalkeepers included in a 25-man group for friendlies against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland this month as Clarke keeps his options open.

With Callum McGregor, Aaron Hickey and Jacob Brown missing out through injury, Clarke hopes to have some tough decisions to make when he whittles his squad down to 23 players by the June 7 deadline – seven days before Scotland take on Germany in the tournament opener.

There were no surprises in the latest squad. Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack is absent after being troubled by fitness issues in recent months while Josh Doig and Robby McCrorie have dropped out following November’s games against Georgia and Norway.

Lawrence Shankland retains his place after netting in Tbilisi following his late call-up while Angus Gunn, Gordon, John Souttar, Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Grant Hanley are all back in following injury.

“It’s good to get a few back,” Clarke said. “Obviously there are still three or four missing that I would like to have been in the squad. But the key thing for me is to make sure that, come the start of May, I’ve got tough selections to make, everybody fit and available.

“If we can get to May and I have to make those tough decisions, obviously it will be unfortunate for the ones who miss out, but that’s part of the job, I have got to do it. I will be ready to do it.”

When asked if there was space for anyone to make a late run for the squad, he said: “There’s always opportunity but what I can’t really get my head around is this squad, you talk about the core squad, they haven’t let anybody down. They have done really well for their country and they deserve the chance to go to the Euros.”

Gordon has not been able to dislodge Zander Clark from the Hearts team since recovering from a double leg break but the 74-times capped goalkeeper has started in three Scottish Cup ties.

Clarke watched him keep a clean sheet as Steven Naismith’s side reached the semi-finals against Morton at Cappielow on Monday night.

The former Kilmarnock manager explained his reasoning behind picking four goalkeepers with Clark, Gunn and Gordon joined by Motherwell’s Liam Kelly.

“It gives us a chance to look at Craig up close because he has had three competitive games and, without being disrespectful to the opposition Hearts have played in the cup, probably not games where Craig was over-worked,” he said.

“So it will be nice to see Craig in training with the other goalkeepers. Three of those goalkeepers will go to the Euros and one will miss out.

“I will just assess everything I’ve got. Obviously with the make-up of a squad going into a tournament, there’s other factors as well involved in terms of squad stability and boys that have been in a squad a long time. It’s going to be an interesting decision.

“Obviously Zander has the number-one jersey at Hearts, which tells you a lot about the performances Zander has been putting in. Liam Kelly has been steady in the league again, as he always is, and it’s nice to have Angus Gunn back after missing the November games. It’s nice to have all four competing for three positions.

“There will be a number of factors – performance on the pitch, playing regularly, and just the make-up and the dynamic of the group, people that have been on the squad, players who train well.

“There’s a lot of centre-halves in there as well. I’m not going to be taking all those centre-backs, so there is a similar situation there. They have to impress, they have to play well at their clubs if given the opportunity to play, and then I’ve got to make the selection.”

Brown (knee) and Hickey (hamstring) are recovering from surgery but there is some uncertainty over McGregor’s Achilles problem with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers last week stating a scan had been inconclusive.

Clarke said: “I had a brief chat with Callum with this week because I knew he was going to be missing this camp, but no big issues moving forward, I don’t think.”

Bayern Munich have confirmed they will not appeal against UEFA’s decision to ban their fans from the away leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

The German champions were handed a suspended two-year punishment after supporters let-off fireworks during their group game in Copenhagen in October and that was triggered after similar offences during their recent last-16 tie in Rome against Lazio.

Bayern said in a statement on the club’s official website: “After a thorough examination of the situation, FC Bayern has decided not to lodge an appeal with UEFA against the verdict, according to which the German record champions will have to play the away leg of the upcoming Champions League quarter-finals without their fans.

“The club accepts the decision after the corresponding conditions of the European Football Association were violated in the round of 16 match at Lazio.”

Bayern beat Lazio 3-1 on aggregate to reach this season’s last eight, with the quarter-final draw to take place in Nyon on March 15.

The club’s chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen added: “We have to accept this punishment. Not only were pyrotechnics set off, but also fired deliberately onto the field, directly endangering bystanders.

“This was such an explicit violation of the conditions of probation that an appeal is unfortunately futile.

“In general we’re very happy that we’re in the quarter-finals, but the fact we now have to play away without the support of our fans is a big blow.

“A small group of individual offenders have done a disservice to all our supporters and the team.”

Rafael Benitez has been sacked by Celta Vigo with the club lying 17th in the LaLiga table.

The 63-year-old former Liverpool, Newcastle and Real Madrid boss took charge at Celta last summer, having been out of management since being sacked by Everton in January 2022.

