The Premier League’s traditional Boxing Day will only have one game this year This is a result of the calendar reform carried out by the organization, a decision that, beyond the detailed explanation and the promise that the offer will be wider in 2026, caused the dissatisfaction of England fans.
The only game that will take place this Friday, December 26th will be Manchester United vs Newcastle at 5 p.m. (Argentina time) at Old Trafford. The meeting in which the Argentine will be the protagonist Lisandro Martínez and will correspond to the date 18, it will be broadcast live on ESPN, Channel that can be tuned online to Flow, DGO and Telecentro Play; and on the digital platform Disney+ Premium. At campollena.com you can follow minute by minute with instantly updated information and statistics.
The decision to play a single match on Boxing Day was justified by the restructuring of the calendar following the expansion of European competitions and commitments with television networks. “This presents several challenges to Premier League programming.“which led to a review of the domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup,” the English league said in a statement.
The decision implies that it will be December 26th with the fewest number of games in the English top flight since 1982. Eight games were played in the last edition, the last time the day’s ten games coincided on this day was in 2015.
The news, which became known at the end of October, caused surprise and criticism in the English football environment. Playing just one game represents an unprecedented cut since the Second World War. In contrast, in 2014 – the last time December 26th fell on a Friday like this year – all ten games were played on the same day.
Despite the criticism, the organization assured that the change would be exceptional. “La Liga can ensure there will be more Premier League games on Boxing Day next season as it falls on a Saturday“, said the same statement. It is then expected that Boxing Day will return to its traditional format in 2026.
Boxing Day is a public holiday in Great Britain that is celebrated on the day after Christmas, i.e. on December 26th. This day encourages donations and gifts to people with fewer economic resources, hence the name, which translated into Spanish means “Day of the Boxes.” On this day, the Premier League, considered by many to be the best football league in the world, usually has a calendar full of matches involving the most important teams and players, which will be an exception this year.
The origin of this holiday is believed to date back to the 19th century, when it was decided that if Christmas fell on a Sunday, workers would have an extra day to rest, celebrate and enjoy their free time. This became a tradition and part of the British festival calendar. The first match played on this day was Sheffield against Hallam, the oldest club in the world, in 1860although the tradition began with the meeting between Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion in the 1888/89 season.
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