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De Vos Against Game 39 - Ipswich Town News

Skipper Jason De Vos has hit out at Premier League plans to play a 39th fixture overseas in future seasons.

The former Canadian international told the club site: "The only reason it's being discussed and looked at as a viable project is because of financial reasons. It's simply about money.

"And when you are making decisions solely based on money, then it's for the wrong reasons. It's not like the Premier League is short of a few bob, is it?

"The proposal is that a 39th game league game will be played and that will open up a whole can of worms. If a club gets relegated or misses out on Europe because of that one extra game, imagine the ramifications from that. They will be up in arms over it.

"The idea of an extra game will lengthen the season as well, something that football is trying to work against here.

"They are looking at having a week off before the game and a week off after to get over the travel issues. So that's an extra match and an extra two weeks in the season.

"The Premier League are letting their wallets rule their heads. And make no mistake, having experienced long distance travelling during a season, it will affect the players.

"The talk of spreading the global brand of the Premier League is happening anyway. Clubs are playing pre-season games in Asia, America and beyond.

"It doesn't need to be an extra game in the middle of the season to make that work. If Manchester United played Arsenal or Reading in Toronto in an exhibition game in July, it would be a sell-out."

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