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Juve boss wants matches in England cut

Andrea Agnelli is chairman of Juventus and chairman of the powerful European Clubs' Association. He is a member of the famous Agnelli family and a board member at Fiat. So when he speaks he needs to be listened to.

He has called for the Premier League to be 'streamlined'. England's top flight clubs can play up to 53 games in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup (although the cup competitions provide a rare outing for fringe players). Their equivalents in Germany play a maximum of 43.

Agnelli wants a general reduction in domestic games with more international club games. This is very much the agenda of the top European clubs. The top six in the Premier League would also support a reduction in its size, although it would require smaller clubs to agree to be turkeys voting for an early Christmas.

Reducing the size of the Premier League could, however, lead to a reduction in the number of clubs relegated to two or even one. This would, of course, not go down well with Championship clubs trying to reach the riches of the top flight, if only for a season or two. Some foreign owners, particularly those from the US, find the whole idea of a franchise being relegated strange.

The Premier League reacted angrily to Agnelli's comments, telling them to take his tanks off their lawn: 'It is up to Italian clubs and their association to make decisions about their competitions but neither they nor the ECA have any role in the governance of English football.'

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