Burnley boss Sean Dyche says allowing five substitutes per match is the latest rule change designed to favour the big clubs. FIFA announced this week that the option of using the five-substitute rule – initially introduced to help manage player workloads following the coronavirus pandemic – will be open to competitions for the 2020-21 season. But Dyche says it is another example of a rule change helping the elite and hindering smaller clubs like Burnley.
Sean Dyche said “I think it quite obviously favours the big clubs because they can keep more players happy and more players involved by making more changes, A lot of football often does. We all had to change the size of our home pitches to make sure they aligned with the big clubs who were in Europe. We all had to cut the grass the same length. So most things are pushed forward by the big clubs in the division. But equally the big clubs are part of what sells the division to the world. They are fantastic clubs in their own right, they have got amazing histories and a lot of prowess in football. It could be a slightly calmer situation for managers (of bigger clubs) with players who get slightly disgruntled than if they’re out of the team and out of the squad.”