The team have won only five of their 24 league games so far this season, with Sunday’s 4-0 loss at Real Madrid the 14th defeat, and they are currently two points above the relegation zone.

A statement from the club on Tuesday said: “Rafa Benitez and his coaching staff are leaving RC Celta after eight months of absolute commitment and dedication, but in which the team has not obtained the results expected by the club.

“The club would like to express its sincere gratitude to Rafa Benítez and his assistants for the involvement, honesty and professionalism they have shown since their arrival and the tireless work they have done.

“RC Celta would also like to wish them the best of luck and success in the future.”

Former sporting director Michael Edwards is returning to Liverpool and will spearhead the club’s transition to a post Jurgen Klopp era.

Edwards spent over a decade at Anfield as performance director and sporting director before leaving in 2022 but has agreed to take up a role as chief executive of football for the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group.

Discussions began following the shock news in January of manager Klopp’s departure at the end of the season, with further talks held in Boston earlier this month.

Edwards will take over from FSG president Mike Gordon as the day-to-day decision maker on football matters.

Top of Edwards’ to-do list will be appointing a new sporting director, who will then be responsible for recruiting Klopp’s successor.

Edwards declined several offers to return to football following his Anfield exit, holding talks with Chelsea and Manchester United, and the 44-year-old said: “I am very grateful to Mike, John (Henry), Tom (Werner) and the ownership group for offering me the opportunity to take on this new leadership role within FSG.

“I was humbled by the desire and persistence they showed in wanting to work with me again. This is definitely not something that I take for granted given their track record across sport and business.

“It was vital for me that, if I did return, it had to be with renewed vigour and energy. In practice, this means having fresh challenges and opportunities. As such, one of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, growing this area of their organisation.

“In assuming this role, I fully understand that it comes with great expectations, and I therefore intend to identify, hire, and subsequently empower leaders who meet and embody the club’s values and ambitions.

“Having served the club previously I need no reminder of how much emotional investment is made by supporters in the city itself, as well as across the UK and the world. I am looking forward to getting started.”

Edwards will leave his current role with sports management business Ludonautics on June 1.

Gordon hailed his return, saying: “Michael is one of the most formidable executive talents in world football and John, Tom, and I are absolutely thrilled to have secured his services for our business.”

Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount has returned to training after four months on the sidelines.

The 25-year-old has endured a difficult first season at Old Trafford, managing just 12 appearances in all competitions since joining from Chelsea over the summer.

Mount has not played since coming off the bench in United’s 1-0 win against Luton in November, but a return from a calf complaint is finally in sight.

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The Premier League club confirmed on Tuesday that the England international is back in training, just days after Erik ten Hag offered a promising update on him.

“Mason Mount, I think he is in a good spell now and he will return shortly,” the Dutchman said on Friday. “I think after the international break.”

Mount’s presence will be a welcome boost to a United side looking to push for Champions League qualification.

Ten Hag expects Harry Maguire, Rasmus Hojlund and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be back for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool, but Lisandro Martinez, Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia remain sidelined.

Craig Gordon is one of four goalkeepers included in the Scotland squad for upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

The 41-year-old has made three appearances for Hearts since recovering from a double leg break and has been recalled to join Angus Gunn, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly in the squad.

Callum McGregor, Jacob Brown and Aaron Hickey miss out through injury from the 25-man pool, which is two more players than allowed for this summer’s European Championship finals squad.

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack is also absent after being hampered by fitness issues in recent months.

In-form Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is included after netting against Georgia following his late call-up in November.

Though pleased that his Arnett Gardens team secured three points to stick with rivals in the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL) top six, Xavier Gilbert was by no means satisfied with the overall execution, especially as the season approaches the business end.

The “Junglists” were expectedly dominant in all departments in their 3-0 win over Lime Hall Academy at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday, the performance was far from polished and was in fact aided by some poor defending from their opponents in parts.

It took Marlon Buckley’s 52nd-minute own-goal to get things going, before Kaheim Dixon (54th) and Jaheim Thomas (86th) added to their respective tallies so far this season to seal the win.

With the three points, Arnett Gardens joined third-placed Tivoli Gardens and fourth-placed Portmore United on 42 points, but remain in fifth by virtue of their inferior goal difference. Reigning champions Mount Pleasant (49 points) and Cavalier (45 points) maintains the top two spots, with Dunbeholden FC (34 points) completing the top six.

For Gilbert, the fact that Arnett Gardens had 14 of 23 shots on target compared to Lime Hall, who failed to get any of their three shots on target, meant very little as the performance lacked the proficiency they are hoping to display against more competitive opponents.

