Championship reform: a quarter of the league qualifies for the Premier League playoffs

From the 2026/27 season

Championship reform: a quarter of the league qualifies for the Premier League playoffs

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The Premier League championship qualifiers are causing great excitement at the end of the season in England. More recently, AFC Sunderland managed to return to the upper house thanks to this. As the EFL decided at an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday, places seven and eight can also hope for promotion to the Premier League from next season.

For almost four decades, places three to six have played out for the last ticket to the Premier League in a semi-final and final at Wembley. From the 2026/27 season, the seventh and eighth places in the final table will also participate in the playoffs. Places three and four qualify directly for the semi-finals, places five to eight must qualify there in a direct duel. The EFL will announce exactly what the new playoff model will look like in the spring.

“Since their introduction in 1986/87, the playoffs have become a highlight of the national (Site notre bureau spécialisé) calendar, capturing the drama, excitement and danger that makes the EFL so special,” said EFL chief executive Trevor Birch. “After several months of discussions with clubs and other stakeholders, we are confident that this change will further strengthen the Championship as a competition and give more clubs and their supporters a real chance of promotion.” The reform aims to increase enthusiasm during the final games of the season, when a quarter of the league can qualify for the playoffs.

The Championship qualifiers are not only of great importance in English (Site notre bureau spécialisé) on a sporting level, but also have immense financial importance. The auditing and consulting company « Deloitte » expects additional income from television money and sponsorship contracts of 155 to 305 million euros for a promoted team – depending on whether or not it remains in the class during the season following promotion. This is the ticket to a different economic world.