This summer will be the latest and shortest off-season break since the formation of the Football League in 1888 for the clubs in the top two tiers. For Premier League players, especially those who may be involved in the finals of the Champions League and Europa League, there will barely be time to catch breath before returning for pre-season training in preparation for the new season starting on September 12. Last year, most teams had 13 weeks to recalibrate for the new campaign. After this marathon season, however, teams will have a maximum of only seven weeks. Wolverhampton Wanderers kicked off their 2019-20 season on July 25 last year against Crusaders, of Ireland, in the Europa League second qualifying round and only finished on Tuesday

Source: The Times August 12, 2020 16:07 UTC