“We wanted to put on a better showing to be honest. I think we were a little bit impatient in terms of our build up play because in the first half we weren’t connecting with our passes. The second half was a little better and then we managed to put them under some pressure and score some goals. But it wasn’t our best in terms of fluency, but such is the nature of the game we are just happy that we got the three points that we came for,” Gilbert said in a post-game interview.

“I think the changes in the second half made a difference, we were a little bit more positive in the middle of the park and it worked for us. Again, I am not too satisfied because you always want and expect more from your players especially at this point of the competition, but this is the squad that we have so we just have to get the players up to par as best as possible,” he added.

Despite Arnett Gardens’ dominance, Lime Hall’s goalkeeper Jahiem Williams ensured the first half ended goalless, as he came up big on a few occasions to deny Jamone Shephard and Dixon in particular.

Lime Hall’s best chance at a goal came four minutes into the resumption, when Marlon Pennicooke went on the counter, but was hesitant in getting a shot off, and was later dispossessed by two recovering defenders.

That outcome basically summed up Lime Hall’s night, as Arnett Gardens broke the deadlock three minutes later when Williams was beaten by his own defender, Buckley, who inadvertently headed in Philando Wing’s cross.

Dixon doubled the lead a minute later when he fired home after Lime Hall’s defenders failed to clear their lines.

Arnett Gardens, like a pack of hungry wolves, continued to camp out in Lime Hall’s quarters, but their hunt to add to their tally proved fruitless at that point, as Kevoan McGregor’s 69^th-minute shot took a wicked deflection and came back off the left upright.

In the 79th, Williams again came up big to deny Dixon and seconds later McGregor’s stinging right-footer from a distance, rattled the crossbar.

Williams, who took flight in an attempt to keep out the shot, fell awkwardly on his way down and injured his right shoulder which forced him out the game, after he was beaten by Thomas, who fired home his fourth goal of the season from close range.

Lime Hall’s outfield player Mikolai McKoy took up goalkeeping duties, and sent the moderate crowd into frenzy, as he denied Dixon and company in quick succession, in time added.

Oshane Allen, Lime Hall’s assistant coach was left disappointed at the outcome.

“I think it was a hard-fought game but after the own goal, the team fell asleep, and we saw what came after. I have Jahiem [Williams] as the man of the match for tonight, but I guess the three goals took away from his performance. He has always been excellent for us this season and fortunately, the injury is not serious, so we are going to work on getting him ready for the next game,” Allen said.

Matchweek 22 Results

Tivoli Gardens 1, Dunbeholden 1

Portmore United 0, Waterhouse 0

Humble Lion 3, Vere United 0

Mount Pleasant 2, Cavalier 0

Harbour View 0, Molynes United 1

Montego Bay United 1, Treasure Beach 0

Arnett Gardens 3, Lime Hall Academy 0

Suriname’s Robinhood, the Caribbean’s lone remaining representative in the Concacaf Champions Cup, will be hoping to extend their stay in the tournament, as they target a successful homecoming to overturn a two-goal deficit against Costa Rica’s Herediano in their second-leg Round of 16 contest, on Tuesday evening.

Herediano, who claimed a 2-0-win in first-leg action last week, are aiming to build on that advantage, but Robinhood have enjoyed a magical run to reach this point and will rate their chances highly to produce another big wave of the wand at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo.

The Dutch-speaking Caribbean club emerged topped last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Shield, just to qualify for the Caribbean Cup, also topped the Caribbean Cup to qualify directly to the Round of 16 of this Champions Cup.

Through it all, Robinhood performed very well at home, winning all four matches in Paramaribo during the Caribbean Cup, while outscoring opponents 6-1.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel, who topped his peers for that award at the end of the Caribbean Cup, turned in a dazzling display in the first leg, as he pulled off a whopping 14 saves to keep Robinhood within touching distance.

In attack, Robinhood’s chances will be heavily reliant on Dimitrio Andro, who had the two best scoring chances of the first leg in which he also completed 34 passes.

Meanwhile, Herediano are riding a two-match winning streak in Champions Cup play and will be in pursuit of their first Champions Cup quarterfinal appearance since the 2014-15 edition.

Getsel Montes had the opening goal for the Ticos, giving him three in his last five Champions Cup matches, on top of leading the team in passes with 70.

Andy Rojas and Elias Aguilar were key contributors as well to the victory. Rojas registered five shots, four on target, while Aguilar completed 47 passes.

The Caribbean will also be represented off the field, as Jamaican Daneon Parchment and Tristley Bassue of St Kitts and Nevis will be the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to Guatemalan Julio Luna, for the encounter.

