Big boost for Championship clubs as EFL expands Play-off race

The English Football League (EFL) has announced that the play-offs in the EFL Championship will increase from four teams to six starting from next season.

The decision was approved during a meeting of the league’s officials. The EFL oversees the three divisions below the Premier League.

Under the new system, the top two teams at the end of the regular season will still gain automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, teams finishing between third and eighth place will now compete in the play-offs for the final promotion spot.

EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said the decision followed months of discussions with clubs and other stakeholders.

According to him, the change is expected to make the Championship more competitive and give more clubs and their supporters a better chance of gaining promotion.

With the new format, teams that finish fifth to eighth will first play in “eliminator” matches. The winners of those games will then face the teams that finish third and fourth in two-legged semi-finals.

The exact format of the final will be confirmed later this year.

The current play-off system, which includes two-legged semi-finals and a single final match at Wembley Stadium, has been used since the 1989/90 season.

The Championship play-off final is widely regarded as the most valuable single match in football because of the financial rewards attached to promotion.

Last season, Sunderland A.F.C. defeated Sheffield United F.C. in the final. The victory was estimated to be worth at least £200 million in additional revenue for Sunderland.