The start of another season of the Premier League and Football League is almost upon us. The World Cup may still be fresh in the memory for many England fans but now attention must return to the drama and desolation that comes with domestic football.
But as ever, this season promises to be different to the last. But what is new this year?
YELLOW AND RED CARDS… FOR MANAGERS!
As exclusively revealed by Sportsmail’s LAURA LAMBERT, yellow and red cards will be shown to managers in four of the top five divisions of English football and in the Carabao Cup and Checkatrade Trophy this season, as part of a major shakeup to improve touchline behaviour.
The new rules, which work in a similar way to cards for players, will be used in the Championship and Leagues One and Two and will punish managers who are ‘guilty of irresponsible behaviour’.
They will also be implemented in the National League – where four yellow cards will result in a one-match ban – meaning a total of 96 clubs will need to adapt to the regulations. It could also come into play in the FA Cup, meaning Premier League bosses may have to watch themselves, too.
A NEW RIVAL FOR SKY SPORTS AND BT SPORT
The duopoly of Sky Sports and BT Sport over live coverage of sport on these shores has been broken this season – and could well be ended for good.
Eleven Sports, an emerging player in the market, was founded by Andrea Radrizzani, the majority owner of Championship side Leeds. This season the subscription-driven broadcaster, which can be watched online and on their app, will show exclusive content from La Liga, Serie A, the Chinese Super League, Dutch Eredivisie and Swedish Allsvenskan.
NO MORE WEEKS OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES!
Whether England’s brilliant run to the World Cup semi-finals has revived your interest in international football or not… surely the end of boring friendlies is something that can bring everyone together?
The days of tedious, tiresome and often turgid games between two unequal teams with little at stake and even less intensity are over. Hoorah!
Replacing it is the new Nations League. In competitive matches against teams of a similar standard, England and Co will play for a place at the UEFA Nations League finals in June 2019.
For the smaller sides, on offer is the carrot of promotion, relegation and a potential route to EURO 2020.
PREMIER LEAGUE BOSSES CAN WATCH REPLAYS
While fans have been able to access instant replays for some time now, the same benefits of the digital era have never been afforded to managers… until now.
From this season, managers and coaches will be able to use clips on mobiles and tablets to plan tactical changes with assistants and show substitutes before they take to the field.
However, they will not be allowed to share the footage with players on the field, and yellow or red cards could be shown to managers who attempt to harangue the fourth officials with shots of a foul the referee has supposedly missed.
A NEW BALL… AND A WORLD FIRST!
A new season also means new balls for the top flight and beyond. Once again, Nike are the company to do the honours and deliver their latest innovation.
And this time they claim to have developed a world first — the first football made from just four panels.
According to the makers: ‘Fewer panels mean fewer seams, eliminating hard spots and opening the ball up to more sweet spots for Premier League players to shoot or pass with more accuracy.’ Great news for strikers, not so much for goalkeepers.