While he welcomes a recent signal of form from Levi Garcia, Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s Head coach Angus Eve is not grandstanding about the striker’s return just yet. Instead, he hinted at a wait-and-see approach, as selection will be dependent on Garcia maintaining a clean bill of health.

Eve’s comments followed the 26-year-old’s brace, which assisted his club AEK Athens to a 4-0 away win over Lamia in round one of the Greece Super League playoffs, on Sunday.

Garcia, who missed two of his club's last three games with a slight injury, signalled a return to fitness with the brace after he was introduced as a 78^th-minute substitute. His tally now stands on 13 goals in as many matches, as he sits third on the Greek Super League scoring chart, while the win pushed AEK Athens to the summit of the standings.

Though undecided, Eve is optimistic that Garcia will remain healthy and consistent in form, as he is still in the process of finalizing a formidable Soca Warriors squad to tackle Canada in the Copa America qualifying encounter on March 23.

“We’re cautiously optimistic about Levi maintaining his form, and hopefully staying injury-free,” Eve told T&T Newsday.

Plagued by injuries, Garcia has not played for the twin island republic since coming on as a second-half substitute in their 0-3 first-leg defeat to the United Stated in the Concacaf Nations League, late last year.

However, there is no doubt about the pace and flair that Garcia brings to the team, once he is healthy.

“As you know, we haven’t really played with Levi (recently) and we do have a number of players who are playing (consistently). When not injured, Levi has been in tremendous form for his club and we would only hope that he can maintain that level of intensity and match fitness that we can have with our ranks,” Eve shared.

“(But) Everyone has to fight for their place and once they maintain their fitness and their match fitness, which are two different things, they have the opportunity to play for the country,” he added.

Aside from Garcia, Eve pointed out that he has also been keeping tabs on Jong PSV’s Dante Gilbert, who has increased his playing time after returning from injury, along with Judah Garcia, Levi’s younger brother representing AEK Athens B.

“We keep abreast of all the players by communicating with them individually, the coaches and, for the injured ones, our medical department deals with them. We work in synchronization with the clubs,” he declared.

Premier League club executives have been accused of “parking the bus” over a new cash offer for the EFL.

Hopes had been raised by top-flight sources of an offer finally being made on Monday, with a deal projected to be worth an extra £900million over six years to the 72 clubs having been on the table.

However, Premier League clubs did not vote on an offer and are instead focused on bringing in a replacement to the controversial profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

The delay has already faced criticism from former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, and now Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chair of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) committee has spoken out.

“The longer this deadlock goes on, the more the stated commitment from Premier League clubs to striking a deal with the rest of the pyramid looks like nothing more than an empty promise,” Dinenage told the PA news agency.

“With the richest teams in the country continuing to park the bus to block a financial settlement, the Premier League’s number should now be up and the Government must urgently introduce its much-trailed legislation to bring an independent regulator into play.

“Every day that goes by without an agreement threatens the financial sustainability of clubs in communities up and down the country.”

The Government has warned the new regulator will have the power to impose a deal on the Premier League and the EFL if they cannot agree one themselves.

The squad cost control measures the Premier League is looking at are not set to be voted on until the league’s annual general meeting at the earliest.

The EFL is set to discuss the matter at a board meeting on Thursday. Until a new deal is signed off, the EFL will not give ground on Carabao Cup semi-final second legs or FA Cup replays.

That is set to create major congestion next season with UEFA’s club competitions due to expand.

The CMS committee quizzed Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and EFL chairman Rick Parry over the lack of an agreement back in January.

Masters admitted at that time that there had been disagreement over both the size of any offer to the EFL, and where any extra money should come from.

However, Premier League sources had indicated at the last meeting on February 29 that there was reason to be optimistic that a deal would be offered.

Chelsea forward Mia Fishel has successfully undergone surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained on international duty with the United States.

The striker tore the ligament in her right knee just before the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup, where the USA ultimately beat Brazil 1-0 for the trophy.

The injury also rules the 22-year-old out of this summer’s Paris Olympics, where the United States will be coached by Emma Hayes, who will depart Chelsea at the end of this season to take over the US women’s national team.

Posting on X, Fishel shared a photograph of herself perched on two crutches and giving a thumbs-up, alongside a caption which read: “I’d like to thank my management and medical teams for a successful surgery today.

“I want to thank the United States women’s team and Chelsea Women for their unwavering support during this critical time.

“Exciting projects for 2024 are on the way and I look forward to sharing a more personal side of Mia.”

Fishel joined Chelsea from Mexican side Tigres on a three-year deal last August and has made 10 appearances for the Blues, scoring on her debut in October with a header in the Blues’ 2-1 victory over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.