Why Coventry City won't have October international break like this ever again

The Championship season was just getting started but took a fortnight's break in September and October



Football players, coaches and supporters are now in the final week of an October international break as we know it ahead of a major change to the domestic and international fixture schedules in time for next year.

European football fans have got fed up of the stop-start nature to the season, with two-week international breaks popping up in September, October and November.

From 2026 onwards, the September and October breaks will be merged into one period which covers the last week of September and early October. Each nation will play a maximum of four matches in that time.

It means that Coventry City and Championship rivals will have three weeks without a fixture from September 21 next year - but it does reduce the total length of international break across the two months.

The decision to merge the two windows was made at the FIFA Council meeting in March 2023.

England, who will be fresh from the 2026 summer World Cup, will play four Nations League matches in September and October next year.

Coventry had won three games in a row to head into this latest break, putting Frank Lampard's team a point clear at the top of the table. The action resumes next weekend with a home game against Blackburn Rovers.

It's still idiotic!

They could play the home internationals in the summer break and I don't see what that picture has to do with this story?